{"id":3575,"date":"2026-10-26T13:56:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T05:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/?p=3575"},"modified":"2026-10-26T13:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T05:56:18","slug":"what-are-the-applications-of-forged-parts-in-the-aerospace-industry-45c8-2a5c6c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/26\/what-are-the-applications-of-forged-parts-in-the-aerospace-industry-45c8-2a5c6c\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the applications of forged parts in the aerospace industry?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re in the market for aerospace components, chances are you\u2019ve heard about forged parts\u2014and maybe you\u2019re wondering why they\u2019re such a big deal for planes, satellites, and all kinds of flying hardware. As someone who runs a small, specialized forging shop (yeah, I\u2019m the guy behind the parts that hold those big jet engines together), I deal with this question every single day. So let\u2019s break it down straight, no jargon, no fancy fluff\u2014just real talk about what we make and where it actually goes. Forged Parts<\/a><\/p>\n

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First off, let\u2019s keep it simple: forging is when you heat a metal (usually titanium, aluminum, or alloy steel) and pound or press it into shape. Unlike casting, which melts metal and pours it into a mold, forging compresses the metal\u2019s grain structure. That makes the parts way stronger, more durable, and way less likely to crack under stress. For aerospace, where a single part failing mid-flight is a non-starter, that\u2019s a game-changer. We\u2019ve all seen those viral videos of jet engines spitting out parts mid-takeoff\u2014you can bet those were cast, not forged, and that\u2019s exactly why aerospace crews swear by our stuff.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the big stuff: commercial jetliners. You know the ones you fly to visit family every holiday? Almost every critical structural part on that plane is forged. Take the landing gear, for example. When a 787 Dreamliner lands, it slams onto the runway at like 160 mph, and the landing gear has to support 100 tons of plane plus its passengers and cargo. If that gear was cast, it\u2019d snap like a cheap pencil. Our forged alloy steel landing gear struts and axles? They flex, take the impact, and keep working for thousands of landings. We also do the engine mounts\u2014those hold the massive jet engines to the wings. If an engine ever shifts even a little mid-flight, that\u2019s a disaster. Forged titanium engine mounts are lightweight (key for saving fuel) and super tough, so they handle all the vibration and torque from the engine\u2019s 100,000+ rpm blades. Even the wing spars\u2014those long beams that run the length of the wing to keep it from folding up mid-flight\u2014are often forged from high-strength aluminum. We\u2019ve supplied parts for both Boeing and Airbus over the years, and every time, the aerospace teams tell us the same thing: forged parts just don\u2019t let them down.<\/p>\n

Next up: military aircraft. Fighters like the F-35 or F-22 have to do crazy things\u2014pull 9-G turns, fly at supersonic speeds, take fire, you name it. Forged parts are non-negotiable here. I spent a year working on a contract for F-35 fuselage frames\u2014those big, curved parts that make up the plane\u2019s body. Titanium is the go-to for stealth aircraft, because it doesn\u2019t show up on radar as easily as steel. Forging titanium gives it a uniform grain that\u2019s way harder than cast titanium, so the frames can withstand the heat from the engines and the stress of high-speed maneuvers. We also make the hydraulic line fittings for military jets. Hydraulics are what move the landing gear, flaps, and control surfaces\u2014if a fitting leaks or breaks, the plane is grounded. Forged steel fittings are sealed tight, no weak spots, so they work even in extreme temperatures, from -60\u00b0F at 40,000 feet to 120\u00b0F on the tarmac in the Middle East. I\u2019ll be honest, military work is high-pressure\u2014you can\u2019t mess up a part that keeps a pilot safe. That\u2019s why we invest in good forging equipment and quality checks every step of the way.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s space stuff, which is a whole other level of crazy. Satellites, rockets, even the space shuttles (rest in peace) rely on forged parts more than most people realize. Let\u2019s talk about rocket engines. When a rocket launches, its engines generate millions of pounds of thrust, and the fuel lines and combustion chambers have to handle insane pressure\u2014like, thousands of pounds per square inch. Forged alloy steel combustion chambers are way more reliable than cast ones here. We supplied parts for a small satellite launch company last year: their upper stage engine\u2019s fuel injector was a forged stainless steel part. The injector has to spray fuel and oxidizer perfectly to make the engine burn right, and any irregularity would cause a launch failure. Forging ensures the inside of the injector is smooth and uniform, so the fuel flows exactly how it needs to. Satellites themselves also use forged parts: their antenna mounts, solar panel hinges, and even the brackets that hold sensitive electronics. Satellites are in space for 15+ years, dealing with radiation, extreme temperature swings, and micro-meteoroids. Forged aluminum hinges don\u2019t rust (obviously, no rust in space) and are strong enough to deploy the solar panels the first time, then stay open for a decade. I\u2019ve had customers call us panicking because their cast satellite part cracked during testing\u2014we replaced it with a forged part, and it\u2019s been working without issues for three years now.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s not forget general aviation\u2014small planes, business jets, the stuff you see at local airports. A lot of people think forged parts are only for big jets or military jets, but that\u2019s not true. Small plane engine crankshafts and propeller hubs are almost always forged. A propeller hub has to spin thousands of times a minute, and if a blade comes loose, that\u2019s a tragedy. Forged steel prop hubs hold the blades tight, no movement, no risk. Even the brake parts for small business jets: when you\u2019re landing a Citation X at a private airport, you need brakes that stop the plane fast. Forged carbon steel brake discs handle the heat of hundreds of landings without warping, which keeps passengers safe. We do a lot of work with small general aviation shops, too\u2014they can\u2019t afford to mess up, so they come to us for reliable forged parts at a price that makes sense.<\/p>\n

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: \u201cWhy not use 3D printing or casting? It\u2019s cheaper, right?\u201d Yeah, 3D printing is cool, and casting has its place, but for critical aerospace parts, forging is still king. Let\u2019s get real: 3D printed parts can have tiny gaps or uneven grain, and even though they\u2019re strong in some ways, they don\u2019t hold up to the same extreme stress as forged parts. Casting, like I said earlier, creates a grain structure that\u2019s more porous\u2014so it\u2019s more likely to crack when you put pressure on it. We\u2019ve tested forged parts against 3D printed ones for a customer last year: the forged landing gear strut withstood 10x the load of the 3D printed one before it showed any signs of wear. For aerospace, safety doesn\u2019t care about cost savings\u2014at least not when it comes to parts that keep people alive.<\/p>\n

Another big thing: weight. Aerospace companies are obsessed with weight because every extra pound means more fuel, which means higher costs and more emissions. Forged parts are super strong but lightweight, especially when we use titanium and aluminum. For example, a forged titanium engine mount is half the weight of a steel cast mount, but just as strong. That adds up over an entire plane\u2014save a few hundred pounds here, a few hundred there, and you\u2019re talking thousands of dollars a year in fuel savings. Our customers love that because it\u2019s a win for their bottom line and the environment.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just big structural parts. We also make a ton of small, often overlooked parts that keep the whole system running. Take the fasteners\u2014bolts, nuts, rivets that hold everything together. Aerospace fasteners have to be made to exact specs, no exceptions. Forged alloy steel fasteners are way stronger than rolled or cut ones, so they don\u2019t loosen or break during flight. I\u2019ve heard stories of airlines doing inspections and finding cheap, non-forged fasteners in their planes\u2014they had to ground entire fleets, which cost millions. That\u2019s why almost all aerospace fasteners are forged, and we\u2019re a big supplier for those, too. We make everything from tiny rivets for fuselage panels to large bolts for wing attachment points.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about how we do it. When a customer comes to us with an aerospace part design, first we work with them to pick the right metal. Titanium is great for high-heat, stealth applications; aluminum is light for wings and fuselages; alloy steel is tough for landing gear and engine parts. Then we heat the metal to just the right temperature\u2014too hot, and it gets too soft; too cold, and it cracks when we pound it. Then we use a forging press\u2014we\u2019ve got a 500-ton press and a 1000-ton press, so we can make parts as small as a fastener or as big as a 10-foot wing spar section. After forging, we machine the part to exact dimensions, then do a bunch of tests: x-rays to check for hidden defects, pressure tests to make sure it can handle stress, and material tests to confirm the metal\u2019s strength. We don\u2019t ship a part unless it passes every single test\u2014no shortcuts, no exceptions.<\/p>\n

I know there\u2019s a lot of competition out there for forged parts, but what sets us apart is that we actually listen to our aerospace customers. A few months back, a commercial jet company asked us to make a forged engine mount that was 5% lighter than the standard part. We worked with our metallurgists to tweak the forging process, reduced the material where it didn\u2019t need to be, and ended up with a part that was 7% lighter than their request. They\u2019ve re-ordered with us three times since then. Another time, a small satellite company needed a part delivered in 6 weeks for a launch. We rearranged our schedule, worked overtime, and got it to them on time\u2014they said that part was the difference between their launch happening and being delayed a year. That\u2019s the stuff we care about, not just making parts, but being a partner for our customers.<\/p>\n

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So if you\u2019re an aerospace engineer, a procurement manager, or someone who just needs reliable forged parts for a plane, satellite, or rocket, don\u2019t settle for cast or 3D printed. Forged parts are still the gold standard for critical applications, and that\u2019s because they\u2019ve been tested and proven for decades. Every time you get on a plane, you can be sure that the parts holding you up, holding the engine to the wing, and stopping the plane on the runway are forged. If you\u2019re looking to place an order or just talk through your part needs, reach out to us directly\u2014we\u2019re here to help, no matter how big or small your project is. We don\u2019t do generic parts; we work with you to make exactly what you need, on time, and to the strict aerospace standards you require.<\/p>\n

Asme(ansi) B16.5 Flange<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Aerospace Materials and Processes Handbook, Volume 5: Forging of Aerospace Alloys, SAE International, 2021.<\/li>\n
  2. \u201cForging in Aerospace Applications,\u201d Modern Metals Manufacturing, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2020, pp. 45-52.<\/li>\n
  3. Titanium Alloys for Aerospace Forgings, International Titanium Association, 2019.<\/li>\n
  4. Commercial Aircraft Structural Components: Design and Manufacturing, Boeing Technical Report, 2022.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Shanxi Xinshunda Flange Manufacturing Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional forged parts manufacturers and suppliers in China, we also support customized service with competitive price. We warmly welcome you to wholesale high quality forged parts for sale here from our factory. For quotation, contact us now.
    Address: Zhunagli Industrial Zone,jinchang Town,dingxiang,shanxi,china
    E-mail: sales01@xinflange.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.xinflange.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019re in the market for aerospace components, chances are you\u2019ve heard about forged parts\u2014and maybe … What are the applications of forged parts in the aerospace industry?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":566,"featured_media":3575,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3538],"class_list":["post-3575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-forged-parts-44cd-2c1420"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/566"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canningscreditunion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}