Metal Stamping

Metal stamping is one of the cheapest and most versatile techniques for making large volumes of identical metal parts. In the stamping process, sheets of metal are formed by a die in a press that molds the metal to the desired shape. Stamping is most commonly used for manufacturing parts made of steel, aluminum, nickel, zinc, and titanium.

Stamping Operations

The following are the main stamping operations. Note that operations are often combined:

Blanking

In blanking the basic flat shape of the part is stamped from the sheet metal material.

Piercing

Piercing is the process by which internal holes are made the part.

Forming

Forming operations can bend the part into complex shapes, but without any change in thickness of the metal.

Drawing

Drawing stretches the metal to form compound curves. Drawing is often used to form round shapes such as caps.

Deburring

After stamping sheet metal parts are usually deburred in a tumbler to remove sharp edges and burrs.

Design Guidelines

When designing your stamped parts abide by the following guidelines when possible:

• Avoid narrow strips as they will distort easily during production.
• Avoid placing holes too closely as it can result in distortion.
• Corners should be rounded where possible.