Posted Wednesday May. 11, 2022, 10:40 a.m.
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Metal stamping is a process that takes flat sheets of steel and uses tools to turn sheet steel into shaped parts. metal stamp It is a complex process and uses various techniques to shape metal such as bending, drilling, cutting and punching.
Why use a metal stamping process?
There are many positive reasons to use it metal stamp on other forms of metalworking.
Quality and durability
Metal stamping can produce large quantities of parts to a high standard reliably as well as giving users the ability to quickly create highly durable parts by adding bends and other features during the design phase to add rigidity.
low cost
After initial preparation stages, such as design and prototyping, parts can be mass-produced very quickly and at low cost when compared to other metal fabrication processes that may require many workers and machinery.
Fast turnaround times
Because the sheet is quickly stamped and in most cases by automation, the part delivery time is extremely fast, allowing large quantities to be made and then transported either to the next in-house step of production or directly to the customer in a timely manner.
Basic sealing process
Design
Before any part is stamped, tooling for the part must be created virtually using CAD/CAM design and engineering software based on company or customer needs and input.
Tool designs must be very precise and ensure that the bore, flanges and bends maintain a high dimensional tolerance, have the appropriate clearance and the highest possible part quality.
CNC machining
After the tools are designed, they will be generated with CNC machining like a grinder.
Grinders such as 3-axis or 5-axis grinders have a high level of precision, and when creating tools to stamp metal, they can maintain tolerances within 1/1000 of an inch even when grinding hardened steel tools.
EDM wire
Wire EDM or (Electrical Discharge Processing) can be used in place or in conjunction with CNC machining to help create tooling as well. Wire EDM technology uses copper wire and de-ionized electricity and water to cut metal at the microscopic level by simultaneously cutting metal microns with a wire no wider than a human hair.
In the right hands, Wire EDM can hold incredibly tight tolerances and are preferred in specific tool creation situations.
secondary operations
Heat treatment is applied after machine hardening of the steel. This hardening allows the tool to withstand forces, pressure, and frequent use, allowing it to last much longer when compared to mild steel.
After heat treatment, surfaces may be milled if the finished part needs to maintain high surface quality and dimensional accuracy.
Metal Stamping Techniques
There are many techniques or processes that can be used when it comes to stamping a part. These processes can vary depending on the complexity of the part or design considerations.
Four stamp strips
In four-segment stamping, the stamping machine uses four tools simultaneously to form a part. The four-slat seal has several advantages that make it the preferred choice when creating parts; These advantages are flexibility for future design changes and versatility in creating complex parts. Each of the four slides has a different tool attached, allowing the ability to achieve four bends simultaneously and in quick succession.
stamping die progressive
Progressive die stamping is characterized by multiple stations, each performing a single or unique function in the overall part creation process.
Sheet metal is run from the coil and fed into a progressive stamping piston. When fed through a die-seal piston, each station performs a different function such as punching, bending, or cutting.
Each station or step in the process adds to the one that precedes it, and the end result is the final product.
Due to this phased process that requires multiple steps, some manufacturers may have to change tools frequently during the process and/or run multiple presses simultaneously for a single part.
In most cases, with progressive stamping, the manufacturer may require further machining of the part to complete it completely.
Progressive stamping is a remarkable stamping process that is used for highly complex parts in order to meet fast delivery times and low labor costs. Progressive sealing is also great for mass production parts due to its benefits of high redundancy.
deep seal drawing
A deep drawing seal is the type of seal that comes to mind when the general public thinks of metal stamping. Some examples of products produced by deep drawing sealing are aluminum beverage cans and kitchen utensils such as pots and pans as well as other utensils.
A deep drawing seal is also used throughout the automotive and aerospace industries, with parts such as automobile doors and bumpers being a prime example of a deep drawing seal.
With deep drawing stamping, the steel plate is drawn into the mold and perforated to create the desired shape. From there, it is stamped into the tools to create the part.
Transfer stamp die
Die transfer stamp is very similar to progressive die stamping. The difference between progressive seal and transfer seal lies in the name “transfer”.
Transfer seals are generally used with larger parts, and usually require the part to be moved from one station or machine to another via conveyor belts or other transmission methods to complete the finished part.
short term seal
Short run sealing is great for parts design or for small run projects, and requires very little in terms of upfront tooling expenses.
After the blank is created, manufacturers can use a series of custom molds and tooling components to bend, clamp and cut the part.
Custom moldings and short runs increase the total cost of the part to the customer and lower tooling costs make short runs very cost effective and give the ability to reduce delivery times.
Types of sealing pistons
Mechanical
Mechanical presses have been around for a very long time and have been in use in industrial capacity since the 1890s.
Mechanical presses use a motor to drive a flywheel. The rotating flywheel stores energy and transfers it to the drill when the pedal is depressed.
When the pedal is depressed, the stored energy is transmitted to the drill, some mechanical presses have large amounts of weight that force sheet metal onto the tools, which in turn creates the part.
Mechanical presses can range in speed from 20 to 1500 blows per minute and weigh from 20 to 6000 tons.
hydraulic
With a hydraulic press, the machine uses pressurized hydraulic fluids to apply to the part.
The amount of pressure used depends on the diameter of the piston head. Hydraulic systems allow precise control of the pressure exerted when forming a part and provide a high level of consistent pressure when compared to mechanical stress.
The hydraulic pistons also feature speed and stroke adjustment capabilities, allowing full power to be delivered at any point in the stroke.
Prefer hydraulic seal presses when it comes to short run production and creating more complex and deeper seals and parts.
mechanical servo stamps
Instead of using a flywheel like a traditional mechanical seal machine, mechanical servo seals use high capacity motors.
These servo stampers can produce highly complex parts at a faster rate than their traditional mechanical counterpart.
Slide position, stroke and speed can all be programmed with full control, making it the most expensive stamper available out of the three types discussed.
Materials
The type of material used to create a part depends on the functionality of the parts required. Metal is not the only type of material that can be used. Other materials such as paper, leather, and rubber can also be stamped, although metal is still the most common material.
Metal tends to maintain its ductility and malleability when stamped and does so better when compared to other materials.
Metals such as ferrous metals with iron-based alloys such as stainless steel, non-ferrous metals such as bronze, zinc, copper and even precious metals such as silver, platinum and gold can be stamped effectively.
Ferrous metals are the most used of all metals when it comes to metal stamping. Solid metal has less carbon which means it is less expensive and leads to lower unit production costs.
popular industries
metal stamp It is used in a variety of industries and in a variety of applications, including 3D design, surface engraving, lettering, and more complex industries such as automotive, aerospace, lighting, communications, military and defense, and much more.
Conclusion
Metal stamping is a cost-effective way to manufacture high quality parts in bulk for mass production, for short periods of prototyping, or to create custom parts. While there are many intricacies in any metal fabrication process, this article should give you a good overview of what metal stamping is.
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