Manufacturing of a machine for cold forging you may need to do it yourself if you like to tinker and don’t mind making something beautiful for home interior, country estate, for gifts to family and friends and just for the soul.
Cold forging allows you to make beautiful and high-quality metal products with your own hands.
The majestic beauty of products made using the forging method captivates the eye and attracts with elegant lines. In all best houses One could certainly find such decorations as openwork metal curls. And in our time, when a considerable number of different technologies and materials have been developed, forged products have not lost their relevance.
Products obtained using forging are used in design along with plastic, glass and other decorative elements. Metal forging is done using hot or cold methods. To perform work using the hot method, it is necessary to fulfill a lot of special conditions, so it is not so easy to do it at home. More accessible method is cold. It is easier to learn, and you can make equipment and forging machines yourself if you wish.
Advantages of cold forging
With the cold forging method, the main working processes are bending and pressing. To carry out such activities, you do not need to provide the metal with a certain temperature. But some heat treatment must still be carried out between stages of the operation.
It is not necessary to have full-fledged equipment for artistic forging at your disposal; many amateurs make some tools on their own. Using homemade devices, you can give products various fancy shapes. You just need to acquire some working skills. Be prepared for the fact that it will take some effort to bend the desired shape. Work can only be carried out using raw materials of a certain thickness.
Products produced using cold forging equipment are stronger than those that are cast or stamped. This happens because the metal rods passing through the equipment are pressed at the same time as giving them the desired shape. With this forging method, it is necessary to avoid mistakes, because they are almost impossible to correct. With experience, you will be able to create wonderful and attractive products at home.
Using equipment for cold metal forging, you can create the following products:
- window grilles;
- elements such as handrails for stairs, balcony canopies;
- home furniture - beds, chairs, tables;
- fences and fences;
- elements used in apartment design: tripods for flowers, fireplace mantels.
When hot forging, the master will need not only a special room, but also forging equipment, as well as some special conditions. With the cold working method, there is no need to preheat the workpiece, and the process itself is more economical. When processing a whole batch of similar elements at home, you can do everything using stencils. This makes it possible to significantly reduce production time and reduce labor costs. Sometimes products have to be heated; heating is performed at the joints to avoid unevenness. Beginning craftsmen are recommended to think carefully about the implementation plan before starting work; it would be useful to make a sketch of the desired product.
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Forging equipment and tools
Manual equipment for performing cold forging operations includes several elements. Basic equipment that may be needed for work:
- snail;
- twister;
- wave;
- gnutik;
- flashlight;
- globe.
Some names may seem funny, but these are quite convenient for home use devices.
The main tool for work is a bender; it is designed to change the shape of metal. It is used to bend a product at the desired angle or bend arcs with different radii.
The snail is used more often for twisting metal rods into spirals. It represents equipment for bending strips, rods, squares no larger than 12 mm, tubes and profiles to spiral shapes, products with different radii and shapes. When using such a tool, you can not limit the formed spiral within the radius and make it as large as necessary.
Fork - two conductors for bending currencies, used for hot and cold forging. The thickness of the raw material can be a maximum of 16 mm with the hot method, and 10 mm with the cold method.
A tool called a flashlight is used to bend metal elements. It is used to process metal rods with a diameter of 30 mm or less, or square profiles with a thickness of 16 mm or less.
Using a device such as a wave, wavy curved elements are made. It is also used for processing tubes with a round or hexagonal cross-section, and for tubes made of profiles.
A twister is somewhat reminiscent of a flashlight; with the help of both tools you can twist the rods around the longitudinal axis.
The globe helps to make a large arc out of square profile up to 12 mm thick. At the same time, the ends of the workpiece are also smoothly bent. This is how various convex decorative elements are created.
This kind of tool for cold forging is not at all complicated, so you can often find homemade ones. It is practically in no way inferior to the purchased one.
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DIY forging equipment
Often, when working, it seems more appropriate to make homemade machines for cold forging. Not every element can be fully processed using only hand tool for forging. And the cost of such equipment is quite high, even if we are talking about a simple snail machine.
If House master makes any product on a self-made jig, the thing will turn out to be unique, although in some characteristics it will be inferior to that made in an industrial environment. When you plan to produce a considerable number of parts using cold forging, it is more advisable to make a conductor with an electric motor. This way you can make your work tasks easier.
It would be useful to provide for the execution of basic types of work on the machine - twisting, bending, drawing. These devices can be combined when creating a conductor with your own hands.
During the drawing operation, the workpiece is given definite shape. To do this, it must be passed through a press or rollers, and the cross-section source material will decrease.
The bending process involves bending the workpiece to the desired angle. This operation can be performed using templates. They must be done as follows: a sketch of the part is prepared, according to which a template is then made. Weld a curl onto a metal plate, then such a sheet is fixed on the machine in a holder. The end of the workpiece is inserted into the slot, the second is fixed (in some cases you can simply hold it). Using a lever, an impact is exerted on one end of the workpiece, which should be pulled along all the bends along the plate used as a template.
When creating a template, the welding seam must be carried out with outside, otherwise it will interfere with further use products.
Many craftsmen independently assemble not very complex devices, with the help of which they can make quite intricate products. It all depends on the working skills of the master. You can consider one of these homemade models to understand the very principle of operation.
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Forging machine “Snail”
Using this device, home craftsmen are able to create a variety of spirals and rings, waves, and curls. To make this kind manual machine For cold forging, you need to follow a certain technology, which includes several stages.
Before constructing any devices, machines for artistic forging, or simply hand tools, it is necessary to make sketches, templates, and graphic images of the future product. If you can’t make full-fledged drawings, then create a template; it will help you with subsequent actions.
To make the markings more accurately, it is more convenient to use graph paper. Draw a spiral on it, the radius of its turns should gradually increase. The same distance must be maintained between them. It should be noted that this condition must be met only in cases where symmetry of patterns is required, since the concept of artistic value is individual for each person. This also applies to the number of turns - there are usually no more than 4 pieces.
Consider in advance what the workpieces you will be working with will be. The step between the turns must be made so that it slightly exceeds the diameter of the iron rods, otherwise it will be very difficult to remove from the machine finished part without damaging its shape.
For work surface you will need sheet iron. A thickness of 4 mm will be sufficient. Definition linear dimensions carried out based on the dimensions of future products. To make the mold, take strip metal with a thickness of 3 mm. This material can be worked with using hand tools. It is simply bent into a spiral according to a template using ordinary pliers.
To ensure a complete workflow, you will need to perform a good fixation for one end of the workpiece. A piece of rod equal to the width of the strips will come in handy here. A workbench can be used to strengthen the work site. Sometimes a section of thick-walled pipe is used as a stand, but care must be taken that the structure strengthened in this way does not interfere with another type of work. To do this, you can choose an option in which the entire assembly is secured in a vice. The main thing is to ensure the greatest possible reliability of fixation, since during cold forging considerable physical effort will be applied.
The “Snail” equipment for cold forging is a mandatory hand tool for any craftsman who produces forged products without heating the metal. The “snail” is designed to bend a metal rod during cold forging of metal. Making a “Snail” for cold forging with your own hands is not so difficult.
Using homemade cold forging machines, you can make many openwork metal products. Wrought iron fences, fences, gates, gates, railings, benches amaze with their interesting shapes and rounded smooth lines. Exactly curved shapes forged products are made using a “snail” - a machine for cold forging metal.
The production of snail equipment takes place in several stages.
In the next video you can see how a craftsman made a homemade “snail” with his own hands, as well as how and what kind of blanks can be made using such equipment for cold forging.
This video shows another interesting view a homemade “snail” on which it is convenient to bend forgings into curls and volutes. According to the master, “everything is made more convenient and easier on this machine.”
The following video contains a drawing and description of the snail device and necessary materials for the manufacture of a bed and patterns for the production of forged curls.
Cold forging is impossible without special forging equipment. Let's look at the types of devices and the figures that can be obtained with their help. We have prepared drawings and thematic videos for you. We will also consider the sequence of making a cold forging machine with your own hands.
If you are just going to organize a cold forging workshop and want to avoid high expenses, That self-production machines and devices will help you create your own small business without excessive costs.
Basic devices and machines
Cold forging machines are mainly designed for arc or angle bending, as well as twisting. They can be manual or electrically driven.
The main types of machines and devices for cold forging:
- Gnutik
- Twister
- Snail
- globe
- Wave
- Flashlight
Device "Gnutik"
Purchased or made independently, the “Gnutik” is a universal device that allows you to obtain an arc or angle from a rod. It consists of a base with a slider, on which a stop with an angle (90° or another as necessary) and two cylindrical fixed stops are fixed. By moving the slider and the angle stop, the rod bends at an angle. To obtain an arc, a third cylinder is provided, rotating on the side opposite to the angle stop.
The device can be made on a horizontal or vertical platform.
Axonometry of the "Gnutik" device - vertical arrangement
To scale the dimensions, here is a drawing of the bottom bar of this “Gnutik”.
Bottom bar
This device is universal. With the help of attachments you can not only bend, but also cut and punch holes. But this will be the next step.
Getting an arc on "Gnutik"
Getting an angle on "Gnutik"
This is what a homemade “Gnutik” looks like:
Twister device
“Twister” is a tool for twisting rods, mostly square, along the longitudinal axis. This simple device can be manual or electric. Operating principle: both ends of the rod are secured, then one fastening begins to rotate, twisting the metal to the required shape.
Appearance of a purchased manual “Twister”
Look at the photo of a homemade “Twister” with an electric drive, assembled using used electrical equipment:
There is a special machine for making “Lanterns” and “Cones”, but for starters you can also use a “Twister”, as shown in the video (English, but everything is very clear).
Video: how to make a blank for “Flashlight” on “Twister”
Device "Snail"
The Snail Tool is designed to create curls (or spirals) and “currencies” (S-shaped pieces). There are various designs.
One of the design options: 1 - snail ploughshare; 2 - base of the machine; 3 — pressure roller; 4 — lever for controlling the pressure roller; 5 — fastening the base; 6 — finger for fixing the plowshares; 7 — groove for the pressure roller; 8 — control lever axis; 9 — spring for pressing the roller; 10 — clamp for the workpiece; 11 — leading ploughshare of the snail; 12 — main axis; 13 — levers
The result should be something like this:
Another one lightweight design to bend rolled products with a cross-section up to 12 mm:
1 - cochlear segment; 2 - eccentric; 3 - handle; 4 - base; 5 — guide runners; 6 - axis; 7 - slider; 8 — axle nut; 9 — roller mounting axis; 10 - roller; 11 — drive axis; 12 — eccentric guide; 13 - central segment of the cochlea; 14 — eccentric wing; 15 — main leg; 16 — connecting pin of cochlea segments; 17 — adjustment screw; 18 - connecting ear of cochlear segments
Often the “Snail” device is made on a support, especially if you need to bend thick rolled products.
Several useful videos on homemade “Snail” machines.
Making a snail
Machine operation
We will talk more about such designs below.
"Globe" device
Such a device is similar in appearance to a school protractor and is designed for making arcs with a large bending radius from a strip, square, circle or hexagon. First, one end of the workpiece is fixed with a bend, then it is bent along its entire length according to the template. The principle of operation is somewhat similar to the operation of a canning machine.
Appearance of the device
Video of work at Globus
Using exclusively muscular strength, arc large diameter can be made on a template screwed or welded to a workbench. It is good for bending strips, thin-walled pipes, etc.
Sample
Device "Wave"
You can produce wavy products from a round, square, hexagonal cross-section or tube using the “Wave” device. The deformation of the workpiece occurs between vertical rolls by scrolling.
Wave device and resulting products
Device in action
Flashlight device
This machine produces blanks for “Lanterns” or “Pine Cones” elements, which can consist of 4, 6, 8 or more rods. According to the principle of operation, the machine is similar to the “Twister”, but here the workpieces are bent around the guide shaft, which forms a more correct and accurate configuration of the product.
Flashlight device
Operation of the device for making “Flashlight”
Device for cold forging of the “Clamp” element
The cold forging element “Clamp” is designed to fix other structural elements together.
The device for bending the “Clamp” can be made according to the attached drawings.
Devices for making crow's feet
“Crow's foot” - flattening with the application of beautiful notches at the ends of the workpieces to make the structure more elegant or to reduce the thickness for various joints.
The ends of the elements are decorated with “houndstooth”
This operation can be performed using a machine with a die or fixture and a heavy forging hammer on an anvil. We provide both options in the form of videos.
Machine for making houndstooth
Tools for forging crow's feet
Detailed stamp making process
Below is a rolling machine to perform the same operation.
Machine for rolling "crow's feet" (the distance between the rollers is adjustable).Materials for a rolling machine: gears and shafts - spare parts from a used combine
Operating principle
Making a "Snail" with a drive
The electrically driven "snail" facilitates the production of curls and "currencies". This is especially valuable when the work is not “for the soul”, but for production large quantity similar products on the production line when working to order.
Below are the steps to assemble a rod bending machine maximum cross section 10x10 mm. The 0.5 kW/1000 rpm engine operates at the limit of its capabilities. Performs 6 shaft revolutions per minute. The snail segments are machined from a round blank St.45 without heat treatment, 25 mm high and 20 mm thick. The volute is mounted on a shaft on bearings from the rear wheel of a motorcycle - 7204. The support roller is firmly fixed in the groove. Pulleys are installed between the engine and the gearbox.
Below are drawings of the cochlea segments.
Snail element 1
Snail element 2
Snail element 3
Snail centerpiece
For a more massive rod (from 12 mm), the motor power should be more than a kilowatt. The photographs below show a machine with a 2.2 kW, 1000 rpm motor, giving a shaft output of about 10 rpm. This is already a machine for professional use. A used gearbox was used, the matrix was cut from a 30 mm thick workpiece - the most labor-intensive process.
For cold forging you will also need an anvil and a hammer. A forge is not needed, it is only required for hot forging.
Advice! Before starting work, draw a sketch future design V life size. This will help you adjust the elements and not get confused during assembly.
Admiring the beauty of an openwork metal fence or admiring the incredible twisted pattern on the railing iron stairs, few people think about the fact that they are made by cold forging. You can learn to embody beauty in metal without special effort. To do this, it is enough to have minimal skills in working with metal and have special machines for cold forging.
What is cold forging? What machines are needed for it? What can be made on these machines? You will find answers to these questions in our article.
It would be more correct to call cold forging - mechanical bending of a metal rod on specialized machines to give it the shape intended by the manufacturer. Bending rods in the machine can be done either manually using levers or using electric motors. In addition to metal rods, cold forging can be used to bend small-diameter pipes, narrow iron strips and fittings. Using the cold forging method the following are produced:
- Twisted fences.
- Decorations for residential buildings.
- Patterned gate.
- Railings for balconies and stairs.
- Metal garden benches.
- Decorations for gazebos and lanterns.
- A large number of grating options.
Elements made by cold forging
Having mastered the cold forging method, you can easily start your own business producing metal products. At the same time, you will only need initial financial investments for the purchase of machines, and if you make the machines yourself, you can get by minimal costs.
Below we provide you with instructions for self-assembly machines for cold forging.
Machine "snail"
Making a snail machine is one example of independent design, and it makes no sense to give advice with an exact indication of the dimensions of all parts. You need to be guided by your idea of the operation of the machine, how and what will bend, how many turns of the spiral will be enough for quality work, what size will the lever with the tabletop be? If you understand the essence of the machine manufacturing process, then the assembly itself will not cause any particular difficulties. 
Machine “snail”
Manufacturing of main machine components
Frame.
The process of bending an iron rod exposes the machine to heavy loads, so when making the frame for the “snail”, only metal corner, channel or thick-walled pipe. Don't make a frame out of wooden beams, such a table cannot withstand prolonged loads and collapses.
Tabletop.
The tabletop for the “snail” is made from metal plate cut in the shape of a circle, at least 4mm thick. From the same slab, a second tabletop is cut out, repeating the shape of the first. The snail segments will be placed on the second tabletop and the products will be bent. During the cold forging process, the tabletop takes on the bulk of the load, so there is no need to save money and make it from more thin sheet gland.
Main shaft and lever.
The main shaft is placed centrally between the tabletops and is attached to the base using four right triangles. The shaft can be made from a thick-walled pipe required diameter.
The lever is attached to the shaft using a ring and rotates around it; in addition, a roller is installed on the lever for bending the rods on the upper tabletop. 
Machine diagram
Marking and installation of attachments
Depending on whether you want to produce only the same type of samples or you need more artistic products, there are three options for the snail device.
Option #1.
This is the simplest of three options, its essence is that the outline of a spiral is drawn on the tabletop. 
Drawing of the snail segments
At its core, this is a drawing of future products that you will produce on the machine. After applying the diagram, it is enough to cut out thick strips of iron different widths, several segments repeating the line of the drawing and weld them according to the markings to the tabletop. With such a static “snail” you can make simple bends.
Option #2.
The second option is the most popular among homemade machines; it involves making a collapsible snail from removable parts. Holes are drilled along the contours of the markings into which threads are cut. Next, templates for the stop segments are made from cardboard or plywood and metal overlays are made from them. Finally, holes are drilled in the pads, which should coincide with the mounting sockets on the tabletop. To secure the segments, bolts are mainly used, but you can also make cylindrical stops. This design“snail” will allow the production of spiral-shaped blanks with different radii on one machine. 
“Snail” made of metal strips
Option #3.
In the third option, instead of collapsible stop segments, several removable modules with different options snails that change as needed. The module is made of a piece of iron onto which segments repeating parts of the spiral are welded. 
Snail modules
Machine assembly.
- Install the frame in a place where you will have easy access to the machine from all sides.
- Concrete the legs of the frame in the floor or secure the frame in another accessible way.
- Weld the main table top to the frame.
- Install the main shaft by welding it to the tabletop and strengthening it with triangles.
- Place the rotating lever onto the shaft.
- Install the top tabletop by welding it to the main shaft.
- Place the snail segments on the tabletop.
After assembly, test bend the rod.
To learn more about assembling a snail cold forging machine, watch the video:
Torsion bar machine
This machine is designed for uniaxial longitudinal twisting of a workpiece from a transverse or square shape.
Torsion bar machine
A channel or I-beam is used for the base of the torsion bar machine. A thick iron strip is attached to it by welding, onto which a vice is installed to clamp the stationary part of the rod. The vice is secured with four bolts with a diameter of M16 or more. To increase the clamping strength of the bar, corrugated sheet steel plates are welded onto the vice. On the opposite side of the base, guide rollers are installed, to which a clamping unit for the movable part of the workpiece is attached. It is made of a steel bushing, in which it is necessary to provide holes for clamping bolts located at an angle of 120 degrees. The bolts must have a flat end and be made of high quality steel. Both clamping devices must be positioned coaxially; to do this, they must be checked using a level, a plumber's square and a caliper. 
Types of machines
Next, you need to make a handle for turning the moving part of the clamp. Its lever should hit as long as possible to reduce the applied force. It is better to make the handle itself with a rubber bushing to prevent the hand from slipping during operation.
After complete assembly The machine is checked for the reliability of the moving elements and the accuracy of the deformation of the rod. After checking, the machine is attached to support frame.
Simple model torsion bar machine
How to make a torsion bar machine with your own hands, watch the video:
Machine "gnitik"
To qualitatively form a corner in a product produced by cold forging, you will need a machine called a “bend”. It consists of a steel plate with a movable stop on which there are two support shafts and a lever. 
Machine “gnutik”
The workpiece is placed between the wedge and the support shafts. After this, with the help of a lever, the wedge is shifted towards the shafts, which leads to bending of the workpiece. 
Computer model machine
Making such a machine is quite simple, the main thing is to follow the given drawing and use tool steel, since during operation a large load is placed on part of the device.
You can also watch how to make a “gnitik” machine in the video:
Wave machine
It would be more correct to call this machine a controlled wave. The equipment of the machine consists of a pair of steel disks with a diameter of 140 mm, which are bolted to the worktop. The axis of rotation of the universal wrench is fixed to the drive disk. 
Machine “wave”
Wave control occurs as a result of changing the distance between the disks. When the bar is rolled around the drive disk with a knob, a pattern is formed, after which the bar is removed from the conductor and a pattern is formed on the other side.
You can watch the machine in action in the video:
Press machine
A press is needed to form the ends of the rods. This machine works on the principle of a flywheel; first, by rotating the bar with weights, the screw striker is pulled back until it stops. After this, a replacement stamp is inserted into the slot and the workpiece is placed. Next, quickly unwind the barbell in reverse side and leave it to rotate freely. Finally, the striker hits the stamp shank strongly, due to this, a force sufficient for stamping is developed. 
Rolling press
As for the manual rolling mill, you can make it yourself, but you still have to order special steel rolls, bearing bushings and shafts, and buy gears in the store. Only tips can be produced on such a machine “ goose foot" and "leaf".
Connecting and painting parts
Elements produced by cold forging are connected in two ways:
- Welding - the parts are welded to each other, and the scale is ground off with a grinder or other grinding machine.
- Clamps - this type of connection looks much more beautiful. For clamps, stamped strips of metal with a thickness of 1.5 mm or more are used.
Painting finished products produced with blacksmith enamels or paints for metal on acrylic base.
Connecting parts using welding
Products produced by cold forging
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the options for products that you can make using the cold forging method:
As can be seen from all of the above, the cold forging method does not require large financial costs and is quite easy to learn, so if you decide to start learning blacksmithing with this method, then you did the right thing.
For the manufacture of forged products, two methods are used - cold and hot processing. The first method is characterized by low labor intensity, but requires the presence of a special tool. In most cases, you can make a cold forging machine with your own hands, guided by standard drawings.
Principles of cold forging of metals
To produce metal forged products, it is necessary to ensure a process of controlled deformation. In this case, the structure of the material, its technical and operational properties should be taken into account.
The principle of cold forging is based on the influence of external factors on the crystal lattice of the material. It consists of grains irregular shape. As a result of the distortion of the structure, which is performed by a cold forging machine, compaction and a change in the configuration of the workpiece occurs. Since one of the conditions is to preserve the properties of the part, it is necessary to select drawings for the production of machines.
Features of cold forging of metal, requirements for devices for this:
- it is possible to process only low-carbon steels that have a high degree of ductility;
- rods of various sections are used as blanks;
- preliminary size calculation final products. During their production, constant monitoring of geometric parameters is necessary;
- using various machines to create the desired configuration.
Currently for artistic treatment a number of metals are used by cold forging special tools. Some of them you can do yourself. But for this it is necessary to first study the drawings and specifics of production.
Forged products can perform several functions simultaneously - aesthetic and operational. This applies to barrier structures of various configurations, for example, a wave.
Snail for cold forging
The most common and in demand are homemade cold forging machines of the snail type. With their help, spiral-shaped blanks are formed. The design of the equipment allows you to make it yourself.
The drawing of the “snail” machine can be adapted for the production of a specific type of artistic forging product. To do this you need to know the following parameters:
- minimum and maximum radius of curvature of the workpiece;
- geometric parameters and shape of the source material;
- planned performance.
For mass production, it is necessary to make a forging machine with an electric drive. If you plan to work at home, manual models are suitable.
As a basis for designing the cochlea, you must use steel sheet thickness of at least 3 mm. This will allow you to bend rods of large cross-section.
To form different angles, you need a manual bender - one of the most required devices for cold forging of metal. It consists of a steel plate on which there are two support shafts and a moving stop.
The workpiece is placed between the support shafts and the wedge. The latter has a displacement mechanism towards the stops. As a result of this action, bad things happen. steel bar processing. In this way, forged products of various shapes can be produced.
Features of the use of bending necessary for the correct preparation of its drawing:
- preliminary calculation of the deformation angle;
- an additional bending part can be provided in the design. To do this, install another rotating shaft;
- mounting unit for fastening to the table.
To produce bending, it is necessary to use tool steel. This is due to heavy loads during operation. Additionally, you can assemble elements of the “wave” type on it, but for this you need to modernize the original drawing.
Minimum and maximum bending radius for thin. forgings must be calculated based on geometric parameters blanks.
Twister for cold forging
Modern artistic forging It’s hard to imagine without screw-shaped elements. For the production of such thin. The twister is designed for parts - homemade machine for cold forging.
The peculiarity of this tool is the unwinding of the twig along its axis. Structurally, the drawing of the machine consists of two parts - fixing and movable. The part is attached between them and its information is carried out using a rotary knob.
Performance qualities of the device:
- calculation of the pressure lever to minimize efforts to produce blanks;
- possibility of changing the distance between the fixing elements of the tool. This will make it possible to produce parts of various lengths;
- It should be taken into account that the formation of the spiral occurs from the fixation side.
Thanks to twister you can do forged elements for window grilles, steel barriers, etc.
This is the main list of cold forging machines. But besides them, various equipment is used, designed to create truly thin. products.
The video shows examples of machines for cold forging of metals at home: