Grain flow is the orientation of grains and inclusions/particles within the metal caused by plastic deformation.

In order to achieve the benefits that grain flow can impart to a forged component, there is a need to understand the end service of the component to produce a forging with the grain flow of the required orientation in the critical region(s) of the component.

The focus in the first three parts of this series was on the basics of grain flow and their effects on mechanical properties. In this fourth installment, the typical grain flow for various manufacturing processes will be reviewed.

In the first two parts of this series, we examined the basic definition of grain flow and described the anisotropic properties in metals because of it.

The mechanical properties of a metal with grain flow are anisotropic.

In this series, we will examine the concepts and features of forging grain flow. This article will cover the basics of grain flow that occur during metalworking processes. 

Since steels are so widely used, two articles will be devoted to this class of materials. This article will discuss the chemistry, typical applications and some operational forging issues.