Cold Forging / Heading: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
Bulk formingFamily
+/-0.05mmTypical tol.
5Route steps
122Parts in finder
Cold forging (cold heading) forms metal at room temperature by forcing it into a die, work-hardening the part and giving an excellent finish with almost no waste.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
High-volume small parts like fasteners, pins and studs where strength and material yield matter.
Watch for
High forces and tool wear, limited to ductile metals and modest shape complexity.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Wire prep
Draw and lubricate cold-heading wire.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Cold form
Head and extrude the part cold in progressive stations.
Tooling Dies/punches Tolerance - Lead -
Trim/point
Trim and point as needed.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Thread roll
Roll threads cold for strength.
Tooling Roll dies Tolerance - Lead -
Plate & inspect
Plate, bake for hydrogen relief, inspect.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Precision
Tolerances it can hold
TYPICAL TOLERANCE IT CAN HOLD
Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Low-carbon wire (CHQ)
Cold-heading quality
Alloy steel wire
Higher strength bolts
Stainless/alu wire
Corrosion/light
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Cold Forging / Heading. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Features that can't be cold-formed.Design to heading limits.
Over-tight head tolerance.Open to standard.
Cost
What it costs
Fasteners and near-net parts at huge volume; pennies per part once tooled. A high-volume game.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$0.37 to 0.81per part at 1,000 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
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Cold forging (cold heading) forms metal at room temperature by forcing it into a die, work-hardening the part and giving an excellent finish with almost no waste. The typical route is: Wire prep; Cold form; Trim/point; Thread roll; Plate & inspect. High-volume small parts like fasteners, pins and studs where strength and material yield matter.
What does Cold Forging / Heading cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $0.37 to 0.81 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Cold Forging / Heading hold?
Typically about +/-0.05 mm, tighter with extra finishing operations at higher cost.
What materials suit Cold Forging / Heading?
Common choices are Low-carbon wire (CHQ) (Cold-heading quality); Alloy steel wire (Higher strength bolts); Stainless/alu wire (Corrosion/light).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
