What Are the Different Types of Metal Stamping?

Across many industry verticals, metal is used to create a variety of strong part types present in machinery, structural components, and much more. With metal being such a highly demanded material, different processes have come about that make working with metal more efficient. One of the popular approaches to simplifying metal work is metal stamping, which is a coldworking process used to shape sheets or coils of metal. This technique can be further divided into three popular metal stamping techniques, those of which can be used for a number of applications with various metals, making metal stamping a versatile solution for creating many in-demand parts.

All metal stamping begins with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to ensure accurate, precise designs. As such, all holes, cuts, and bends are created for high-quality resulting pieces. All metal stamping can be categorized as either progressive, fourslide, or deep draw. Progressive stamping is the most drawn-out process, and it works to shape the metal one step at a time while fourslide stamping uses four tools simultaneously to produce a result. Meanwhile, deep draw is a single step process in which the metal is formed using a punch. The metal stamper itself is a versatile machine with many production abilities, ranging from simple washers to complex machine parts.

Although progressive metal stamping is a wise choice given its high repeatability, results are often limited by the fact that no deeper punches can be made since the part remains in the metal workpiece. As such, a more modified version of progressive stamping, known as transfer die stamping, may be used. In this method, the part is also shaped one step at a time, but it is separated from the metal workpiece sheet, allowing for deeper punches to be made. Similarly, deep draw stamping has subcategories, including compound stamping and hot metal stamping. Both of these require a single stroke for production, but they each have drawbacks. For example, compound stamping is limited to producing flat pieces, while hot metal stamping takes a long time as it involves a cooling process.

Depending on the process, the metal stamp may have a number of different dies, which are the tools used to shape the metal. For example, you may be looking to cut, form, or bend your metal, and different dies will be used for each. Even within these operations, there are a number of ways to accomplish each goal. Sometimes you may need to trim your metal, while at other times you may need to punch a circle out of your workpiece; while both require cutting, the specific method will vary and so different dies will be required. Another example of the various stamping techniques is the difference between air bending and bottom pressing; in the former, the metal is pressed against a bottom surface to form a precise angle, while in the latter, air is used to gently cure the workpiece.

Depending on the accuracy your operations require, you may settle for less complex metal stamping dies, such as simple dies that provide one stroke. , progressive and transfer dies may be used at the same time to quickly produce complex metal parts. Common metals across all metal stamping applications include copper alloys, steel alloys, and aluminum. When you are looking for any metal materials, from metal sheets to stamped pieces, be sure to procure only the best for your operations. As such, allow ASAP Axis to become your trusted procurement partner today!