Metal Stampings. What is metal stamping? We all know what material is, but stamping?
Metal Sheet or Strip is manufactured into custom shapes and forms, usually designed by an engineer, and put down onto paper called a blueprint. Today, we can use the power of computers to create Computer Aided Designs (CAD) that allow you to see it from every angle by scrolling through all the views.
Tool makers use this amazing software to create the blanks and design the tools to punch and form them into parts that meet the print and the needed tolerances.
What about metals? You name it – steel, brass, stainless steel, copper, titanium, beryllium copper, inconel, hastelloy and even many plastics. If its punchable and formable then tool makers can produce a part that can go into Heart Pacemakers, Jets, Connectors, Batteries, Electronic Instruments, Satellites, and Musical Instruments.
Stampings can be treated to become very strong for applications that demand strength and flexibility. But, the metal must be a grade capable of being processed in a furnace to spring properties. If you need a button to pop back or a battery to maintain contact then you need spring properties in your metal stampings.
Metal stampings can be different environments so the choice of the right metal is critical to its function. Also, stampings can be plated for different reasons – corrosion resistance, solderability, and appearance.
If you can design it then it can probably be made!
