Today, metal stamping Company is a huge growing industry that caters to various industries starting from household appliances to automobiles to aviation. The rise in urbanization and technology has contributed to the growth of this industry. There are some Best metal stamping kits available in the market especially designed for beginners who want to learn and understand all about metal stamping. There is also Metal Stamping Process Guide that guides beginners through the procedure of this whole new world of metal stamping which uses dies to transform metal into various required shapes. However, the challenge ahead of them is to decide on which metal stamping manufacturer is the best for their project in terms of quality and delivery because there are so many precision metal stamping companies out there who claim that they are ‘the best’. This article will guide you – as a customer with some parameters that you need to look for during your first visit.
Examine that the metal stamping company is registered under the (ISO) International Organization for Standardization is the first and the foremost thing to find out about the company. Not just looking at the quality of the product in the designing stage but also checking the quality of the end product is essential. Also, examine if the company has a system in place that does continual monitoring and detection through automated inspection equipment to track and prevent problems. The company’s goal must be to provide excellent quality that complies with specifications, standards and requirement. Prepare a list of things that will help you to look at whether or not the quality is of top priority with the precision metal stamping company.
This is the next important thing to consider if the company has sufficient capacity available or are expanding to meet your project requirements. If they ‘don’t’ then ask them if they are willing to add capacity in the future if you give them more business. If they ‘do’ then how soon will they add capacity and accelerate the completion of the project from production to delivery. Also, survey if the premises are clean and well organized and determine if they have an onsite maintenance team to detect the performance of the metal stamping machines.
By talking to the engineers on the floor you will know the work ethics of the company- the number of tool and die makers in a team, their training and so on. Request to talk directly to an expert or the single point of contact who can answer your questions regarding new designs and cost-effective methods. During the conversation try to gauge if the point of contact is carefully listening and comprehending your requirement because this will give you confidence whether this metal stamping company will work alongside with you to build on your business brand name. Added advantage would be that it will help you grasp as to how much knowledge the staff has and how far they can push themselves to achieve the desired goal. Find out if any of the metal stamping products before it reaches the final stage gets outsourced because that will determine the quality of work that you can expect.
It is good to ask the company to provide few references of customers that they have worked with in the past which will indicate the precision metal stamping company’s potential and their skill in terms of success. Conversing with the previous customers will tell you if they were happy and satisfied with the services and you will be in a better position to decide if this company fits your needs.
In metal stamping, holes and slots get formed via piercing techniques that use steel tools called punches. During the process, the punch compresses a sheet or strip of metal against the opening of a die. As the material begins to yield to the forces, the punch cuts through and shears the material, eventually punching all the way through as the material fully yields and breaks away at the line between the punch and die edges. The result is a hole with a burnished wall on the top face that tapers out towards the bottom, leaving a burr where the material has broken away. By the nature of this process, holes and slots will not be perfectly straight. The walls can be made uniform by using secondary machining operations; however, these can add high cost.
The design standards for minimum diameter will depend on the chosen material. For ductile materials, such as aluminum, the minimum diameter of holes should be at least 1.2x the thickness of the material. For materials such as stainless steel alloys with higher tensile strengths, our team recommends a minimum diameter of 2x the material thickness. Slot widths should be at least 1.5x the material thickness. It is possible to achieve smaller diameters; however, they require expensive specialized processes or tooling, increasing your part cost and the risk of tool failure.
Place holes and slots near edges at a distance of at least twice the material thickness. Failure to do so may result in an outward bulging of the material web between the hole and edge. Holes closer to an edge than the recommended minimum distance may bulge or deform during stamping. These features require secondary machining or other operations that add cost.
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Design holes or slots less than 0.100” in diameter or width at a distance of at least twice the material thickness (2x MT) plus the radius of the form. For holes or slots larger than this, the minimum distance should be 2.5x the material thickness plus the form radius. Holes and slots can suffer from distortion, bulging, or stretching when located closer than these recommended standards.
Bends and other formed features often come towards the end of progressive die stamping processes. Material grain direction is a crucial consideration to make when it comes to bent features. When the material’s grain is in the same direction as a bend, it is prone to cracking, especially on high-strength materials such as stainless steel alloys or tempered materials. Design bends against the material’s grain for the best results, and note grain direction on your drawing.
It is essential to ensure there is enough material to form bends properly. One way to provide enough material to execute a bend properly is to follow a minimum bend height standard. The recommended height of a bent feature is 2.5x the material thickness plus the bend radius. Shorter bend heights are possible but at the cost of additional operations.
Bent features near edges, such as bent tabs, should have an offset of material added or relief cuts in the bend. Failure to do so may result in the material tearing on either side of the bent section. When adding material offsets, you should add at least as much as the radius of the bend. Alternatively, designers can put relief notches immediately adjacent to the bend area. Relief notches should be at least twice as wide as the material thickness and as long as the bend radius, plus the material thickness.
Relief notches are also helpful in preventing distortion or bulging that can occur when thicker materials are bent. Bulges become especially likely with more minor bends on thicker material. Designing a relief notch on either side of the bend will help mitigate bulging. Using flag notes on your drawings is also recommended, calling attention to areas where bulging is not permissible.
A width of 1.5x the material thickness should be designed to prevent excessive force on punches and tabs. When made smaller, the risk of tool breakage is much greater.
All corners of the blank design should include a radius of at least half the material thickness. Corners can be left relatively sharp if the material is less than 0.060” thick.
Burrs are a typical and expected occurrence on cutout features due to how the stamping process works. The general expectation is that burrs 10% of the size of the material thickness will be present on the bottom side of cutouts. You can mitigate burrs by avoiding sharp corners and intricate cutouts. Drawing notes specifying burr direction can also help the manufacturer account for this during stamping. If your part requires burr removal, Xometry offers this as a selectable option during the quoting process.
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