6 Key Differences Between Forged and Cast Crane Wheels

Understanding the differences between forged crane wheels and cast crane wheels is critical to ensuring optimum performance and safety when selecting the right wheels for your crane operation. Each process imparts unique characteristics to the wheel that affect its suitability for a variety of applications. In this guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at six important differences between forged and cast wheels, highlighting how these differences affect their strength, durability and overall performance.

Forged crane wheels

Processing technology

Forged crane wheels using forging process, usually choose 65Mn steel billet as raw material, through the heating and forging, so that the billet plastic deformation and the formation of wheels, so as to form a dense organisation and excellent mechanical properties, is a solid – solid process.

Other processes

Forged wheels are formed in 10,000 ton presses, where solid aluminium rods are preheated and then forged. This process results in a more homogeneous and refined molecular structure without defects such as casting segregation, porosity or oxide inclusions.

Forging adopts fully automatic production line, the key process control points are temperature and pressure, stable process and consistent quality.

The forging process optimises the microstructure of the metal and eliminates defects. After forging, the wheels undergo rough machining, heat treatment, hardness testing and finishing.

Forming speed

Forged wheels are relatively slow to form and require advanced production equipment and skilled craftsmen. Forging requires repeated hammering to achieve the desired shape, but the process results in a denser organisation of the metal.

Strength and toughness

Wrought metals have a fibrous molecular structure with a grain size of approximately 20µm, resulting in a dense microstructure and good mechanical properties.

Overall performance and cost

Forged wheels have dense organisation, high toughness and strength, and can be subject to various heat treatments to obtain better mechanical properties, with significant features such as light weight, good heat dissipation, high strength, high impact resistance, high safety, etc., and can be customised, but the production cost is higher and the production cycle is longer.

Application Forged wheels are most suitable for medium and heavy cranes, such as metallurgical cranes and explosion-proof cranes, as they perform well in harsh working environments.

Casting crane wheels

Processing technology

Casting crane wheels is done using the casting process. The process involves melting the raw material (usually pig iron) and pouring the molten metal into a pre-fabricated mould, which is then cooled and solidified into a ductile iron wheel. This is a process from solid to liquid to solid again.

Other Processes

Casting is the pouring of molten metal into a mould to make a casting. The castings are ballasted and additional processes such as desanding, shot peening and polishing are required.

The casting process involves melting, pouring and cooling, which can lead to defects such as porosity, air pockets and oxide inclusions. Different cooling rates can lead to significant changes in mechanical properties.

Moulding speed

Casting moulding speed is faster and can produce castings in large quantities at one time, but the internal structure of castings is prone to air pockets.

Strength and toughness

Cast metals have a honeycomb molecular structure with grain sizes of approximately 80µm.

Overall performance and cost

Cast wheels are more brittle, less impact resistant and cannot be heat treated, resulting in lower strength and hardness, but they are cheaper and have a shorter production cycle.

Applications

Cast wheels are suitable for light cranes, such as small overhead cranes used in stockyards or production halls, where they fulfil the requirements of use and save costs.

If you have any questions about choosing crane wheels or need further advice, please feel free to contact our team of experts. We are committed to providing expert advice and service to help you make the best choice.