Method of rational manufacture of big steel forgings, especially rings for reactor pressure vessels

The excess top and bottom parts of the ingot are removed while hot and the ingot is processed to a semi-finished product without prior edge forging. The axial, lowest quality part is removed from the ingot usable part either by hot punching or by cold drilling, and after heating if required, it is forged on a mandrel into a ring-shape semi-finished product. The patented method eliminates the need of forging a handling pin, forging the ingot edges, and reduces the top and bottom crop and loss by burn-off. (Ha)