PROTOTYPE MATERIALS
Providing Deep Drawn Stampings, Brass Metal Stampings, Copper Stamping & Stainless Steel Stamping Services
Prototype & Short-Run Services, Inc. is an industry leader in short-run metal stampings. The process of short-run metal stamping involves the precision manufacturing of small numbers of punched metal parts. Quantities vary, but are generally less than 5,000 parts, and may even be as low ten parts.
Short-run metal stampings involve a combination of machines that are able to produce stampings to meet stringent requirements. Prototype & Short-Run Services uses this method most often for experimental, prototypes, and pilot lot production, especially when design changes are likely. Short-run metal stampings have shorter lead times, so they are ideal for faster delivery of seasonal products. Short-run metal stampings are also practical for specialty products when it’s not feasible to invest a large amount of money into permanent tooling.
Types of Metals
Prototype & Short-Run Services works with the following types of metal:
- Stainless Steel
- Brass
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Galvanized Steel
- Cold Rolled Steel
- and more!
Deep Drawn Metal Stampings
Deep drawn stamping is a metal stamping process that converts flat sheet metal into three-dimensional shapes. Prototype & Short-Run Services, Inc. can convert stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum, steel, nickel, and a variety of other metals into shapes such as cylinders, rectangles, and squares. A stamping press, consisting of a die and a punch, shapes the deep drawn parts. A part is considered “deep drawn” whenever the length or depth of the shape exceeds one-half of the part’s diameter. Prototype & Short-Run Services can create parts in different sizes and shapes, based on your designs.
Stainless Steel Stamping Capabilities
Prototype & Short-Run Services has been providing superior quality, custom stainless steel stampings for more than two decades. We specialize in deep drawn stainless steel components and prototype parts. Our high precision, perfectly repeatable production capabilities allow us to deliver complete-to-print parts in quantities to meet your demands and in quick turnaround times to fit your schedule.
We are a full-service metal stamping job shop with the capabilities to take your project from the concept and design stages to full production. We can provide design assistance and engineering, as needed, as well as a variety of finishing services (heat treating, deburring, etc.) to create stainless steel stampings that meet your unique requirements.
Deep Drawn Stainless Steel
In the deep-drawing process, sheet metal is formed into the desired part shape using a mechanical press and a series of progressive dies. First, the stainless steel sheet is “blanked,” or cut into round or shaped flats. From there, the blanks are then fed into a drawing machine, where a steel punch presses the metal into the dies in turn, with each one moving the material closer to the final shape of the part; resulting in seamless, one-piece metal parts.
Any holes the design may require are punched through the part after the drawing process. Excess material is trimmed after the part is finished.
Deep drawing is a “cold working” process. As the stainless steel is stretched and formed into part shapes, its grain structure is altered, and the material is work hardened. Deep drawn stainless steel parts have much greater physical strength than the original material from which it’s made.
Our deep drawing expertise enables us to produce both simple and complex stainless steel parts with incredible precision. More intricate part designs often require more steps/dies in the drawing process, but can ultimately be produced just as efficiently and effectively as basic designs.
Stainless Steel Grades
We can produce deep drawn stainless steel products and prototype parts in numerous grades, including, but not limited to:
- 304 stainless steel
- 305 stainless steel
- 310 stainless steel
- And Much More
Characteristics of Stainless Steel
Created by British metallurgist Harry Brearly in 1913, stainless steel is a steel alloy containing a minimum of 10.5% chromium content by mass. Other materials, such as nickel, niobium, and molybdenum may also be included. The material is ideal for applications where both the physical properties of steel and corrosion resistance are needed.
The addition of chromium helps the material resist corrosion from air and moisture that results in rusting (or “staining”) in standard low carbon steel. The chromium content naturally combines with atmospheric oxygen to form a microscopically thin—yet stable—layer of chromium oxide. This passive oxide layer prevents oxygen diffusion on the surface of the stainless steel and prohibits corrosion from spreading to the material’s internal structure.
If the chromium oxide layer is cut, scratched, or otherwise damaged, a new layer of oxide will rapidly form to cover the exposed area, protecting it from corrosion. Oxygen is required for this self-repair process; as such, stainless steel is considerably less effective in low-oxygen environments.
Benefits of Working with Stainless Steel
Deep drawn stainless steel parts are ideal for a wide range of applications. The material’s high corrosion resistance is its greatest and most desirable attribute; it also provides a distinctive appearance. Stainless steel can be steam-cleaned and sterilized, and requires no paint or other surface finishes, making it a very low maintenance material.
Contact Prototype & Short-Run Services today for more information on our stainless steel stamping capabilities.
Brass Stamping Capabilities
Prototype & Short-Run Services is a leading provider of high quality, high precision brass stampings. With over 20 years of experience, we can deliver prototypes and production parts that match your exact requirements. We specialize in complete-to-print, deep drawn brass stampings, and can deliver the parts and components you need in the quantities you need with fast turnaround times that fit your schedule.
As a full-service metal stamping job shop, we can take your brass stamping project from start to finish. We offer design assistance and engineering, as needed, to turn your concepts into tangible products as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. We also offer numerous finishing services—including heat treating, deburring, and more—to deliver brass stampings that match your unique specifications.
Deep Drawn Brass
Deep drawing utilizes mechanical presses and a series of progressive brass dies to transform sheet metal into functional parts and components. Brass sheet is “blanked”—i.e. cut into round or shaped flat pieces—and these blanks are then fed into a stamping machine. A hydraulic-powered brass punch presses the blanks into specially designed and manufactured dies in sequence, gradually forming the material into the desired part shape. The end result is a seamless, one-piece metal part.
After the drawing process, any holes the part design requires are punched, and excess material is trimmed.
A beneficial side effect of deep drawing is work hardening of the material. As it is a “cold working” process, deep drawing alters the grain structure of the brass as it is stretched and formed into shape. This altered grain structure gives brass stampings greater physical strength than the unworked base material.
With our extensive experience, Prototype & Short-Run Services can manufacture brass parts, from the simplest to the most intricate, with unrivaled precision. In general, the more complex the part design, the more steps/dies the deep drawing process requires. However, parts of all kinds can be produced with comparable speed and accuracy.
Brass Grades
We work with brass in a range of grades to produce brass stampings as prototypes and long- and short-run production parts. Available brass grades include, but are not limited to:
- Grade A brass
- Grade B brass
- Grade C brass
- Etc. etc.
Characteristics of Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc that is used in a broad spectrum of applications. The proportions of the base metals can be varied considerably to create brass materials with varying properties; both very hard and very soft brasses are available. Compared to other structural materials, such as steel, it offers greater malleability but lower hardness. Brass is also tarnish resistant and can be polished to a mirror-like finish.
The relative softness of brass makes it ideal for use in flammable or explosive environments where sparks must be avoided. It is relatively low-friction, making it preferable for gears, bearings, locks, and valve components. It also possesses unique antimicrobial properties. Brass is commonly used for decorative components due to its gold-like appearance and high luster.
Benefits of Working with Brass
Deep drawn brass stampings are used in countless applications. In general, brass provides good strength and high corrosion resistance. It requires no painting or plating, making it a relatively low maintenance material. Plating is possible for certain applications.
Contact Prototype & Short-Run Services today for more information on our brass stamping capabilities.
Aluminum Stamping Capabilities
Prototype & Short-Run Services is an industry leader in precision stamping for deep drawn aluminum parts. With over 20 years of experience and precision aluminum stamping capabilities, we can produce components that match your unique specifications. We specialize in complete-to-print parts and can produce a single aluminum prototype or tens of thousands of parts, all in fast turnaround times to meet your schedule.
As a full-service metal stamping job shop, we have the aluminum stamping capabilities to take your project from the concept stages through full production quickly and cost-effectively. Design and engineering assistance are available, as needed, to turn your designs into tangible products as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. We also provide a range of metal finishing services, such as heat treating and deburring—we do more of the work so you don’t have to.
Why Choose Aluminum for Your Deep Drawn Parts?
Deep drawn aluminum parts are popular for a broad spectrum of applications. The material offers a number of benefits that make it ideal for aerospace, medical, and everything in between.
- Aluminum’s strength-to-weight ratio is perhaps its most desirable attribute, as it allows for very strong, yet lightweight, parts
- Natural corrosion resistance makes aluminum a very low maintenance material
- It offers outstanding durability in almost any application
- Aluminum exhibits high electrical and thermal conductivity
- The material is non-sparking, non-magnetic, and non-combustible
Aluminum Stampings vs. Steel Parts
Thanks to the material’s above-mentioned strength-to-weight ratio, aluminum stampings are commonly used to replace steel ones. Steel parts can be replaced with aluminum, significantly reducing the overall weight of the assembly or product (aluminum is roughly only a third as dense as carbon steel) with little to no loss of strength or durability. Other advantages of aluminum stamped parts over steel include:
- Aluminum is more elastic and malleable than steel, making it easier to form into deeper and more intricate parts; aluminum, therefore, is ideal for the deep drawing process
- With its natural corrosion resistance, aluminum stampings won’t rust like steel stampings will; no paint, coatings, or treatments are needed to protect aluminum against corrosion
The Deep Drawn Aluminum Stamping Process
Our aluminum stamping capabilities incorporate mechanical presses and progressive dies that form sheet metal into finished parts one step at a time. The aluminum sheet is “blanked”—i.e., cut into round or shaped flats—and then fed into the stamping machine. A hydraulic punch presses the material into a series of specially manufactured dies in sequence, gradually forming the material into the final part shape. Our precision stamping process results in seamless, one-piece metal parts.
After drawing, any holes your design may require are punched into the parts. Excess material is also trimmed away after drawing.
Because it is a “cold working” process, deep drawing has the beneficial side effect of work hardening the material. As the aluminum blanks are formed and stretched into their final shape, the grain structure of the metal is altered. This gives an aluminum stamping greater physical strength than the unworked material from which it originated.
Thanks to our precision stamping expertise, we can manufacture both simple and complex deep drawn aluminum parts with outstanding accuracy and repeatability. In general, more intricate parts require more steps/dies in the drawing process; however, Prototype & Short-Run Services can still produce them with the same speed and precision as basic part shapes.
Aluminum Grades
We can produce your aluminum prototype or production parts from a number of different aluminum grades. These include, but are not limited to:
- 1100 aluminum
- 2024 aluminum
- 3003 aluminum
- 5052 aluminum
- 6061 aluminum
- 6063 aluminum
- 7075 aluminum
Characteristics of Aluminum
Aluminum is a silvery-white metal that makes up about 8% of the Earth’s solid surface, by weight. It offers strength comparable to carbon steel but at roughly one-third the density, giving it a favorable strength-to-weight ratio. Thanks to its naturally occurring, microscopically-thin, invisible oxide coating (aluminum oxide), it exhibits excellent corrosion resistance. Aluminum is very ductile and malleable, making it particularly well-suited to precision stamping processes.
Aluminum is non-magnetic, exceptionally durable, and has a relatively low melting point. It will not rust, has low spring back characteristics, and maintains superb dimensional stability.
The material does not require painting, plating, or coatings, but can be anodized to create a decorative finish and to improve its already excellent corrosion resistance.
Contact Prototype & Short-Run Services today for more information on our aluminum stamping capabilities.
Copper Stamping Capabilities
Prototype & Short-Run Services has more than twenty years’ experience in custom copper stamping. We specialize in production and prototype manufacturing of deep drawn copper parts. We provide high precision, perfectly repeatable copper stamping for everything from simple copper cylinders to highly intricate specialty parts.
We are a full-service metal stamping job shop with the capabilities to handle your entire project from start to finish. Our expert team can provide design/engineering assistance, as needed, and we offer a wide range of finishing services (deburring, heat treating, etc.). Prototype & Short-Run Services will turn your concepts into tangible products efficiently, cost-effectively, and in quick turnaround times to meet your schedule.
Deep Drawn Copper
To create deep drawn parts, sheet copper is first “blanked,” or cut into round or shaped flats. From there, the flats are fed into the stamping machine, where a hydraulically-powered punch presses the material into shape via a series of progressive dies. As they move through the die sequence, the flats are gradually formed into the desired part shape. The deep drawing process results in seamless, one-piece parts.
Any holes that the part designs specify are punched into the part following the drawing process, and excess material is trimmed away.
Because deep drawing is a “cold working” process, the material is automatically work hardened. As the copper is stretched and formed into finished parts, the material’s grain structure is altered, giving it greater physical strength than the original base material.
Our experience and expertise enable us to produce any deep drawn copper part—from the simplest to the most complex—with exceptional precision. More intricate parts generally require more steps/dies in the stamping process, but can still be produced with the same speed and accuracy as more basic designs. And, deep drawn copper stamping is equally effective for prototype manufacturing and full production runs.
Copper Grades
We can produce deep drawn copper parts and prototypes in a wide range of material grades, including, but not limited to:
- C11000 copper
- C21000 copper
- Copper alloys
- Etc. etc.
Characteristics of Copper
Copper is a nonferrous metal, closely related to gold and silver and, like those metals, known for its distinctive color. It exhibits excellent thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. It offers high tensile strength, high creep/deformation resistance, and a very low rate of thermal expansion. Copper is a relatively soft metal with excellent ductility, making it ideal for production via deep drawn stamping.
It is highly corrosion resistant, as it does not rust or otherwise react with water. Instead, copper reacts with atmospheric oxygen to produce a thin layer of copper oxide that protects the underlying material from corrosion.
The metal is naturally hygienic and exhibits antimicrobial properties, making it useful for applications in the medical and food and beverage industries. Copper’s color and ability to be polished to a high luster make it popular for decorative parts and components.
Along with zinc, copper is one of the base metals used to create brass.
Benefits of Working with Copper
Deep drawn copper parts are useful for myriad applications. The material’s unique physical properties make it popular for everything from electrical components to HVAC systems to architecture. Copper’s durability and resistance to corrosion make it an excellent, low maintenance material for part and prototype manufacturing.
Contact Prototype & Short-Run Services today for more information on our copper stamping capabilities.
Galvanized Steel Stamping Capabilities
Prototype & Short-Run Services is your leading resource for deep drawn galvanized steel stampings. Specializing in both production and prototype manufacturing, we deliver high precision steel parts and components that match your exact specifications. Our deep drawn stamping capabilities enable us to produce perfectly repeatable parts, no matter how simple or complex, in quantities that meet your needs.
We are a full-service metal stamping job shop that can take your galvanized steel stamping project from the concept stages through full production. Our in-house experts can provide design and engineering assistance, as needed, to help make your designs easier and less expensive to manufacture without sacrificing functionality. Wide ranges of finishing services are available, including deburring and heat treating. Prototype & Short-Run Services will turn your part designs into tangible products in quick turnaround times that meet your schedule and at prices that fit your budget.
Deep Drawn Galvanized Steel
Utilizing mechanical presses and specially-designed progressive dies, our galvanized steel stamping process transforms sheet metal into finished parts one step at a time. The steel sheet is “blanked”—cut into round or shaped flat pieces—and these blanks are fed into the stamping machine. A hydraulically-powered punch presses the steel into the dies in sequence, which gradually forms the material into the final part shape. Deep drawing produces seamless, one-piece parts.
After the drawing process is completed, any holes that your design requires are punched into the parts, and any excess material is trimmed away.
Deep drawing is a “cold working” process, which automatically work-hardens the material. As the galvanized steel is stretched and formed into its final shape, the metal’s grain structure is altered. This results in steel stampings with greater physical strength than the original base material.
With our experience and expertise, Prototype & Short-Run Services can manufacture any deep drawn galvanized steel part with unparalleled precision, from simple steel cylinders to highly complex specialty parts. Generally, the more intricate a part, the more steps/dies are required in the drawing process; we are capable of producing even the most complex components with the same speed and accuracy as simple designs.
Characteristics of Galvanized Steel
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that delivers high strength at low cost. Throughout the world, it is one of the most popular and commonly used construction materials; globally, over 1.3 billion tons of steel are produced annually. Steel provides greatly improved hardness and tensile strength over unalloyed iron. Other elements may be included in the steel alloy to improve other characteristics, such as hardenability or corrosion resistance.
Galvanized steel has been coated with a protective layer of zinc oxide to protect against corrosion. Galvanization protects steel by preventing corrosive substances from reaching the metal itself. A galvanized coating will also act as a “sacrificial layer”—if corrosion does take hold of the material, the zinc will corrode before the steel underneath is affected.
Galvanized steel also provides a distinctive, satin-like appearance that is popular for many applications.
Benefits of Working with Galvanized Steel
Deep drawn galvanized steel parts are used in countless applications. The material’s high strength, low cost, availability, and corrosion resistance characteristics make it popular for everything from building construction to sporting equipment. Galvanized steel is a highly durable, low maintenance material that is ideal for the deep drawing process.
Contact Prototype & Short-Run Services today for more information on our galvanized steel stamping capabilities.
Cold Rolled Steel Stamping Capabilities
With over twenty years of experience, Prototype & Short-Run Services is an industry leader in precision cold rolled steel stampings. We deliver high quality, high precision stamped parts that match our customers’ unique requirements. Specializing in both production and prototype manufacturing, we provide complete-to-print parts in quantities from one to the tens of thousands.
Because we are a full-service metal stamping job shop, we can handle your cold rolled steel stamping project from start to finish. Design and engineering assistance are available, as needed, to make manufacturing your parts as efficient and cost-effective as possible. We also offer metal finishing services, including heat treating, deburring, and more.
Deep Drawn Cold Rolled Steel
Manufacturing deep drawn parts is a multi-step process. First, sheet steel is “blanked,” or cut into round or shaped flats. These flats are then fed into one of our mechanical stamping presses, where hydraulically-powered punches press the material into a series of progressive dies specially made to produce your unique part. As the flats move through the die sequence, they are gradually formed into the final part shape. Our deep drawn stamping processes result in seamless, one-piece parts.
Any holes your design may require are punched into the parts after drawing, and any excess material is trimmed away.
Because it is a “cold working” process, deep drawing automatically work-hardens the material. As the steel blanks are formed and stretched into their final shape, the grain structure of the metal is altered. Cold rolled steel has already been strengthened by the cold rolling process, but the end result of deep drawing this material is steel parts with even greater physical strength.
With our stamping expertise, we can produce deep drawn cold rolled steel parts with exceptional precision and perfect repeatability, no matter how simple or intricate the designs. More complex designs generally require more steps/dies in the drawing process—at Prototype & Short-Run Services, we can produce intricate parts and components with the same speed and accuracy as more basic designs.
Characteristics of Cold Rolled Steel
Cold rolled steel is a type of steel that has been rolled or pressed into a thin-gauge sheet. The cold rolling process increases the strength of the material through strain hardening. Cold rolling can boost the strength of steel by as much as 20 percent or more, depending on the specifics of the process and the quality of the material.
Cold rolled steel exhibits many of the characteristics of untreated steel; It is lighter than standard steel but offers the same strength and stiffness. Cold rolled steel can be tempered during manufacturing to meet one of five standard hardness ratings, from Hard to Dead Soft; custom tempers can also be created. This material is less ductile than hot rolled steel, but its ductility can be partially restored through annealing or other heat treating processes.
In general, cold rolled steel is a soft gray color and has a smooth finish. A variety of surface treatments can be applied, including painting, plating, and specialty coatings.
Benefits of Working with Cold Rolled Steel
Cold rolled steel is used in a wide range of applications. It provides a favorable strength-to-weight ratio and excellent durability, making it ideal for parts and components used in building construction, automobile manufacturing, appliances, and more. It is easily workable via deep drawn stamping, making it easy to produce complex shapes with high precision.
Contact Prototype & Short-Run Services today for more information at (714)449-9661 or fill out our online form.
