In the vast field of modern manufacturing,metal stamping, as a core processing technology, plays a vital role. With its high efficiency, precision and low cost, it is widely used in many industries such as automobiles, aerospace, electronic appliances, household appliances, medical equipment, etc., and has become one of the key technologies for achieving lightweight, precise and efficient production of products in these industries. one. So, what exactly is metal stamping?
What is Metal Stamping?
Metal stamping refers to the process of processing metal sheets into the desired shape insheet metal stamping dies. Its principle is mainly to use the mechanical force of the punch machine to process materials into the required shape. The stamping machine mainly consists of a frame, slider, mold and transmission device. When themetal stamping machineis working, the sheet metal is first placed between the molds, and under the action of mechanical force, the sheet metal is processed into the required shape. Different stamping dies can be processed into metalstampingsof different shapes.
How Does the Metal Stamping Process Work?
- Material preparation:Select appropriatestamp metalplates and perform necessary preprocessing, such as cutting, cleaning, degreasing, etc.
- Mold design and manufacturing:Design and manufacture stamping molds according to product drawings. The accuracy and rationality of the mold directly affect the quality and production efficiency of the product.
- Stamping forming:The metal sheet is placed between the molds, and pressure is applied through a press to cause the sheet to plastically deform under the constraints of the mold to form the desired shape. The stamping process may include various deformation methods such as blanking, punching, bending, and stretching.
- Subsequent processing:After stamping, parts may need to undergo deburring, trimming, cleaning, heat treatment, surface treatment and other subsequent processing to meet the final requirements of the product.
- Quality inspection:Strictly inspect the size, shape, surface quality and other aspects of the finished product to ensure that the product meets the design requirements.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Metal Stamping
Advantages of Metal Stamping | Disadvantages of Metal Stamping |
High Efficiency and Productivity | Initial Investment |
Rapid production of large quantities, leading to higher productivity and lower costs per unit. | Substantial initial costs for tooling and machinery, which can be a barrier for smaller-scale productions. |
Precision and Consistency | Limitations in Design Complexity |
Produces parts with consistent quality and tight tolerances, crucial in many industries. | Some extremely intricate designs may not be feasible or require additional processes. |
Versatility | Tool Wear and Maintenance |
Suitable for a range of complexities, from simple to intricate parts, across various industries. | Regular maintenance and replacement of dies and punches are necessary, adding to costs and downtime. |
Cost-Effectiveness | Material Limitations |
Especially economical for high-volume production, with reduced waste and economies of scale. | Some materials may not be suitable due to properties like brittleness or low ductility. |
Material Variety | Potential for Quality Issues |
Compatible with various metals and alloys, offering flexibility in material selection. | Risk of defects such as warping or surface defects, necessitating strict quality control. |
What are the Different Types of Stamping Processes?
1.Blanking
A basicmetal stampedprocessthat uses a mold to separate materials, which can be directly made into flat parts or prepare blanks for other stamping processes such as bending, drawing, etc. Blanking is widely used in industrial sectors such as automobiles, household appliances, electronics, instrumentation, machinery, railways, communications, chemicals, light industry, textiles, and aerospace.
2.punching
Punching is the application of pressure to a metal plate through a specially designed mold to form a hole of the desired shape. It is often used to manufacture through holes or specific functional holes on parts to produce parts with various hole shapes, such as ventilation holes. , bracket or panel. Metals with low brittleness and moderate hardness are suitable for stamping metal to avoid cracks during the stamping process.
3.bending
Bending refers to the process of bending a metal plate into a desired shape or angle through a mold. This process applies bending force to the metal plate, causing the metal plate to bend and deform under the action of the mold. Bending is one of the common processes in metal stamping. It is widely used to manufacture various parts and products, such as boxes, shells, brackets, etc., to provide the required shape and structure for metal products.
4.Stretch
Also called drawing or calendering, it is a stamping processing method that uses a die to turn the flat blank obtained after punching into an open hollow part. Can be made into cylindrical, stepped, conical, spherical, box-shaped and other irregular-shaped thin-walled parts.
5.imprint
Imprinting is the creation ofmetallic stamp, patterns, or textures on the surface of hardware. For example, add decorative features, logos,metal stamps,or textures to components commonly found in coins and jewelry.
6.perforation
One of the most basic forms of metal stamping, a machining tool is used to punch holes in a metal plate to create multiple small hollow areas. The punched material produced during the entire machining process is discarded.
7.Flange
It is a plastic processing method that bends the edge of a thin plate blank or the material in the narrow area of the edge of a pre-made hole on the blank into a vertical edge along a curve or straight line. It is mainly used to strengthen the edges of parts, remove trimmed edges, and make them for assembly with other parts. The connecting part.
8.Grooving
The main feature of grooving is cutting a small V-shaped notch or groove out of themetal stamper. Typically used where two pieces of metal need to interlock or join, such as creating tabs and notches for assembly.
What are Some Examples of Metal Stamping Applications?
Automotive Industry
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.
Aerospace Sector
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.
Electronics Industry
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.
Household Appliances
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.
Medical and health industry
In the medical field, devices such as surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, stents and connectors also have components that undergo a metal stamping process, ensuring the production of precise, sterile and biocompatible parts critical to medical applications.
construction industry
Metal stamping products are widely used in structural and decorative components such as brackets, connectors, fasteners, hinges and cladding panels. Overall, the process produces durable, corrosion-resistant components that meet the industry’s stringent requirements.
What are the types of metal stamping machines?
Mechanical punching machine
Mechanical presses primarily use an electric motor connected to a mechanical flywheel to transmit and store energy. The rotation of the motor drives the flywheel to rotate, and the energy stored in the flywheel is released during the stamping process, driving the slider (or punch) to move up and down, thereby achieving stamping processing of metal materials.
Mechanical stamping machines have the advantages of simple structure, low manufacturing cost, and easy maintenance. They are available in a wide range of punch sizes, from a few millimeters to hundreds of millimeters, and at varying pressing speeds, typically between 20 and 1,500 strokes per minute. These presses range in size from 20 to 6,000 tons and are suitable for progressive and transfer stamping in high-volume production.
Hydraulic press
Hydraulic presses use a hydraulic system to apply pressure to the material. The hydraulic system converts the pressure energy of the liquid (usually oil) into mechanical energy through a hydraulic pump, thereby driving the slider to move up and down. Hydraulic pistons displace fluid at a force level proportional to the diameter of the piston head, enabling advanced control of the amount of pressure.
Hydraulic presses have the advantages of stable pressure, adjustable stroke and speed, and can provide full power at any point in the stroke. These presses typically range in size from 20 tons to 10,000 tons, with stroke sizes ranging from approximately 10mm to 800mm. Hydraulic presses are typically used on smaller production runs to create more complex and deeper stamped parts than mechanical presses.
Mechanical servo stamping machine
Mechanical servo stamping machines use high-capacity motors instead of flywheels, and precisely control the motor's speed and torque through a servo control system to achieve precise control of the slide movement.
Mechanical servo presses have the advantage that stroke, slide position and movement, and speed are all controlled and programmable. They can create more complex stampings at a faster rate than hydraulic presses and are the most expensive of the three types.
What are the common metal stamping materials?
Aluminum and aluminum alloys
Aluminum is a non-ferrous metal that is relatively inexpensive and has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, making parts durable, strong and lightweight. At the same time, aluminum is corrosion-resistant and non-toxic, requiring no coating during the finishing process, although it can be anodized to enhance its appearance and increase its corrosion resistance. Often used as equipment components in stamping processes.
Carbon steel/stainless steel
Stainless steel is a ferrous metal containing large amounts of chromium, molybdenum and nickel. It is corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic, has very good wear resistance, does not require electroplating and can be heat treated. Carbon steel and stainless steel stamping processes are often used to manufacture equipment casings, structural parts, casings, etc. However, due to their strong rigidity, stamping oil is often used to improve the process.
Titanium alloy
Titanium alloy stamping is mainly used for parts of large equipment, aircraft, ships and other products that require high strength and light weight. Due to the difficulty of the process, special stamping oil must be used to improve the process.
Copper and copper alloys
Copper is easy to form, ideal for quickly producing one-piece, seamless components, and is compatible with cold forming processes. Copper is a low-maintenance, durable metal that resists corrosion and has naturally hygienic properties. An alloy of copper and zinc, brass retains many of copper's beneficial properties, such as a smooth surface, corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. Therefore, it is often used as equipment components in the stamping process.
Why choose Longsheng to provide metal stamping services?
1.Metal stamping services
Our custom metal stamping and forming services are suitable for multiple industries, including automotive, aerospace, manufacturing and more, to meet the different needs of our customers. Our team has extensive experience and expertise to provide customers with high-quality metal stamping forming services and technical support. Our metal stamping services can provide prototyping solutions for custom metal parts, contact us today to get started on your project.
2.Metal stamping parts production base
Longsheng has a professional team with strong skills and rich experience, which can provide customers with professional technical support and after-sales service. We adhere to the principle of "quality first, customer first" and serve our customers wholeheartedly. If you have any processing needs or questions, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to cooperating with you!
FAQ
1.Where is metal stamping used?
Metal stamping is widely used in many industries such as automobiles, aerospace, electronic appliances, household appliances, and medical equipment. In the automotive industry, stamping parts are an important part of body manufacturing; in the aerospace field, stamping technology is used to manufacture complexmetal stampparts and components; in the electronic and household appliances industries,metal stampingsare used to manufacture various casings , brackets and other parts.
2.What are sheet metal stampings?
Sheet metal stamping parts are a common component in modern industrial manufacturing. They are mainly processed bystamping on metal, bending, forming and other processes on metal sheets.
3.What is the difference between stamping and fabrication?
There are certain differences between stamping and manufacturing in terms of concepts, application fields and characteristics. Stamping, as a specific processing method, plays an important role in the manufacturing process; manufacturing is a broader concept, covering a variety of processing methods and process routes including stamping.
4.What is the meaning of metal stamping?
Metal stamping is of great significance in industrial production. It can not only improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality, but also promote technological innovation and industrial upgrading. Therefore, in future industrial production, metal stamping will continue to play an important role and make greater contributions to economic development and social progress.
Summary
Metal stamping is an efficient, precise and low-cost metal processing method that plays an important role in modern manufacturing. With the continuous advancement of technology and the growing market demand, metal stamping technology is also constantly innovating and progressing. Automation, intelligence, and precision have become important trends in the development of metal stamping technology in the future. At the same time, with the rise of new energy vehicles, 5G communications, smart manufacturing and other emerging industries, the demand for metal stamping products is also growing, providing broader space and opportunities for the development of metal stamping technology.
Disclaimer
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Longsheng Team
This article was written by multiple Longsheng contributors. Longsheng is a leading resource in the manufacturing sector, withCNC machining,sheet metal fabrication,3D printing,injection molding,metal stamping, and more.