High Speed Metal Stamping Terms
Assembly: Capabilities range from simple mechanical attachment to complex electronic and electromechanical integration of products. Dedicated, flexible work cells are provided to incorporate assembly, inspection, test, and final packaging.
Auxiliary Operations: Operations outside the main stamping or extruding or tube forming process such as punching, drilling, embossing, notching, cutoff and cut-to-length.
CNC Turning and Machining: Turning and grinding equipment provides pins, shafts, and bar stock for a wide range of applications.
Fabrication: A manufacturing solution that utilizes CNC punching and forming capabilities. Typically used in low to medium volume production, this soft tool method allows us to get your product into production quickly, with minimal tooling investment. It also affords consistent part quality and flexibility with design changes.
Metal Finishing: Metal finish textures are offered through the use of automated and manual equipment, which includes grinding, time-saving (grain finishing), media tumbling (deburring), and sandblasting.
Plating: rack and barrel zinc electroplating processes with clear, yellow, black, and blue-bright chromates.
Prototype: A product model constructed for testing and evaluation to see how the product performs before releasing it to the manufacture. This low volume pre-production sample is typically used to test form, fit, function, and manufacturability of the part.
Stamping: This process uses conventional or progressive-type hard tools (dies) in punch presses to blank and form sheet metal products. Stamping accommodates higher volume, lower unit cost, and larger tooling investment for products with longer product life cycles.
Thickness: The gauge or depth of a material.
Tolerance: The permissible variation from a specification for any characteristic of the product.
Tolerance Types: In metal stamping process four types of tolerances are routinely measured including dimensional, cross-sectional, length, angular, and material straightness.
Tool Longevity: The time a tool lasts before it must be replaced since it can no longer hold the required tolerances. Long-lasting tools are made from high-carbon, high-chrome hardened tool steel.
Tooling: Our in-house tool design and build capability accommodates a full range of requirements, from punch press dies to CNC forming, welding, inspection, and assembly tooling / fixtures. Customer volume, lead-time, and budget dictate the most appropriate tooling technique employed.
Welding: Mig, Tig, Spot, and Projection welding capability is used to join product components in all volume ranges and sizes.