Forging Ingots for Ring Rolling
Seamless rolled rings start as a forged and pierced block. The ingot is upset, pierced and expanded on a ring rolling mill, so the starting steel has to be sound at the centre, where the piercing takes place.
Steel ingots for ring rolling are cast round or square and vacuum degassed, so the centre stays sound where the ring is pierced.
Typical components
- Bearing races
- Wind turbine rings
- Gear rings
- Flanges and pressure rings
- Turbine casings
Recommended steel grades
EN31
A high carbon, chromium steel that reaches very high hardness and wear resistance after hardening.
SAE 52100
The reference high carbon chromium bearing steel, known for hardness, wear resistance and rolling contact fatigue life.
EN19
A widely used chrome-moly steel with good hardenability, toughness and fatigue strength in the quenched and tempered condition.
42CrMo4
The EN 10083 designation of the 4140 / EN19 family, widely specified for European and export orders.
ASTM A182 F22
A creep-resistant chrome-moly steel for forged flanges, fittings and valves operating at high temperature and pressure.
Choosing the ingot
Ring makers usually choose medium to heavy ingots (M3 to M9) with vacuum degassing. A clean, centre-sound ingot reduces the piercing scrap. State the finished ring size and the minimum reduction your process gives, so the ingot size can be matched.
Check the ingot size chart for available marks and weights, and read how to choose the right ingot size using the forging reduction ratio.