Swaging

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The technique consists of shaping a material by applying force to alter its form
2. it is a method used to create specific shapes in metals through compression or impact
3. A metalworking process that changes the shape of metal by applying a pressing or hammering action

Etymology: Swaging comes from the Old English "swaging", but the more useful story starts with its root. The verb is derived from "swage", a tool or die used to shape metal, and that noun came into English from Old French "souage" or related forms, ultimately tied to the idea of pressing or sinking an impression into something. Blacksmiths used swages, which were hardened steel forms placed under or over hot metal, so the word described a process as much as a tool. The verb "swage" came to mean hammering or pressing metal into a shape, and "swaging" is its present participle used as a noun or gerund for that action. Early uses were tied closely to the forge, where a smith could produce a rounded, tapered, or grooved piece by driving it through a fixed shaped die. Later, the same method was used with cold metal, for example to crimp fittings onto wire or pipe, which is why the process is still common in plumbing and cable work.

Synonyms: shaping, forming