6 Common Methods of Metal Stamping

What are the common methods of metal stamping?

1. Blanking
2. Piercing
3. Drawing 
4. Lancing
5. Forming
6. Bending

A company’s success in expanding and staying ahead of competitors relies on proper planning. It’s essential to ensure that plans align to provide high-quality products and services to customers, similar to the methods used in metal stamping. Many clients often inquire about the methods of metal stamping, so in this blog, we will provide an overview of them. Keep reading to learn more.

What is Sheet Metal Stamping?

It is a metal manufacturing process that involves shaping a piece of sheet metal into a desired shape or form by applying a strong force using a press, punch, or die.

The process is commonly used to create a wide range of components such as automotive parts, electronic components, and household appliances. It is a cost-effective and efficient method of producing high-volume, precise metal parts. It can be used to create complex shapes, and can also be used in conjunction with other manufacturing processes.

Blanking

In the blank process, large metal parts are cut into smaller, measurable pieces. Using a die, it effortlessly cut the metal into a specific shape, and once it’s pierced out, it’s then called “blank”.

At Roberts, we use blanking to enhance the effectiveness of our stamped metals. Here’s how the blanking method benefits the stamped metals that we offer to our clients.

• It reduces the chances of producing defective stamps.
• It only takes a little amount of time to make stamped metals.
• It offers you little to no changes in the quality of parts.
• It reduces waste due to the reusable property of the metal.
• It has a high tolerance.

This step is highly applicable to aluminum. If you opt for mass production of components, blanking is the right one for your product. Most pieces for industries of automobile, and home appliances choose the blanking method.

Piercing

Piercing and blanking are complementary processes, but they involve distinct steps. Piercing mainly uses scrap metal as the primary material. This method creates stamped metals with holes and cutouts. It can be accomplished through a cold-forming process using a die and punch, or through hot stamping.

Moreover, the piercing process is a brilliant choice in helping you save money if you’re up for less cost and fast production.

Drawing

When discussing metal stamping, the drawing process is often brought up to our customers. This method involves using a machine to hold two opposite ends of sheet metal. A die with a specific shape is placed below the sheet metal and a punch applies a significant force to push the sheet metal onto the die, shaping it to match the die’s cross-sections.

This process can be further divided into deep drawing and shallow drawing. Deep drawing creates cup-shaped products with a smaller primary blank than the depth, while shallow drawing has an equal radius and depth.

Lancing

On the other hand, lancing is often applied for minor cuts to make flexible metals. It does not result in eliminating metal pieces instead, the punch and the die work together to create a slit in the sheet metal.

In lancing, sheet metal is cut into three sides, which connect or raise one side to the sheet to create a hook-like or opening feature that’s useful for various applications requiring tabs, openings, or vents. Using this method reduces metal heat as well. That’s why others find lancing the best method in the entire stamping process as it creates complex shapes and designs across different metals.

Forming

Forming, as the name implies, is a metal stamping technique that uses malleable and concentrated force to release internal stress during metal deformation. It involves reshaping a metal part by creating multiple bends.

This process is more likely to be used in manufacturing U-shaped vessels. That’s why the aerospace industry is a fan of this method. However, this is not the first choice for complex shapes and for bending extremely sharp angles.

At Roberts, our team is mindful of controlling the force we use when using this method to prevent any crack-stamped metals.

Bending

Finally, bending is the general technique type of forming, as it uses a general die to fold or bend a metal sheet on a straight axis. This method typically happens right after the drawing method. A machine is used to push into or against a metal that has three-dimensional components from a sheet or two-dimensional parts.

Depending on the strength of the metal, this method may be incorporated using hot bending or cold bending.

Key Takeaway

In conclusion, there are excellent methods of metal stamping that are useful in their ways. Therefore, whatever action you might want to apply for your project needs, just always remember these two things — quality and application.

Here at Roberts, we offer affordable and high-quality metal stamping that lets you reap its beneficial features for your project.

What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to talk with Roberts today! We will help you to choose the right method according to your needs. You may also read our other blogs here to learn more about our products and services.