At ULMA Forja, S. Coop., we have managed to become one of the leading manufacturers in the industry of flanges, forged steel, special forging pieces and other forged products. The support we get from our R&D team allows us to offer our customers a wide variety of added services such as welding and product engineering, so we can design and manufacture any kind of part while offering the most innovative and competitive technical solutions possible within the corresponding standards guidelines.

Specialists in high performance flanges and forged products

At ULMA Forja, S. Coop. we manufacture flanges and high performance forged products with a wide variety of materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, duplex – super duplex, inconel, titanium and other special alloys. ULMA’s high- performance flanges and forged products are designed and manufactured to withstand some of the most adverse conditions that exist. We guarantee their durability in specialized industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, energy and mineral refining.

How we manufacture our high performance flanges and forged products

At ULMA, we are specialists in the full range of  manufacturing arts for flanges and forged steel products, covering the entire manufacturing process from raw material to final product. This is a very relevant feature, as it allows us to be competitive while meeting all the quality standards demanded by both the market and our customers. Our manufacturing know-how thus becomes the sine qua non of our business.

Forging

At ULMA, we always seek to optimise our processes, which is why we design and manufacture our own stamps for the different references that are forged on our press lines. The forging process begins with the heating of the raw material according to the type of steel, followed by slicing off the workpiece. This is then transferred to the press where it is mechanically deformed until the desired shape is obtained. In this operation, the material undergoes changes in its internal structure through the application of compression forces, thanks to which we get the characteristic grain texture of the forging process, with its positive effect on the mechanical properties of the resulting forging blank.

Heat treatment

In the next phase, the raw forging material is transferred to our heat treatment facilities where we subject the product to dramatic temperature changes that are able to alter the internal structure of the steel without modifying its chemical composition, enhancing its mechanical properties. The main variables in this step are temperature and time, the recipes varying with the type of steel and the desired end properties. The equipment we use in this process consists mainly of gas furnaces and chilled water baths.

The mechanical properties of the final product are achieved through the forging and heat treatment processes. Once these are completed, we carry out destructive tests to ensure compliance with the appropriate standards before the parts are machined.

Machining

In this third phase, machining, the final dimensions of the parts are obtained through subtractive processes, in turning and drilling operations. We mark each one of them individually with the full information required by the applicable standard and then apply an anti-rust protective varnish to all ferrous materials, completing the manufacturing process.

There is a final phase prior to the shipment of the material in which we carry out a series of non-destructive tests to identify any surface or internal defects in the part, followed by a visual and dimensional inspection. In this way we guarantee the quality of the product according to the technical specifications that apply in each case. Each of theses phases of our manufacturing process guarantees both traceability, through smart production terminals, and quality, applying the proper treatments and standards at every stage.