Supply vehicle makers forged parts that carry their lot, date code and control plan.

Forged parts for vehicles are made to a vehicle maker’s drawing and ordered by weekly or daily releases, not by one-off purchase orders. Every piece is marked. A field complaint must lead back to a heat of 42CrMo4 or C45 bar, a die set and a day of production, often years after the part reached a vehicle line.

Forged automotive parts software ties the customer schedule to bar, die, press and machining records. Part marks, control plans and inspection results stay with the lot. Name one part family and we begin with its die set.

The vehicle maker or a tier one supplier sends a forecast and a firm release for each part number, such as a steering knuckle, a connecting rod or a yoke. The planner turns the release into billets, hammer or press hours and machining slots. Priorities shift daily. Steel bar comes in under a named grade and a mill certificate. Billets are sawn to length, then weighed on the scale against the part’s allowed weight band. The die set for each part waits on the rack with its strike count.

On the line, each piece is struck, flash trimmed, quenched and tempered, then shot blasted and marked with a part number and a date code that names the day and shift. Inspectors follow the control plan at set frequencies for dimension, Rockwell or Brinell hardness, and magnetic particle crack checks. They sign each check. Approved parts are packed into the customer’s returnable racks with a barcode label. An advance shipping notice goes out before the truck leaves.