Background/ Profile of Company

ABMI (Akaki basic metal industry) is one of among the defense industries which was established
manufacturing spare parts and hand tools. It was established in 1989 EC the factory built in
cooperation with the government of the republic of Italic was inaugurated by comrade
MENGISTU HAILEMARIAM and general sector of the FDRE and commander in chief of
revolutionary army force. Formerly the industry was named as Akaki spare part and hand tools
social corporation and producing a larger quantity of hand tools like hammer, shower, roller and
etc. ABMI is located in south east of Addis Ababa in Akaki town it far away 25 km from Addis
Ababa. Akaki basic metal industry is one of the crucial industry in Ethiopia. In October, 1999;
the company has been re-established as a share company in according with the proclamation No.
146/98 with a capital of birr 142,298,000 (One Hundred Forty tow Million Tow Hundred Ninety
eight Thousand birr) subscribed by the government and change the name of Akaki Spare parts
and Hand Tools Factory in to Akaki Basic Metal Industry by using E.F.D.R state and minister of
council No. 183/2002.The industry is currently doing expansion work in the manufacturing
quantity and quality of machines to develop the manufacturing process and also spare part
factory project being implemented within the firm work of the economical scientific andtechnical
cooperation between the government of socialistic Ethiopia and the government of Italy. Project
implementation started on April 1977 E.C. following the contract signing agreement took place
in January, 1976 EC. Between Nations metal works corporation and an Italian engineering
company “FATA”. The erection and commissioning of “a spare parts factory” and the factory
was inaugurated on February 1981 E.C with a capital of Birr 142,298.000 (USD16.4 Million)
having a couponed area of 155.000𝑚2 out of which 30,500𝑚2 is a plant area. The industry
mainly has about four workshops

• Forging and surface treatment shop

• Maintenance shop
• Casting shop
• Machine parts production shop
• Quality control shop
 Forging and surface treatment shop
The first two weeks of my internship in the company was in forging and surface treatment shop.
So, the report is mainly on forging and surface treatment shop. In this shop many activities are
done in order to fulfill the customers’ needs. Forging, bending, forming, surface plating are the
main activities that are done in forging and surface treatment shop. In this shop there are
different stations or simply sub-shops.

• Forging shop
• Hand-tool shop
• Surface plating shop and
• Heat treatment shop
A. Forging shop
Forging is a manufacturing process in which a metal is heated and placed in a die and a
compressive force is applied. The metal takes the shape of the die. Forging can be classified
based on;
1. The working temperature
a. Hot forging: Hot forging is done at a high temperature, which makes metal
easier to shape and less likely to fracture.
b. Cold forging: Cold forging is done at room temperature or near room
temperature.
2. The equipment used
a. Impact (hammer) forging: the load is applied by impact and deformation take
place over a very short time.
b. Press forging: Press forging on the other hand involves the gradual buildup of
pressure to cause the metal to yield and the time of application is relatively long.
c. Upset forging: A heading tool or ram is positioned perpendicular to the cross
sectioned end face of a rod or bar gripped in a die. On application of pressure,
the length of the rod is reduced and the diameter is increased (upset). This
manufacturing process is used extensively in the production of fasteners, to form
bolt heads, screw heads etc.

d. Roll forging: Roll forging could be a process where round or flat bar stock is
reduced in thickness and increased long. Roll forging is made using a cylindrical

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 or semi-cylindrical roller with grooves; further, a heated rod is inserted into the
rollers, after which the rollers rotate, gradually shaped as it is rolled on the
machine. The piece is then transferred to the following set of grooves or circled
and reinserted into the identical grooves. This continues until the specified shape
and size is achieved.

3. The process
a. Open-die (smith) process: Open die forging is the process of deforming a piece
of metal between multiple dies that do not completely enclose the material. The
metal is altered as the dies “hammer” or “stamp” the material through a series of
movements until the desired shape is achieved. Open die forging is often used for
short run forgings of parts that are simple, rather than complex, in design, such as
discs, rings, sleeves, cylinders and shafts. Custom shapes can also be produced
with open die forging.
b. Closed-die process: Closed die forging (also referred to as impression die
forging) is a metal deformation process that uses pressure to compress a piece of
metal to fill an enclosed die impression. In some closed die forging processes, a
succession of impression dies are used to modify the shape of the material into
the final desired shape and form. The type of material, tightness of tolerances,
and need for heat treatment can determine the number of passes the product
requires through the dies.

In this shop different materials are manufactured. The materials that are manufactured here are
used in

• agriculture like digging hoe

• cement and sugar factories
• gold and other mining activities
• ethio-telecom like stay rod, dis support
• Ethiopian Electric Power materials

There are many machines, furnaces, and dies to the above materials. The tools used in this shop
are

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 a. Self-compress hammer machine: This machine is used forging and forming of
metals. It is an open-die forging machine. It uses a pneumatic system and it has its
own compressor. It has a capacity of 2.8 ton dynamic load.
b. Hot-shearing machine: This is used to cut metals by shearing mechanism. For
example if we want a 10cm round bar from 6m, so the round bar straight to the
electrical system furnace adjust the length and we can cut the round bar by using
stopper.
c. Drop forging machine: This machine uses a pneumatic system and it has a
mechanical hammer. Here the blow is not constant.
d. Rolling machine: It uses upper and lower dies. This machine is used to increase a
length of a round or a flat bar by decreasing its thickness.
e. Upsetting machine: It uses a criper-die and a puncher. It is used to increase
f. Forging induction heater machine: this machine is used to change a flat bar into
round bar. It is opposite to rolling machine.
g. Piercing machine: it uses a puncher and die a lower die. It is used to trim a hole or
a slot.
h. Eccentric machine: it is used to bend and also it is bending process.
i. Bending machine: it is used to bend metals. It is a bending process.
j. Trimming machine: it is used to trim unnecessary parts of the forged metal. It is a
trimming process that uses a hammer or it may be a press.

Forging procedures

First of all the drawing of the required material is given to this shop and after they understand the
drawing they check whether there is an available die for that shape or not. If there is an available
die they go to the market and buy the metal. After that they do what is needed to finish the
required the material. Finally the material is cleaned in the tumble machine after that it is gone to
the surface plating shop or heat treatment shop if it needs some mechanical properties or may be
it is gone to the machining shop.
In this section there are two ground holes. Then full the keros in gas up to 13000 litters. Transfer
the gas in to accumulator by tube line. Move in to heater by thin tube line, the heater and muffle
furnace are connected by two tubes. Then crate the fire and connect with small cloth and getting

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near to the furnace then start the muffle furnace by using fan. Then heat the material according to
material temperature when the material is hard; temperature is high. But the material is soft
temperature is less. After heating we can make the material any size and shape by using different
types of dies.
B. Hand-tool shop

The main activities in this shop are treading, bending, slotting and upsetting of metals. There are
different machines to do these applications.

1. Thread making machine: Thread rolling is a type of threading process which involves
deforming a metal stock by rolling it through dies. This process forms external threads
along the surface of the metal stock
2. Upsetting machine 3. Bending machine
4. Slotting machine: In the slotting machine, work item is placed in a vertical position on
the bed. And then cutting tools move in reciprocating action to perform the operation and
shed the additional material from the work item. In the slotting machine cutting action is
executed at the downward stroke to cut the extra piece or material from the work piece.
C. Surface plating shop

Metal plating is a method of plating where metals are deposited on the substrates. This process is
used to coat and protect metals and other materials by forming a thin layer of metal over the
substrates. There are different methods of metal plating. The most used methods are

• Nickel plating

A very common type of plating which has shinny bright appearance, commonly applied in
jewelry and electronics. For various applications, nickel plated surface can be available in dull,
half-dull, bright, hard, soft, flexible or embrittled. Nickel plating has excellent appearance and
good performance in preventing corrosion, but poor performance in salt spray test.

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 • Chrome plating

For Decorative Purpose – to prevent surface color change and extend lifetime of the material. For
Industrial Purpose – chrome plating has characteristics such like high temperature resistant,
wear-proof, low friction coefficient, but thick plating layer.

• Zinc plating (galvanization)

The most common plating type mainly prevents rust on steel products. Low cost is one of the
major advantages. The thicker plating layer is, the better rust-proof performance will be. Other
than zinc plating base, chromate treatment can improve rust-proof performance by 5 to 10 times.
Chromate treatment is also decorative which provides variety of colors. This method is used in
this company. There are two types of zinc plating. Electrolysis or hot dipping. The electrolysis
method is used in this shop. There are many stages to coat the metal.

First of all, the metal must be cleaned and after it comes to this shop it will dipped in HCl liquid
for about 1 hour depending on its rust. The acid makes a chemical reaction with metal so the
metal will be rusted at short period of time due to this it will be dipped in water to wash the acid.

The grease, oil etc. cannot be cleaned by HCl. To clean these types of the metal is dipped in
costic soda. And then it is washed by water for about 4 to 5 minutes.

After the metal is cleaned it is dipped in to a solution that has a zinc metal, ammonium chloride,
zinc chloride and water. The galvanizing takes place here. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes. To
make the coat stronger the metal is then dipped in a bromic acid for about 4 to 5 minutes.

D. Heat treatment shop

Heat treatment is the controlled heating and cooling of metals to alter their physical and
mechanical properties without changing the product shape. Heat treating is a group of industrial
and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a
material.

Best in class machines and furnaces are provided in this section. Equipped with many furnaces
which enables hardening, stress relieving, tempering and annealing in various tool steel. And also
learned about sub-zero treatment.

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Heat treatment techniques include annealing, case hardening, precipitation strengthening,
tempering and quenching. It is noteworthy that while the term heat treatment applies only to
processes where the heating and cooling are done for the specific purpose of altering properties
intentionally, heating and cooling often occur incidentally during other manufacturing processes
such as hot forming or welding.

Factors to be considered during heat treatment

• composition of the material

• Mode of manufacture of the material i.e. cast, ingot, rolled, forged etc
• Whether any previous heat treatment operation has been carried out on thematerial and
what is its structure
What is the purpose of heat treatment?
• to improve in ductility
• to relieving internal stress
• grain size refinement
• to increase of strength and hardness
• to improve in machinability and toughness

Stage of heat treatment

According to the definition of the heat treatment the steps of heat treatment can be determined as
given in the following steps: A. Heating B. Soaking C. Cooling
In this industry carburizing is used for improving of the mechanical properties for instance for
surface hardening of materil

problem

1) Unfilled Section: As the name implies in this type of defect some of the forging
section remain unfilled. ...
2) Cold Shut: Cold shut includes small cracks at corners. ...
3) Scale Pits: ...
4) Die Shift: ...
5) Flakes: ...
6) Improper Grain Growth: ...
7) Incomplete Forging Penetration: ...
8) Surface Cracking:

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The benefits I have gained from this workshop

In these two weeks I have worked in forging and surface plating shop. During this time in this
workshop I have gained many benefits.
I have gained many different skills
• I know that safety is a mandatory in every workplace.
• I enhanced the skill of operating machine, the mechanism of machine.
• I know the way of galvanizing metals and its purpose.
• I have improved the skill of forging metals.
• I learned the method of heat treatment of metals and its purposes.
Finally, I have learnt that how mechanical engineering is applied in an industry and makes me to
know the courses very well.

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