Forging steel balls - GIF

**Altair** · Feb 16, 2021, 10:51 PM

Forging steel balls.

Previously:

How ball bearings are made - GIFs
Making steel balls for large bearings - GIF
Forging large steel ingots - GIF
Forging a giant flange - GIF
Forging a crown wheel - GIF and video

**Karl_H** · Feb 17, 2021, 07:12 PM

It would be nice to have a closer look at what he is actually doing, but I suspect that even with close-up and slo-mo it would look like magic.

**bruce.desertrat** · Feb 17, 2021, 08:18 PM

Somsome's gotta do it, so let it be me Goodness gracious, great balls of fire

**mansworld** · Feb 20, 2021, 02:59 AM

We don't see how the steel ball is actually forged. We just see balls sliding on a ramp.

**odd one** · Feb 20, 2021, 08:35 AM

See, the Chinese are preparing for the future after the next war. They are making cannon balls to re-arm.

**elk-a-holic** · Feb 20, 2021, 11:06 PM

Balls for ore crushing ball mill?

**Toolmaker51** · Feb 20, 2021, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by elk-a-holic

Balls for ore crushing ball mill?

Yes, those appear diameter used in rolling mill, maybe a bit bigger. But that method is labor intensive to what seems more common process. A little more equipment and line length, many times faster. Thusly; round bar is fed past an impact cutter, knocking off pieces just shorter than diameter. Those slugs are heated on belt-fed furnace or induction line. Staged now, drop real hot between perpendicular helical 'screws' that roll them just like meatballs.

To answer mansworkl, the hot slugs arrive on left side of the press. There are two hemispherical dies 'hammers' that force the spherical shape. The operator uses tongs, rolling the part 2-3 times to improve roundness.