Types of Metal Stamping Operations

The types of metal stamping operations employed in a metal fabrication plant are as follows:

Progressive Die Stamping

In progressive die stamping, a metal sheet is unrolled, fed into the press, and then passed through various tooling stations that each carry out one or more metalworking operations (such as cutting, bending, and punching). Throughout the operation, the sheet remains on the stamper's conveyor system, and the component remains linked to its base strip.

At each stage, the workpiece halts and is molded by a die before continuing. The press raises once the stamping is finished, and the sheet slides across the bed horizontally. The workpiece moves through the stations, eventually forming the portion. The completed portion is expelled from the sheet at the last station.

Tight tolerances, high repeatability, speedy manufacturing of components with complicated geometries, and lower labor costs are benefits of a progressive die stamping process. Multiple metalworking processes are combined into a single tooling during progressive die stamping. Progressive die stamping is not used for items that need deeper punches because of the nature of the process and its inability to produce deep punches.

Transfer Die Stamping

When using a transfer die, the workpiece is first detached from the metal sheet and moved from one stamping station to the next. The fabricator may make a variety of pieces concurrently by moving the separated materials to various presses.

To manufacture massive pieces, transfer die stamping is employed. The punch may go as deep as it can without impacting other processes because the component is not linked to its base metal sheet, making it appropriate for parts needing deep drawing. It is also utilized in procedures with intermediate phases where it would be more effective to separate the section earlier in the process.

Fourslide Stamping

The rams travel toward the workpiece while aligned horizontally during four-slide or multi-slide stamping. It is a special kind of stamping method as opposed to the conventional stamping method, which calls for a press's downward stroke. One tool on each slide has the ability to bend, twist, cut, or create in one horizontal motion. A stamping machine with multiple slides may have more than four slides that move.

Fourslide stamping is ideal for creating complex and multiple bends, for bends greater than 900, and for forming cylindrical parts. It has the unique ability to form twists. It can produce parts quickly, has inexpensive tooling, and has a lower initial cost. It also produces less scrap and reduces material costs because the raw metal piece can be cut to a width closer to the finished part.

Compound Stamping

In four-slide or multiple-slide stamping, the rams are horizontally aligned and move in the direction of the workpiece. It is a unique type of stamping technique as compared to the traditional stamping technique, which requires the downward pressing stroke. Each slide contains a single tool that may bend, twist, cut, or construct in a single horizontal motion. There may be more than four slides that move in a stamping machine with numerous slides.