For a company to thrive and come up with competitive new ideas. It takes more than good planning and an understanding of the business. Just like metal stamping, we need to make sure that everything works together to achieve the goal of delivering high-quality products and services.
We may wonder how they make a piece of stamped metal that works. Although there are many different ways to make a stamped piece, it is important to have the right one. This depends on many things, such as the type of product, the materials used, and the quantity being made.
Yonglihao Machinery will introduce you to the Nine Common Steps In the Metal Stamping Process.
Table of Contents
Blanking
In the blanking process, a large roll of metal is cut into smaller pieces that are easier to work with. A die is used to cut the metal into a certain shape. The part of the main metal that is perforated is called a “blank”. Punching is primarily used by manufacturers to make stamped metal better for other processes and finishing steps.
The blanking process has many benefits such as:
- It reduces the chances of rough or uneven edges on stamped parts
- It takes less time to manufacture parts
- For long-term production, the quality of the part does not change much
- Waste can be minimized because the main metal raw material can be reused over and over again.
- The blanking process is the choice for stamping metal parts that require tight tolerances
For stamping materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, this step is very useful. If you want to manufacture large quantities of parts, blanking is the way to go. Most parts used in the aerospace, automotive, and appliance industries are blanked.
Piercing
Piercing and blanking are done at the same time, but they are not the same thing. Unlike blanking, which takes metal from scrap metal, piercing takes product from new metal. Piercing is the process of cutting metal that has been stamped with holes, slots, and other cuts. In most cases, punches and dies are used for cold stamping, but they can also be used for hot stamping.
There are several types of perforations that are useful for other processes, such as:
- Slitting. It only shears and changes things without cutting off or reducing the amount of metal. For example such as making pull tabs, vents, and shutters.
- Step punching. Commonly used for a series of overlapping cuts and complex shapes of sheet metal.
- Trimming. This type of cutting is used in the finishing step to make edges and parts smoother and to ensure that the part is the correct size and shape.
- There are also types of cutoffs, notches, and perforations.
The perforating process is a great way to save money and employment costs because it is quick and inexpensive to produce.
Drawing
The drawing step is one of the most commonly used steps. This method creates hollow metal-like cylinders or boxes, just like oil tanks and metal sinks. Here, a sheet of metal is stretched by a machine and passed through a mold to obtain the desired length and shape.
Deep drawing and narrow drawing are the two methods of stretching. This method is used to process metals such as steel, aluminum, copper, nickel, brass, and brass. Drawing is used by many manufacturers because it can be used in many ways and has many benefits.
Some of the benefits of the drawing process are as follows:
- Manufacturing of high strength, low weight, and seamless stamped parts
- Rapid production of high-quality parts
- Making complex, correctly shaped, and detailed parts
Bending
Bending is a general method of molding shapes. A sheet of metal is bent or folded along a single linear axis using carefully crafted dies or standard molds. This step is usually performed after the drawing step. A machine presses into or against the metal to turn the flat sheet or two-dimensional part into a three-dimensional part.
Depending on the strength of the metal, this step of the metal casting process may involve hot or cold bending. When bending a stamped part, the angles are formed into shapes such as L, U, V, and so on. On the other hand, mechanical bending is another name for bending metal with a machine.
In addition to the above knowledge, there are some other things to consider when bending:
- Choose a metal that is highly flexible, such as aluminum, brass, steel, etc.
- When bending metal, it should always be done along the grain line to prevent the metal from breaking.
The bending process is very useful when stamping metals. This is because it allows for more precise and consistent product development. However, the rebound of the bent portion must be utilized to control or reduce the angle and radius at which the metal is bent in order to ensure its quality and accuracy.
Air Bending
This step splits the bending process in some way and is also known as “free bending”. The only difference is that the sheet metal is only partially bent, which means that the power and pressure are lower. In this case, the punch bends the metal into the mold, but the punch does not reach the bottom of the hole. In this way, air bending is slightly less accurate in bending shapes, but also more flexible.
Bottoming and coining
Bottoming and coining are both methods of bending metal to create printed parts that are more accurate than air bending, which involves pressing metal against a die. Bottoming, also known as bottoming stamping, is a molding method that can only be used for V-shaped parts. By applying more force to the top of the point, springback is eliminated.
Minting, on the other hand, comes from the word “coin,” which means “to make coins.” However, coins can be made in any shape. A sheet of metal is pushed into a mold using deep penetration or high pressure. This makes it a good choice for thick, hard metal sheets.
Here are some of the benefits of both processes:
- Less deburring and sanding saves time and money. Stamped metals tend to have smooth sides because they are stamped with great force.
- By bottoming and coining without the rebound effect, you can create precise shapes that can be used over and over again.
Forming
Forming is a method of bending metal that uses concentrated and pliable forces to relieve the stresses within the metal that cause it to deform. In addition, it simply reshapes the metal piece to give it a variety of bends. However, this step is usually not needed when bending very sharp angles or making very complex shapes. This is why molding is most commonly used for U-tubes.
During this process, control is very important so that the stamped metal does not crack. Some fields, such as airplanes, prefer the forming process.
Pinch trimming
Pinch trimming is a method of cutting vertical-walled or stretched containers. The method involves stamping a sheet of metal between two dies and then separating the scrap from the workpiece being processed. Pinch trimming is a great way to remove excess edges from a printed part that is nearing completion or is already finished.
In addition, the process can be used to treat edges. It improves the quality of the edge by smoothing and polishing the surface.
Lancing
Pinch trimming is a method of cutting vertical-walled or stretched containers. The method involves stamping a sheet of metal between two dies and then separating the scrap from the workpiece being processed. Pinch trimming is a great way to remove excess edges from a printed part that is nearing completion or is already finished.
In addition, the process can be used to treat edges. It improves the quality of the edge by smoothing and polishing the surface.
Lancing
Lancing is a cutting method. It is usually used for small cuts to make the metal more flexible. Here, the sheet metal is cut in half along three sides, but one of the sides is attached to or raised from the sheet metal to form a hole or hook-like feature. Thus the heat of the metal can be reduced in this step by making pull tabs and vents. Some may argue that lancing is equally useful in the progressive stamping process.
Summarizing
There are nine common steps in the metal stamping process and they all serve their own purpose. Whatever you do, always remember two things: quality and practice. It’s best to talk to an expert first, make a detailed plan, and then choose the steps that are right for your job.