capricorn AUTOMOTIVE Ltd. – Basingstoke, England

capricorn AUTOMOTIVE is a world-leading manufacturer of high-end forging and heat treatment services utilising aluminium and MMC based materials. Offering full CAD support and state-of-the-art forging simulation modelling software allows us to fully optimise the design of the forging and required tooling. Our in-house isothermal hydraulic forging plant, along with an integrated data acquisition system allows constant control and traceability of gathered data and single batches during the production process. Subsequently, the highest quality is always guaranteed

Forgings offer improved material sectional mechanical properties over machined from solid or cast parts. Transverse properties are increased over bar stock due to increased working in the transverse directions from multiple forging operations. This makes a forged part stronger than their equivalent machined from solid or cast part. A forged component also greatly reduces the possibility of metallurgical defects such as porosity as found in some castings.

Moving from a machined from solid part to a forging generates savings in raw material usage. Also using a near-net shaped forging also greatly reduces the machining time allowing the customer significant cost savings.

As well as fulfilling our own internal requirements for aluminium piston forgings other manufacturers and customers from all industries come to rely on our forging services. Add to this our ever growing machining capabilities means that we can also offer customers a complete turn-key solution for forging, machining and coatings.

A forging size capacity up to 150mm / 600 tons of force with full data logging, heat treatment to 600C maintained in accordance with the procedures specified in BS 2M 54: 1991 and with a full range of polymer quenching facilities. Typical forged part accuracy is +/- 0.1mm with a minimum draft of 0.5 degrees.

This attention to detail is the reason why F1, high-end motorsport teams and other industries trust capricorn forgings.

This is capricorn, made in Europe, winning world-wide.