Early Innovations Drove Forging Forward: In Pictures

In 1911, 60 drop forging companies met informally for the first time, at the Murray Hill Hotel in New York.  Some of those firms have familiar names and remain active today: Cleveland Hardware, Keystone Forging, Queen City Forging, Wyman & Gordon.  A few more informal meetings led to the formation of the American Drop Forging Association (ADFA) in 1913.

Through the years other groups combined with ADFA, resulting in the association that represents the interests of the North American forging industry now: The American Drop Forge Suppliers Association joined in 1915, and the American Drop Forge Institute was added in 1920, followed in 1935 by the Drop Forging Association.

In 1965, ADFA changed its name to Forging Industry Association, and the Open Die Forging Institute merged with FIA in 1981.

All the while, forging technology drove the pace of progress. Shown here are several vintage examples of the forging technology throughout history.

See the companion article to this slideshow.