subject: Metal Stamping [print this page] Metal Stamping Metal Stamping
A metal fabrication process that uses a mechanical or hydraulic press and hardened tool steels, metal stamping adapts the configuration of a piece of material to match desired requirements.
First, the hardened tool steels are mounted in a die set, typically as an upper and lower die, which in turn is mounted in the press. Once mounted, the material can then be guided into the die set in an automated fashion via a de-coiler and straightener, or manually, one blank at a time.
Next, as the press closes the tool steels engage the material, changing its shape to produce the part. The dies themselves can range from a simple "one-hit die" performing a single operation, to a "compound die" performing multiple operations with one press stroke, to a complex progressive die indexing the part from station to station, changing the configuration of the part with each stroke of the press.
Using a variety of materials ranging in thickness, manufacturers can perform both high and low volume metal stamping production. Typically used stamping metals include aluminum, brass, copper, steel (galvanized hot rolled or cold rolled), stainless steel and titanium. Manufacturers house a variety of presses with tonnages ranging from a 5 ton table top press to a 120 ton floor standing model. Dies are often designed, built and maintained in-house by master toolmakers.
Hard tool configurations can take the form of inexpensive punching or forming dies to very large complex fully progressive tools, and become necessary to drive piece part costs down and to meet tight tolerance requirements.
