Understanding the Application and Benefits of Progressive Metal Stamping

By January 5, 2017Articles

Precision of the Tools and Dies is Vitally Important in Progressive Metal Stamping

Progressive Metal StampingPrior to the Industrial Revolution, most manufactured products were built and assembled by a single craftsman, or perhaps a team of craftsmen, who worked on every aspect of an item from start to finish. Depending on the specific product, this could be a rather painstaking and protracted process, and one that would not be very favourable to reproducibility and/or high-volume outputs.

The advent of the assembly line had a significant impact on the manufacturing process. By advancing a semi-finished item from workstation to workstation, pieces could be added in sequence until the final product was completed; this method, sometimes called progressive assembly, introduced numerous benefits and improvements for workers and their employers and in the quality of the products themselves.

Such is the principle behind progressive metal stamping, the process of creating metal parts or products by employing multiple metal-shaping methods, tools, and/or dies in a particular series of steps. Progressive metal stamping utilizes an automated feeding system to move the metal through these various steps, or workstations so to speak; each step creates one part or product feature leading to the final steps of the process, which may include cleaning or polishing the item and/or trimming away any excess material.

Some of the metal-shaping techniques commonly used in progressive metal stamping are:

  • Coining – application of high force or pressure to create a shape by displacing metal
  • Bending – an operation commonly used to achieve and maintain right (or 90o) angles
  • Punching – producing holes in a metal using a punch press and counter-supportive die
  • Wireforming – the process of bending/shaping a component from a roll of gauged wire
  • Fine Blanking – to achieve features often not possible via conventional cutting/punching
  • Deep Drawing – transforming metal into shapes in which depth is greater than diameter

The progressive stamping process can be applied for a variety of metals, including:

  • Aluminum
  • Brass
  • Copper
  • Galvanized Steel
  • Hot and Cold Rolled Steel
  • Stainless Steel
  • Titanium
  • Zinc

As stated earlier, this metal stamping methodology offers several benefits in the precision manufacturing of parts or products; the most salient of these advantages would consist of:

  • Offering high – volume production capabilities
  • Materials efficiency – less scrap/metal wastage
  • Time efficiency – one set-up, multiple operations
  • Production efficiency – faster cycle times per part
  • Flexibility – multiple forms/lines/shapes with one operation
  • Less downtime – fewer tooling changes, longer production runs
  • Precision Stamping – enhanced repeatability, fewer failed parts/products
  • Cost-effectiveness – lower cost per part, accelerated production, higher output

Whether the production specifications are designed to produce intricate micro-components or large-size body panels for cars or aircraft, the need for precision in the progressive metal stamping process is critically important. This in turn will be driven by the accuracy and the quality of the associated tools and dies; this latter requirement can be satisfied through the precision manufacturing capabilities/services of Noble Precision, afforded by their significant investment in state-of-the-art technology, including multi-axis simultaneous CNC machines and corresponding CAD/CAM software.

State-of-the-Art Technology to Meet Any Degree of Metal Stamping Die Needs

As a result of their substantial investment, Noble Precision offers the capability to meet the metal stamping die requirements of their customers, to any degree of complexity including exclusive or unique/one-of-a-kind designs. Through the application of this state-of-the-art technology, Nobel Precision can design and/or produce the most precise metal stamping dies for manufacturers across a wide range of industries, including but not limited to:

  • Aerospace
  • Electronics
  • Automotive
  • Military Defense
  • Home Appliances
  • Medical Instrumentation

For additional information on the capabilities of Noble Precision relative to the production of metal stamping dies, visit our Stamping Dies Technologies page. 

Noble Precision’s multi-axis simultaneous CNC technologies can deliver practical solutions to complex precision manufacturing needs. Call the precision metal fabrication experts from Noble Precision at 647-499-7569 or Contact us to learn more about our capabilities with respect to the production of metal stamping dies.