Metal Stamping Processes

Common Metal Stamping Processes

Disregarding steps such as design and prototyping, which are necessarily performed prior to stamping, there are nine primary processes involved in the actual stamping of metal parts.

Blanking

When required, blanking is the first step of the stamping process. Blanking is the process of cutting larger sheet or coils of metal into smaller, more manageable pieces. Blanking is usually performed when a stamped metal piece will be drawn or formed.

Piercing

If a part requires slots, holes, or other cutouts, piercing can be employed. Piercing, which can be performed simultaneously with blanking, punches the requisite shapes out of the metal sheet.

Drawing

Drawing is the actual stamping in the metal stamping process. A punch forces a section of metal through a die, providing the primary shape of the part. When the depth of the part is less than the primary opening, it is considered shallow drawing; parts with a depth greater than the opening are deep drawn.

Bending

Bending is a fairly self-explanatory process. The part-in-progress is placed on a specially designed die and a ram pushes against the metal, providing the required bend. Bending is performed after drawing, as attempting to punch an already bent piece of metal causes the entire part to deform.

Air Bending

Air bending is when the flat surface of a part is bent by a punch into a die, often V-shaped. The space between the punch and die is larger than the metal thickness, resulting in a bend that relaxes slightly when the part is released. Air bending uses less power and pressure than other bending methods.

Bottoming and Coining

Bottoming and coining are bending processes are similar to air bending, but use anywhere from two to 30 times the pressure and the material is forced fully into a tight-fitting die, resulting in a more permanent bend.

Forming

Forming is a bending process similar to bending, bottoming, and coining. It creates parts with multiple bends, such as U-bends, in one step.

Pinch Trimming

Pinch trimming is a method of cutting a piece from the metal sheet, separating it from the scrap metal. It is an unconventional process: the metal is pinched against a flat vertical surface. It is often, but not exclusively, used to cut deep drawn round cups from the sheet.

Lancing

A unique process, lancing is a type of metal cutting used to make vents or tabs. A section of a part is cut along three edges and simultaneously bent. This creates the opening or hook-like feature required but eliminates a scrap collection or secondary machining step.