Forging machinery refers to the mechanical equipment used for forming and separating parts in forging processes. Forging machinery includes forging hammers, mechanical presses, hydraulic presses, screw presses, and flat forging machines for forming, as well as auxiliary machinery such as uncoilers, straighteners, shearing machines, and forging manipulators.

Forging machinery is mainly used for metal forming, hence it is also called metal forming machine tools. Forging machinery shapes metal by applying pressure; its basic characteristic is high force, therefore it is mostly heavy equipment, and safety protection devices are often installed to ensure equipment and personnel safety.

Initially, people used human or animal power to turn wheels to lift heavy hammers and forge workpieces; this is the oldest form of forging machinery. Water-powered drop hammers appeared in the 14th century. With the booming development of navigation in the 15th and 16th centuries, water-powered lever hammers appeared for forging anchors and other items. The 18th century saw the advent of steam engines and trains, thus requiring larger forgings.

In 1842, British engineer Nesmith invented the first steam hammer, ushering in the era of steam-powered forging machinery. In 1795, Bramah invented the hydraulic press, but it wasn't applied to forging until the mid-19th century due to the need for large forgings.

With the invention of the electric motor, electrically powered mechanical presses and air hammers emerged in the late 19th century and developed rapidly. Since World War II, heavy forging machinery such as 750,000 kN hydraulic forging presses, 1,500 kJ counter-hammers, 60,000 kN sheet metal stamping presses, and 160,000 kN hot forging presses, along with some automatic cold heading machines, have been introduced, forming a complete system of forging machinery.

After the 1960s, forging machinery shifted from the trend of development towards heavy and large-scale products that began in the 19th century to a focus on high speed, high efficiency, automation, precision, specialization, and multi-variety production. This led to the development of high-speed presses with a stroke rate of 2000 strokes per minute, 60,000 kN three-axis multi-station presses, 25,000 kN precision blanking presses, multi-station automatic cold heading machines capable of cold heading steel with a diameter of 48 mm, and various automatic machines and production lines. Various mechanically controlled, digitally controlled, and computer-controlled automatic forging presses, along with their supporting manipulators, robotic arms, and industrial robots, were also successfully developed. Modern forging presses can produce precision products, offer good working conditions, and generate minimal environmental pollution.

Forging presses mainly include various forging hammers, various presses, and other auxiliary machinery.

A forging hammer is a machine that uses the kinetic energy generated by the falling or forced high-speed motion of a heavy hammer to perform work on a workpiece, causing it to plastically deform. Forging hammers are the most common and oldest type of forging press. They are simple in structure, flexible in operation, widely used, and easy to maintain, suitable for both free forging and die forging. However, they experience significant vibration, making automated production difficult.

Mechanical presses use crank-connecting rod or toggle mechanism, cam mechanism, or screw mechanism for transmission. They operate smoothly, with high precision, good operating conditions, and high productivity. They are easily mechanized and automated, making them suitable for use on automated production lines. Mechanical presses are the most numerous type of forging press.

Cold heading machines and other automatic wire forming machines, flat forging machines, screw presses, radial forging machines, most bending machines, straightening machines, and shearing machines also have similar transmission mechanisms to mechanical presses and can be considered derivatives of mechanical presses.

Hydraulic presses are forging presses that use high-pressure liquids (oil, emulsions, etc.) to transmit working pressure. The stroke of a hydraulic press is variable, allowing it to exert maximum working force at any position. Hydraulic presses operate smoothly without vibration, easily achieving large forging depths, and are best suited for forging large forgings and deep drawing, packaging, and briquetting of large sheet metal. Hydraulic presses mainly include water presses and oil presses. Some bending, straightening, and shearing machines also belong to the category of hydraulic presses.

Rotary forging presses are forging and rolling machines that combine forging and rolling processes. On a rotary forging press, the deformation process is completed by the gradual expansion of localized deformation, resulting in low deformation resistance, small machine weight, stable operation, no vibration, and easy automation. Roll forging mills, forming rolling mills, plate rolling mills, multi-roll straighteners, rolling mills, and spinning mills all belong to the category of rotary forging presses.