Swaged

Swaged is the past participle of the verb swage and an adjective describing a material or component formed by the swaging process. Swaging is a metal forming operation in which a workpiece is plastically deformed by dies or tools to change its cross-section, reduce its diameter, upset ends, or create complex shapes without removing material.

The process can be performed externally, internally, or with rotary systems. External swaging compresses the outer diameter of a workpiece, while internal swaging uses a mandrel to shape or expand the inner diameter or wall thickness. Rotary swaging, a common form, employs rotating dies that strike the workpiece around its circumference, gradually forming the desired profile in several passes. Swaging is typically done in cold form for precision and strength, though hot swaging is used for harder materials or larger reductions.

Materials commonly swaged include metals such as steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium; plastics and composite tubes may also be swaged in some applications. The process is widely used to produce seamless or near-seamless shapes, end fittings for tubes and cables, pipe nipples, shafts and axles, fasteners, bullet jackets and other ammunition components, and various hardware parts.

Advantages of swaging include high dimensional accuracy, strong mechanical properties from workhardening, and minimal material waste since no cutting is required. Limitations include the need for ductile materials, specialized tooling and equipment, and the initial cost of setting up dies and machines. Swaged parts are valued for their strength, precision, and smooth surface finish.