RECENT TRENDS ON RESEARCHES AND TECNOLOGIES IN FORGING PROCESSES IN JAPAN

The amount of production orders from Japanese car and construction machine industries have slightly increased in 2002, but the costs of the forged parts have decreased due to severe competitions with the other Asian countries. Most of the forging industries and some universities are making more efforts for technological researches and developments to meet the demand for higher accuracy and higher quality products, shortening of delivery time, and development of forged parts for new industrial fields. Some helical gears of which surfaces can be net-shaped have been started for commercial base production to be shipped to car industries. Some non-graphite lubricants for hot forging and some conversion coating free lubricants for cold forging have been developed to improve some environmental problems.