Hydraulic forging at Anderson Shumaker is controlled force instead of impact—slower, steadier deformation that shines when geometry control, repeatability, and surface integrity matter more than raw hit rate. The press lets us manage reduction per bite, maintain tight dimensional progression, and stay consistent across heats, which is especially valuable on larger sections, tool/tooled forgings, and complex shapes where uniform strain and predictable grain flow are the goal. In plain terms: the hammer is fast and aggressive; the hydraulic press is precise and disciplined—both produce real forged structure, just with different levers.

At Anderson Shumaker, hammer forging is our high-energy, high-throughput workhorse for breaking down hot stock fast and driving shape with repeated blows. The impact refines grain flow, helps close up internal discontinuities, and moves metal aggressively—ideal when you need strong directional properties and you’re converting rounds/billets into hubs, bars, blocks, discs/blanks, step shafts, and rough ring preforms. It’s the “move a lot of steel, quickly” process—great productivity, great consolidation, and a forged structure you can heat treat and machine with confidence.

Ultrasonic testing bounces a sound wave through the forging looking for a back reflection, which could indicate a defect in the material. In liquid penetrant testing a dye is sprayed over the forging, penetrating any cracks or defects on the surface. Afterwards, the part is examined under a special light to illuminate imperfections. Learn More

Testing such as charpy impact, tensile, stress rupture, grain size, macro and micro, can be preformed by forging an extra test coupon, using an extra forging or putting a prolongation on the forging and removing it for testing. The test piece is then broken and measurements are taken and recorded to insure the material is capable of the requirements of the desired specification. Learn More