Originally Posted by
Takwis
The first article I read on the pickle forks (sorry, can't find it now) said that originally, the part was cut from billet aluminum, creating a lot of waste. It also had to then be shipped to a subcontractor on California for 'normalization'. The new forks are forged, (not cast), and 'don't need to be normalized', or shipped to California. (I suspect that maybe they still do.)
Aha! From Waterpilot's comment (#10) above: "To increase materials efficiency, the main component of the pickle fork is now produced out of forged, restrike aluminum. Previously the part was produced from block aluminum, which generated a significant amount of scrap because the pickle fork component was cut and shaped from the block. The pickle fork forgings now arrive in the approximate shape of the component so less aluminum is scrapped. In addition, the type of aluminum previously used for the pickle fork required shipping to California for stress relieving and return back to Auburn for continued production. The current aluminum forgings do not require stress treatment."
Interesting that, restrike.
The
restrike die operation is, fundamentally, a solid forming operation. The main difference is that a restrike die is used after most of the major forming already has been performed suggesting that the components may still start life as block aluminium / aluminum.