Precision metal stamping is among the most common metalworking techniques utilized by various industries to turn sheet metal into custom parts.
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Progressive metal stamping uses tooling called a progressive die, which contains multiple stamping stations to perform simultaneous operations on a sheet metal strip. A feeding system unrolls the strip from its coil and pushes it through each of the die’s different workstations until the final part is made.
Because this process uses various materials and techniques, it’s essential to understand the options available and factors to consider before getting started.
According to a Research and Markets report, the global metal stamping market will grow to $250 billion in . With increased demand and evolving tools and materials for precision metal stamping, the industry must adapt to overcome challenges. Today’s metal rolling techniques are more advanced than traditional hand processes, but manufacturers still face some common problems during production.
One of these common problems is metal cracking, which can occur along the edges during hot and cold rolling. This is sometimes due to uneven heating or rolling, but there are also metallurgical factors to consider.
Austenitic stainless steel has a high cold hardening index (0.34% for SS). Austenitic stainless steel is a meta-stable type, which will transform deformation, thus inducing a martensitic phase. The martensite phase is brittle and easy to crack. During plasticity deformation, with the increase of extension, the martensitic content will then increase, and the residual stress will also be increased. The greater the relationship between residual stress and martensite content there is, the greater the residual stress, and the easier cracking can occur during processing.
Like most challenges that occur during precision metal stamping, the best way to navigate cracking is to determine and address the root cause. Partnering with a precision reroll mill with metallurgical expertise can be a tremendous help for stampers in performing root cause analysis and resolving issues such as these.
Manufacturers can use a variety of metals in precision metal stampings. However, some processes and types of metals perform better in the precision metal stamping process or are a better fit for a particular use case.
Hot rolled steel is roll-pressed at high temperatures and cooled quickly, which leaves a rough surface. For purposes that require closer dimensional tolerances and accuracy, sheet metal is processed further at room temperature through cold finishing techniques.
During the cold rolling process, when the metal is put under mechanical stress, it causes a permanent change to the crystalline structure of the metal. This causes an increase in its strength and often improves corrosion resistance. A cold-rolled stainless steel coil can be precision manufactured, allowing the metal to be produced to extremely tight tolerances. Precision stamping itself uses stamping dies to form metal. This typically occurs at room temperature, making it a cold process.
Compared to hot rolled steel, cold-rolled steel has the following characteristics, making it ideal for the growing needs of precision metal stampers:
When choosing a metal to use, consider the benefits and limitations of each and the requirements for your part.
For example, aluminum is lighter than stainless steel, softer, and a good conductor of electricity. But stainless steel can handle much higher temperatures and more corrosive environments.
Titanium, on the other hand, is also light but much stronger and more durable than aluminum. This makes titanium particularly suited for aerospace, military, and defense applications where a high strength to weight ratio is needed. Titanium is also corrosion-resistant and safe to use in medical implants within the human body.
It’s all about matching the alloy and its properties with the needs of the application being manufactured.
Some of the key factors to consider when choosing a material for precision metal stamping are the metal’s ductility & formability, tensile strength, machinability, and work hardening rate.
Forming occurs somewhere between the yield strength and tensile strength of the material. If yield isn’t exceeded, forming doesn’t occur but exceeding the tensile strength results in a material fracture. In higher-strength materials, the window between yield and tensile is very small.
The grain size of a material is commonly used to indicate its formability, and consistent grain size is highly desirable for forming operations. Grain size can be controlled by a rerolling mill within a very close range by monitoring the temperature of the annealing furnace and the speed at which the strip passes through the line.
Tensile strength measures the amount of force a material can withstand without breaking. Some metals are stronger than others, and the strength varies depending on the component materials in a metal alloy. You should consider the tensile strength of the metal you choose to ensure that it can withstand the amount of force applied during use.
Machinability measures how easily the material can be cut or shaped. Because properties that improve a material’s performance often reduce its machinability, you should consider the machinability of the metal you choose after satisfying other requirements for your part. A machinable material can be cut quickly with a good finish, which reduces costs. However, it’s more important to choose a material that meets the requirements of your part rather than choosing a machinable material.
As metal is worked or stamped, the temper changes, and the metal either becomes harder and more brittle. The rate that this occurs is work hardening. Depending on how much work is done to the metal and how much it needs to be deformed in a particular operation, the material may require annealing to reset its properties to prevent cracking, breaks, and other material imperfections.
In precision metal stampings, manufacturers use metal forming operations to make parts from metal and metal alloys. It is highly versatile and can be used to create complex, detailed components with an exceptional degree of accuracy and repeatability. What's more, deep-drawn parts are exceptionally strong due to the extreme amount of compression exerted on the metal during the forming process. The fundamental structure of deep-drawn metals is often highly compressed into a very hard crystalline structure.
A design guideline can help you decide the optimal materials and processes.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Precision Stamping For Electronics. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
These are some of the most common forming operations used in precision metal stamping:
Engineer-to-engineer collaboration between stampers and precision re-rollers is highly beneficial, especially during new product and process development.
Ulbrich’s metallurgical experts and wide alloy selection allow us to match precision metal stampers with the ideal material for their applications and equipment.
When you’re in the business of developing machinery and equipment for critical industries, selecting the right metal stamping manufacturer is one of the most critical decisions you can make. Whether you need automotive parts, electronics enclosures, or custom components for industrial applications, the manufacturer you partner with can make or break the quality, reliability, and performance of your end-products. But how to select a metal stamping manufacturer is a more involved question than many might assume.
Choosing the right manufacturer isn’t just about price or capability — it’s about long-term partnership and strategic alignment. A bad fit can lead to delays, costly rework, and product failures, while the right metal manufacturer ensures you get the best quality, innovative solutions, and dependable service every time.
Let’s take a look at some of the essential criteria you need to consider when selecting a metal stamping manufacturer.
When it comes to how to select a metal stamping manufacturer, the first thing you should consider is your own project requirements. Finding a manufacturing partner that is equipped to handle your specific needs depends on the goals of your project (such as volume or part complexity), industry considerations (like which safety standards or regulatory compliance requirements need to be met), and scalability needs. If you plan on needing fewer or more parts at any point in the future, you’ll want a metal stamping partner who is flexible enough to adapt accordingly.
By defining your goals from the beginning and fully comprehending your industry and scalability needs, you can ensure you select the right metal stamping manufacturing partner not only for your present needs, but your future needs and long-term success as well.
Clearly defining your project requirements is only the first step when you’re thinking about how to select a metal stamping manufacturer — the next is assessing the potential manufacturer’s capabilities. The right partner will have the expertise, technology, and capacity to meet your needs, whether its high volume production, complex part geometries, or specialized materials.
Be sure to explore the range of services a manufacturer offers and remember that there are several types of metal stamping processes. It’s a good idea to find one with a mix of capabilities that might include progressive die stamping, deep draw stamping, four-slide stamping, and transfer die stamping.
You’ll also want to assess their equipment and technology to ensure they’ve invested in the latest high-precision presses, automation and robotics solutions, and quality control systems.
And finally, one of the most important factors in selecting a metal stamping manufacturer is their experience with the materials you plan to use. Different materials require different handling, tooling, and processes, and choosing a manufacturer that specializes in your specific materials is essential for success.
Next, when you’re planning your strategy for how to select a metal stamping manufacturer, be sure to consider their quality control processes. This starts with ensuring they have the relevant certifications — ISO and IATF are good ones to start with — and goes further into making sure your partner has solid solutions in place for inspection and testing, consistency across large runs, as well as a strong traceability system.
Beyond that, you should consider the financial stability and experience of the metal stamping manufacturer. Find out how many years they’ve been in business and be sure to ask about the tenure of its team (especially management) and turnover. You’ll also want to look into things like the company’s quality history, their measurables, their current customer base, and how long those customers have been with them.
No guide on how to select a metal stamping manufacturer would be complete without a section on production volume and lead times. You’ll want to be sure you select a manufacturer who can handle your volume requirements — high-volume projects, for instance, usually call for automated processes and high-throughput presses while lower volumes or prototype runs often require flexibility and expertise in handling smaller batch sizes. And, of course, ensuring lead time flexibility is essential to ensuring your deadlines are met.
Logistics also play a key role in managing lead times and costs. Local manufacturers, or those with multiple facilities strategically placed in several locations, can provide quicker turnaround times and reduce shipping costs.
Finally, the last major factor to consider when you’re thinking about how to select a metal stamping manufacturer is their onboarding and collaboration processes. Ease of communication is essential — you want a partner who is responsive, accessible, and easy to collaborate with throughout the entire process.
Engineering support is another key factor. A manufacturer who offers part design optimization can help refine your designs for manufacturability to resolve issues quickly and keep projects on schedule. Beyond that, choosing a metal stamping partner that offers prototyping and sampling services can be a huge benefit, as it allows your parts to be tested and refined before entering into full-scale production.
When running through this process — how to select a metal stamping manufacturer — there are also a few warning signs to be aware of, including:
Selecting the right metal stamping manufacturer is critical to the success of your project. By evaluating factors like manufacturing capabilities, quality control processes, production volume, and collaboration potential, you can identify a partner who will deliver the precision, efficiency, and reliability you need. Avoiding red flags like inconsistent quality or poor communication also ensures that your chosen manufacturer will support both your immediate project goals and long-term success.
At Die-Matic, we understand the importance of a reliable manufacturing partner. With decades of experience serving industries like automotive and consumer electronics, we offer a wide range of capabilities, including progressive die stamping, deep draw stamping, and customized solutions for complex parts. Our advanced manufacturing technology, rigorous quality control processes, and experienced team ensure that your project is handled with the utmost precision and care.
Whether your project requires high-volume production, intricate designs, or quick turnaround times, we have the expertise to deliver.
For more information, please visit Connector Precision Components.