General Characteristics of Forming and Shaping Processes

General characteristics of different forming and shaping processes such as flat rolling, shape rolling, drawing, extrusion, forging, forming and shaping of ceramics, sheet-metal forming, powder metallurgy and processing of plastics & composite materials.

S.no	Process	Characteristics
1	Flat rolling	Production of a flat plate, sheet, and foil at high speeds; high surface finish, especially in cold rolling; very high capital investment; low-to-moderate labor cost.
2	Shape rolling	Production of various structural shapes (such as I-beams and rails) at high speeds; includes thread rolling; low-to-moderate labor cost; requires shaped rolls and expensive equipment; requires moderate operator skill.
3	Drawing	Production of long rod and wire with various cross sections; good surface finish; requires low-to-moderate operator skill; low-to-moderate die, equipment and labor costs.
4	Extrusion	Production of long lengths of solid or hollow shapes with constant cross section; the product is then cut into desired lengths; usually performed at elevated temperatures; cold extrusion has similarities to forging and is used to make discrete products; low-to-moderate labor cost; moderate-to-high die and equipment cost; requires low-to-moderate operator skill.
5	Forging	Production of discrete parts with a set of dies; some finishing operations are usually required; usually performed at elevated temperature, but also cold for smaller parts; moderate-to-high labor cost; die and equipment costs are high; requires low-to-moderate operator skill.
6	Forming and shaping of ceramics	The production of discrete products through various shaping, drying, and firing processes requires moderate to high operator skill, along with low to moderate die and equipment costs.
7	Sheet-metal forming	Production of a wide variety of shapes with thin walls and complex or straightforward geometries; generally low-to-moderate die, equipment, and labor costs; requires low-to-moderate operator skill.
8	Powder metallurgy	Production of simple or complex shapes by compacting and sintering metal powders; low labor cost and skill, and moderate die and equipment cost.
9	Processing of plastics and composite materials	Production of a wide variety of continuous or discrete products by extrusion, molding, casting, and fabricating processes; moderate die and equipment costs; requires high operator skill in the processing of composite materials.