I often get asked, What is the difference between forged vs powdered metal vs casting
There are many nuances to each of these methods and processes, but here's a quick overview of the differences
Forged rods are made by hand-hammering a blank into shape. This produces a very strong rod, with good distribution of stress throughout the blank. The blank can be either solid or hollow, depending on which method you choose to build your rod from (see below)
Powdered metals are produced by adding material to a previously cast blank. The added material makes it possible to make very light-weight rods that have very high strength because they are not as dense as an unalloyed blank would be. This allows the use of less expensive materials such as carbon fiber and epoxy resin for some models
Casting is similar in principle to forging except that instead of hammering out a blank from a block of metal, molten aluminum is poured into molds that have been made beforehand. Once cooled, these molds can be used again to cast larger batches of rods very quickly.
connecting rods design forged vs powdered metal vs casting
