How Metal Stamping Works

Stamping is a type of metalworking used to form a piece of material into a desired shape or pattern. The process involves a mechanical or hydraulic press and hardened tool steels, which punch metal strips and adapt them to specific requirements.

Metal stamping can be performed using a series of stages or through a single step, where every stroke of the press produces the desired form on the sheet metal part. The process of metal stamping includes a number of operations including piercing, fine blanking, bending, forming, coining, progressive stamping, deep drawing, embossing and extrusion. 

The process begins by mounting hardened tool steels into upper and lower die sets, which are mounted in the press. Via a de-coiler and straightener, the material can be guided into the die set in an automated fashion. Another option involves guiding the material manually, one blank at a time. When the press closes it causes the tool steels to engage the material and change its shape to produce the desired part. This fabricating process competes with roll forming. 

Dies vary in how they operate. One type is a simple "one-hit die" that performs a single operation. Another alternative is a "compound die" which performs multiple operations with one press stroke. A complex progressive die indexes the part from station to station, changing the configuration of the part with each stroke of the press. 

Metal stamping is used for a wide variety of materials, usually ranging from .005" to .250" thick and can be completed in high and low volumes. Metals that are typically stamped include aluminum, brass, copper, steel (galvanized, hot rolled or cold rolled), stainless steel and titanium. Other operations often tie in with metal stamping, such as CNC machining, painting, welding and assembly. 

There are several benefits from using metal stamping. Many presses used for the process are built to ensure repeated accuracy, for even the most demanding jobs. Fitting presses with dedicated coil feeds and straighteners minimizes set-up costs. Combined, these benefits result in cost reduction along with parts that meet tight tolerance requirements.