National Material Company is regarded as a global leader in servicing the needs of the steel industry and leading industrial and consumer product manufacturers. With over 50 years of expertise in metals processing and supply chain management, NMC offers metal stamping services as a part of a wide array of steel processing capabilities. Read on to learn more about metal stamping:
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Metal stamping is an incredibly versatile and efficient manufacturing process that takes flat metal sheets or coils and transforms them into precisely shaped and intricate parts. By utilizing force, pressure, and specialized tooling, components with diverse forms — including bends, curves, cutouts, and embossing, are possible. This process offers low costs and higher lead times — both for short and long production runs while keeping consistent quality, dimensional accuracy, and repeatability of the manufactured parts.
At the core of metal stamping lies the stamp press, a component responsible for applying the necessary force and pressure to mold the metal sheets or coils into the desired shape or profiles. This powerful machine incorporates specialized tooling known as dies, which performs a variety of stamping operations on the metal. By carefully controlling the movement of the press and the interaction between the dies and the metal in the production line, the stamping process brings forth remarkable transformations in the shape and structure of the material.
Now, let’s dive deeper into the fascinating world of metal stamping and explore its different stages and intricacies.
Based on the requirements of the part, specialists select metal sheets or coils. Considerations include mechanical properties such as strength and ductility, as well as other factors like corrosion resistance, conductivity, and cost. The selected material should be compatible with the stamping process and the desired part’s functionality.
The selected materials undergo preparation processes like cutting, slitting, and leveling to obtain the proper dimensions and flatness necessary for stamping. The prepared metal sheets or coils are then fed into the stamping press, where an automated feeding mechanism ensures precise positioning for accurate stamping.
As the stamp press initiates its action, the dies close together, subjecting the metal to high force and pressure. This pressure deforms the material, shaping it according to the contours of the dies. There are also a variety of metal-forming processes that may be involved in stamping. These include blanking (cutting out the desired shape), bending (creating angles or curves), coining (adding fine details), and punching (making holes or cutouts), which these experts perform sequentially or simultaneously, depending on the part design.
Throughout the stamping process, operators implement quality control measures, including real-time monitoring and inspections. They ensure that the parts meet the specified tolerances and quality standards.
After stamping, these professionals may apply additional post-processing steps, such as deburring (removing sharp edges), cleaning, surface treatment, and coating, to enhance the appearance, durability, and functionality of the stamped parts.
By following this systematic approach, the stamping process transforms raw metal sheets or coils into precisely shaped components that serve diverse industries and applications. It is an exciting blend of precision engineering, material science, and advanced manufacturing techniques that continue to revolutionize the way we produce complex metal parts.
a high-volume production process that utilizes a series of dies arranged in a progressive manner. The metal sheet or coil is continuously fed through the dies, and each station performs a specific operation, such as cutting, bending, or forming. It allows for the creation of complex parts with multiple features in a single pass.
Similar to progressive stamping, but instead of the metal sheet moving continuously through the dies, mechanical systems transfer the sheet from one station to another. Companies use this method often for larger and more complex parts that may require additional operations or precise positioning.
Also known as multi-slide stamping, this is a specialized technique that uses a four-slide machine to form intricate shapes or perform multiple bending and forming operations simultaneously. Operations commonly use multi-slide stamping for small, complex parts with multiple bends or curves.
A stamping process used to create cylindrical or box-shaped parts with significant depth. A specialist will place a blank over a die and which is then forced into the die cavity using a punch. As the metal undergoes plastic deformation, it takes the shape of the die cavity, resulting in a deep-drawn component.
A precision stamping process used to produce high-quality, burr-free parts. It involves the use of a specialized fine blanking die that incorporates three distinct cutting edges. When components that require exceptional flatness, dimensional accuracy, and edge quality, specialists will often use fine blanking.
These are some of the primary types of stamping processes. Each type has its own advantages and applications, and manufacturers select the most appropriate method based on factors such as the complexity of the part, required production volume, and desired quality.
Metal stamping finds widespread applications across various industries due to its versatility and ability to produce high-quality, precisely shaped, and unique components.
It plays a vital role in the automotive manufacturing industry — producing components such as body panels, brackets, chassis parts, engine mounts, brackets, and suspension components. The process ensures the production of lightweight, durable, and structurally sound parts that meet stringent safety and performance requirements.
Metal stamping also reached the heavens through the aerospace sector. Key components like aircraft structural parts, engine parts, brackets, and fittings can be fabricated with the process which ensures the production of lightweight parts with complex geometries while maintaining strength and durability, contributing to enhanced fuel efficiency and performance.
In the electronics industry, electronic devices (connectors, terminals, heat sinks, shielding components, and brackets) are widely used. Metal stamping made it possible for the precise fabrication of intricate parts required for electronic assemblies while ensuring proper electrical conductivity and durability.
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The process is also employed extensively in the manufacturing of household appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, and HVAC systems. It produces components such as panels, enclosures, brackets, and handles, providing both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity.
In the medical field, devices such as surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, brackets, and connectors also have components that have undergone the metal stamping process ensuring the production of precise, sterile, and biocompatible parts critical for medical applications.
And how can we forget the construction industry, where metal stamping products are present in structural and decorative components like brackets, connectors, fasteners, hinges, and cladding panels — to name a few? Overall, the process allows the creation of durable, corrosion-resistant parts that meet the demanding requirements of the industry.
Metal stamping is an intricate process that demands the expertise and proficiency of a company well-versed in the field. When your industry requires the best metal stamping products and services, National Material Company (NMC) is the obvious choice. Renowned as a leading metal processor, NMC excels at providing exceptional solutions to meet your exact standards.
NMC offers a diverse range of capabilities, including metal stamping, by leveraging technological breakthroughs and innovations developed over years of compelling research and development. We’ve worked with diverse industries and delivered superior products and services across the globe, and in working with us, we guarantee…
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A die is a specialized machine tool used in manufacturing industries to cut and/or form material to a desired shape or profile. Stamping dies are used with a press,[1] as opposed to drawing dies (used in the manufacture of wire) and casting dies (used in molding) which are not. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create.
Products made with dies range from simple paper clips to complex pieces used in advanced technology. Continuous-feed laser cutting may displace the analogous die-based process in the automotive industry,[2] among others.
Blanking and piercing are two die cutting operations, and bending is an example of a die forming operation.
Forming operations work by deforming materials like sheet metal or plastic using force (compression, tension, or both) and rely on the material's mechanical properties.[3] Forming dies are typically made by tool and die makers and put into production after mounting into a press.
For the vacuum forming of plastic sheet only a single form is used, typically to form transparent plastic containers (called blister packs) for merchandise. Vacuum forming is considered a simple molding thermoforming process but uses the same principles as die forming.
For the forming of sheet metal, such as automobile body parts, two parts may be used: one, called the punch, performs the stretching, bending, and/or blanking operation, while another part that is called the die block securely clamps the workpiece and provides a similar stretching, bending, and/or blanking operation. The workpiece may pass through several stages using different tools or operations to obtain the final form. In the case of an automotive component, there will usually be a shearing operation after the main forming is done. Additional crimping or rolling operations may be performed to ensure that all sharp edges are hidden and/or to add rigidity to the panel.
The main components of a die set (including press mounting) are as follows. Because nomenclature varies between sources, alternate names are in parentheses:
Steel-rule die, also known as cookie cutter dies, are used for cutting sheet metal and softer materials, such as plastics, wood, cork, felt, fabrics, and paperboard. The cutting surface of the die is the edge of hardened steel strips, known as steel rule. These steel rules are usually located using saw or laser-cut grooves in plywood. The mating die can be a flat piece of hardwood or steel, a male shape that matches the workpiece profile, or it can have a matching groove that allows the rule to nest into. Rubber strips are wedged in with the steel rule to act as the stripper plate; the rubber compresses on the down-stroke and on the up-stroke it pushes the workpiece out of the die. The main advantage of steel-rule dies is the low cost to make them, as compared to solid dies; however, they are not as robust as solid dies, so they are usually only used for short production runs.[10]
In the broadest sense, a rotary die is a cylindrical shaped die that may be used in any manufacturing field. However, it most commonly refers to cylindrical shaped dies used to process soft materials, such as paper or cardboard. Two rules are used, cutting and creasing rules. This is for corrugated boards whose thickness is more than 2 mm. Rotary dies are faster than flat dies.[11][12]
The term also refers to dies used in the roll forming process.[13]
Wire-making dies have a hole through the middle of them. A wire or rod of steel, copper, other metals, or alloy enters into one side and is lubricated and reduced in size. The leading tip of the wire is usually pointed in the process. The tip of the wire is then guided into the die and rolled onto a block on the opposite side. The block provides the power to pull the wire through the die.
The die is divided into several different sections. First is an entrance angle that guides the wire into the die. Next is the approach angle, which brings the wire to the nib, which facilitates the reduction. Next is the bearing and the back relief. Lubrication is added at the entrance angle. The lube can be in powdered soap form. If the lubricant is soap, the friction of the drawing of wire heats the soap to liquid form and coats the wire. The wire should never actually come in contact with the die. A thin coat of lubricant should prevent the metal to metal contact.
For pulling a substantial rod down to a fine wire a series of several dies is used to obtain progressive reduction of diameter in stages.
Standard wire gauges used to refer to the number of dies through which the wire had been pulled. Thus, a higher-numbered wire gauge meant a thinner wire. Typical wires were 22-gauge, while main power cables might be 3- or 4-gauge.
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