Development of a Forging Machine for Improved Blacksmithing in Nigeria

Aims: To perform an investigation in the production processes and methods of operation of the blacksmith forging machine in six blacksmith shops in Nigeria.

Study Design: Qualitative study combined with a survey.

Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out in five states (Edo, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo) in Nigeria between February 2016 to August 2017.

Methodology: Investigation of the production processes was done using questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered to ninety people and they were grouped according to their ages in all the states. The mechanical and metallographic examination was carried out in engineering materials and development institute (EMDI) Ondo State, Nigeria. Samples of selected blacksmith products were machined into shapes and sizes suitable for the tests. The selected products were grounded using emery paper of grades 220, 320, 400 and rough polished on glycerol-lubricated silicon carbide paper. In evaluating the performance of the forging machine, three mild steels of length 177 mm each were heated and hammered by the machine to produce three chisels shape of 15 mm in diameter. The electric hammer consists of a flywheel of diameter 300 mm mounted on the motor shaft.

Results: The analysis of the questionnaire shows that young people do not go into the blacksmith business because of the stress involved and they are unable to forge the heated metals effectively. This is an indication that blacksmith may soon fade out if it is not modernized and mechanized to reduce the stress involved in the processes. The forging capability is 85Joules (energy at strike).

Conclusion: The machine has been constructed, tested and compared with the local and imported products using mechanical and microstructural test. The products from the imported equipment have the higher ultimate and fracture stress but lesser ductility than the products from developed equipment because of the occurrence of strain hardening.