It is not possible to simply perform cold heading with general tools. It is necessary to have all of the necessary hardware on hand, otherwise a manufacturer is not able to perform the cold heading process. There are all sorts of different products that can come from cold heading, but ultimately, without the necessary tools, the manufacturer is not able to produce the final product. 

In general, in order to perform cold heading, a manufacturer is going to utilize:

Cold header

Part former

Punches

Dies 

There are several pieces of equipment required to perform the cold heading, although the exact equipment may vary depending on what process is being used. First, there is some general equipment, including the cold header and the former. These are both horizontal rams that use stationary bolsters. The equipment usually utilizes a 5-die progression machine that is able to cut off sizes of the metal anywhere from a full inch all the way down to an eighth of an inch, depending on what the desired standard is. In terms of the tools, there are two components required to perform the cold heading. These tools are punches and dies. The punches are there to transfer any sort of required force from the machine into the material. A good amount of force is often required, although this is going to depend on the kind of metal in question. The dies are used in order to hold the material in a specific location and direct it towards a desired direction.