Um guia para iniciantes em estampagem de chapas metálicas

A Beginner's Guide to Sheet Metal Stamping

Sheet Metal Stamping Feature Image

Many modern products are robust and yet very light even though they are made of metal. The reason for this is that the product design has been refined to the point where we can produce even highly stressed structures from thin sheet metal. Sheet metal stamping is one of the technologies that allows us to produce the desired shape, such as thin-walled objects.

What is metal stamping?

Sheet metal stamping is a manufacturing process that does not add or remove material from future parts. With this method, straight sheets of metal are formed into the desired shape. Basically, you bend sheet metal on special equipment with special dies and punches. Normally the process does not require heating of the sheet and therefore there is no thermal deformation of the die surface. This fact also makes the metal stamping process economical and environmentally friendly. However, if you need to make a part from a thick sheet of metal, the force required to bend it may be too great. In this case, it will be necessary to heat the metal and resort to forging.

Types of Sheet Metal Stamping Processes

There are many different metal stamping processes. Each of them is quite simple, but when combined they can create almost any geometry possible. Here are the most common sheet metal stamping processes.

Punching is usually the first step in punching processes. This requires a punch press with a sharp punch. Sheets usually come in large sizes like 3x1.5m. Most parts are not that large, so you will need to cut the sheet metal section out of your part. Ideally, you will get the desired contour of the final part here. Thus, the punch is applied to obtain the desired contour. Please note that there are also other ways to make sheet metal blanks, such as: For example, laser cutting, plasma cutting or waterjet cutting.

Sheet Metal Stamping Process

Bending is the fundamental operation to produce the simplest metal stamped parts. You simply bend a sheet of metal along a straight line at the desired angle. To do this, you will need a punching tool with a V-shaped depression made at the desired angle and an appropriate stamp.

To bend

Flaring is basically similar to bending, but it is done along a curved line. This makes the process a little more complex and requires the purchase of special burning equipment.

Burning

Embossing is very similar to engraving, except this method involves cutting a small portion of metal to create a logo or mark on a piece of metal. Embossing uses a pre-configured stamp to create the indentation in the format of the desired message or image.

Recording

Embossing is similar to embossing in that it is also used to create patterns or messages on sheet metal. However, when engraving sheet metal, you end up with an indentation on one side and a raised pattern on the other side of the part. Recording is different in that respect. Much more pressure is used. Instead of a punch, a die with a recess is pressed into the part until plastic deformation occurs and metal flows into the die recess. The result is a prominent pattern on one side of the piece and a smooth surface without depressions on the other side.

Recording

Stretching is a process highly valued by car manufacturers. The edges of the sheet are fixed and pulled on special devices. There is no further forming process, the sheet is simply stretched. However, the result is a very smooth sheet. That's how these beautiful bodies are so smooth and fluid.

Sheet Metal Drilling Tools

Sheet Metal Drilling Tools

Dies are the most important elements to guarantee the dimensions and precision of the stamped sheet. A typical die system needs to include the die with a cavity and a corresponding punch, so it is better to design them together. The material for cold stamping dies for sheet metal depends on the expected batch number. If you want to produce identical parts in 5- or 6-digit quantities, you will need hardened tool steel so the dies can withstand the stresses. If you are manufacturing custom sheet metal parts, you can do so with regular steel or even some of the stronger aluminum alloys. Rapid prototyping techniques using CNC aluminum machining can produce these dies in just a few days, allowing you to get prototypes very quickly. However, to manufacture durable dies, a lot of time and investment in sheet metal stamping services is required.

Precision Metal Stamping

Sheet metal punching machines

Sheet metal stamping processes require special equipment. The most used machines are punching machines. A press is basically a machine that can press a piece of metal to shape it into the desired shape. Depending on the frequency of use and the number of parts produced per year, as well as their thickness, it can be mechanical or hydraulic, manual or CNC controlled. CNC hydraulic presses are the most efficient machines for stamping sheet metal. When equipped with an automatic sheet metal feeder, they can produce stamped metal parts without machinist intervention.

Customized Sheet Metal Stamping Materials

Below are many customized sheet metal stamping materials for you to choose:

How to assemble metal stamped parts

Do you need a great solution that allows you to produce metal parts in small quantities, economically and with high precision? Request a quote to find out more.

After making the necessary sheet metal parts, you can use a series of assembly techniques to easily complete the product. For example, sheet metal riveting, widely used in the aerospace industry, is an easy way to produce complex assemblies of stamped metal without unnecessary heat distortion. Before assembly, you need to drill holes for the rivets. The rivet is a type of screw that is pushed into the hole and then deformed to hold the parts in place.

Another option is to weld metal parts. There are two welding options that are very useful if you choose this connection method.

Spot welding is an extremely fast, simple and high-quality welding process. The two sheets are placed between cylindrical electrodes. The electrodes hold the sheets in place and heat the area where the pieces touch until they melt and fuse together. The entire process takes less than a minute.

Arc welding is the most widely used welding process and its main advantage is that it can easily create watertight joints. Arc welding is certainly useful in building a tank.

Sheet Metal Prototyping Services

Our sheet metal prototyping service is designed for rapid prototyping, final production and assemblies. Our in-house capacity is sufficient to produce at least 500 pieces and deliver on time. We will discuss with you the development of prototypes and samples, from sheet metal design to production. We guarantee greater precision in your sheet metal prototyping projects and, at the same time, reduce manufacturing costs.

Learn more about our precision metal stamping

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