Closed Die Forging Parts, Open Die Forging Parts and Forging Small Parts: Market Overview, Technolog

The Global Forging Industry: A Pillar of High-End Manufacturing Driven by Three Core Product Segments

Forging, as a core metal plastic forming process, realizes the plastic deformation of metal billets under pressure to obtain components with excellent mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy and structural integrity. The global metal forging market was valued at USD 75.77 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2025 to 2034, reaching USD 130.65 billion by 2034. Among various forging products, closed die forging parts, open die forging parts and forging small parts are the three core segments, each occupying a unique position in terms of technology, application and market share. This article comprehensively interprets their technical characteristics, market data and development trends, combining authoritative industry data to provide a scientific and practical reference for industry practitioners and researchers.

Closed Die Forging PartCloses: High Precision, High Efficiency and Dominant Market Sharee

 

What Are Closed Die Forging Parts?

Closed die forging parts, also known as impression-die forgings, are manufactured by pressing heated metal billets into precision-machined die cavities until the material fully fills the cavity, forming near-net-shape components. The excess material squeezed out along the die parting surface is removed by trimming, ensuring tight dimensional control and consistent mechanical properties. This process is widely used in mass production scenarios requiring high precision and stable quality.

Technical Advantages and Market Data

Closed die forging parts have obvious advantages in dimensional precision, material utilization and mechanical performance: the tolerance can be as low as ±0.05 mm, the material utilization rate reaches 85-95%, and the optimized grain flow significantly improves the tensile strength and fatigue life of components. As the largest segment of the forging market, closed die forging parts account for 44% of the global forging market share. In 2024, their global output exceeded 18.2 million metric tons, with aluminum alloy closed die forging parts growing at the fastest rate of 5.3% CAGR, driven by the lightweight trend of new energy vehicles.

Key Application Fields

The automotive industry is the largest downstream market, accounting for 38% of the total demand for closed die forging parts—more than 60% of chassis, transmission and engine components such as crankshafts, connecting rods and gears are closed die forgings. In the aerospace field, they account for 25% of the demand, mainly used in turbine disks, compressor blades and landing gear components. In addition, they are also widely used in industrial machinery, hydraulic equipment and other fields, becoming an indispensable part of high-end manufacturing.

Open Die Forging Parts: Large-Scale, Customized and Irreplaceable in Heavy Industry

Definition and Processing Characteristics

Open die forging parts are formed by pressing heated metal billets between flat or simply shaped dies without fully enclosing the workpiece. The shape of the product depends on the operator’s experience and the control of equipment stroke, and the metal can flow freely in the horizontal direction during the processing process. This process has strong flexibility, low mold cost, and is especially suitable for small-batch and one-off customized large-scale components.

Market Scale and Data Performance

In 2024, the global production of open die forging parts exceeded 4.5 million metric tons, accounting for 32% of the global forging market share. Steel is the main material, accounting for 72% of the total output of open die forging parts, of which carbon steel and alloy steel are widely used due to their excellent tensile strength and machinability. The global open die forging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% from 2025 to 2034, driven by the demand for infrastructure and energy transition projects.

Typical Application Scenarios

Open die forging parts are mainly used in heavy industry fields that require large size and high strength: in the power generation industry, they are used to produce shafts, rotors and generator blocks; in the marine and offshore field, they are used for large shafts, rudder components and pressure parts; in the oil and gas field, they are used for valve bodies, flanges and high-pressure connectors. The maximum weight of a single open die forging part can reach 20 tons, and the length can reach 5 meters, which cannot be replaced by other forging processes.

Forging Small Parts: Miniaturized, High-Precision and Fast-Growingg

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Features and Processing Methods

Forging small parts generally refer to components weighing a few grams to several kilograms, which require micron-level precision and high-volume production stability. They are usually produced by cold forging, warm forging or miniature closed die forging processes, with ultra-high processing efficiency and low subsequent processing costs.

Market Growth and Advantages

The global market for forging small parts is growing at an annual rate of 5.1%, faster than the overall growth rate of the forging industry. Its core advantages lie in ultra-high precision (tolerance as low as ±0.02 mm), high efficiency (automated production lines can produce 60-120 pieces per minute) and cost-effectiveness—near-net-shape forming can reduce or even eliminate secondary machining, greatly reducing production costs.

Main Application Fields

In the automotive industry, they are used to produce fasteners, pins, small gears and sensor components; in the electronics and electrical field, they are used for connectors, terminals and heat dissipation parts; in the hardware and tool field, they are widely used in hand tools, locks and drill bits. With the development of 3C electronics, new energy vehicles and intelligent equipment, the demand for high-precision forging small parts is continuing to rise.

Market Trends and Conclusion

In the next 5-10 years, the global forging industry will develop in the direction of intelligence, greenization and high-endization: servo presses, robotic handling and AI process control will be widely used to improve production stability; lightweight materials such as aluminum and titanium alloys will accelerate their popularization; energy-saving furnaces and waste heat recovery technologies will help reduce carbon emissions. Closed die forging parts, open die forging parts and forging small parts, as the core pillars of the industry, will complement each other and jointly promote the high-quality development of the forging industry. Closed die forging parts will maintain their leading position in mass production; open die forging parts will continue to undertake the demand for large-scale customized parts; forging small parts will usher in explosive growth driven by miniaturization and intelligence, creating greater market value for the global manufacturing industry.