Metal stamping is a system of processes focusing on sheet metal manufacturing. This is one big chunk of the whole science & art of metalworking.
How do they do it?
In the task of building structures, large or small scale, metal stamping is responsible for the processes of punching, blanking, piercing, embossing, drawing, bending, forming, flanging, and coining the metals as needed. Now that’s too much responsibility that requires precision!
Such stages of stamping are carried out until the desired shape and form of the material is achieved. What happens is that sheets of metal are being cut, formed, and shaped by feeding and pressing them between high tonnage stamping dies. This is done in mass production so that metal parts developed through the process are generally low cost.
What is it for?
This science of metalworking has long been utilized over the millennia, and its cost-effective and mass-producing nature makes it an irreplaceable process for a number of industries. Industries range from intricate production such as jewelry, surgical instruments, and auto parts, to massive manufacturing such as ships, engineering machines, and bridges.
Progressive stamping
One operation of metal stamping is called progressive stamping which applies at least three of the many stamping operations with one machine. An example of this is one that involves punching, coining, and bending. Using a progressive stamping die and a reciprocating machine press, a strip of metal is fed inside the die as the press moves up. Then the metal is stamped the moment the press moves down and closes the die. This is done in alternating pattern, producing one metal part after another in seconds.
What to look for in a metal stamping company
Like all other processes, quality assurance is being employed before and after metal stamping. General requirements for pre-processing include operator safety and machine press precision, while post-processing requirements include product dimensions, hardness, and other quality conformances. Among many considerations to make in choosing which metal stamping machine to use or company to avail the service of, quality assurance should be an utmost priority. Other closely related factors to be considered are the value for money and additional relevant services.
Stamping simulation to ensure quality
Speaking of quality, a technology called stamping simulation has been developed to ensure just that. We do not want to incur defects such as wrinkles, dents, splits, and material thinning on our products so this simulation calculates the whole process before operation in order to predict potential problems. This way, the machine specialist is able to manage and prevent the fluke before it even happens. This simulation process not only prompts product defects but also predicts lead time (the time it takes to finish the service from order to delivery) and production cost, as these to elements are greatly affected by the incurrence of defects. As such, if proper simulation prevents the stamping process from acquiring supposedly avoidable defects, the whole process could be faster and cheaper. After all, that is what metal stamping is all about- metalworking for quality and productivity.
