Metal Stamping Dies: Part One

Sumrio:

Metal stamping is the practice of cutting and forming metal sheet into a required
contour with the help of tool known as a stamping tool.
Sheet metal stamping is the most common method of producing metal parts in
the automotive industry because of its high production rate and low cost. In
basic sheet metal stamping, a flat metal sheet is pressed to the desired shape
between a die and a punch.
Metal stamping is the practice of cutting and forming metal sheet into a required contour
with the help of tool known as a stamping tool. Sheet metal components are used
universally, from the regular clips to complex computer hard drive components, all are
manufactured by a precision sheet metal stamping process. Stamping die design is the
preliminary phase in stamping tool and die making and is carried out as soon as the
component design is finished. The stamping die drawing stage is extremely critical as a
good quality stamping die blueprint can generate accurate stamped components which can
run for an extended time with less maintenance.
Stamping tool design calls for selecting the required metal stamping operations, basic strip
layout, manufacturing processes, type of stamping presses to be used and so on. It is
necessary for a tool designer to have thorough knowledge of these elements to construct a
fine die design. Computer aided design techniques have progressively developed in the
last decade to assist die designers.
There are various procedures involved in metal stamping tooling designs which are
necessary for accurate tool production. The very first stage in die design is the process of
evaluating the metallic part to be made, its properties, dimension and complexity of the
contour. Next the designer will proceed with the strip layout design and then he will
determine the cutting force and the die-set to be used and then begins making the
assembly sketch. Once the assembly sketch is completed, part details, drawing of die
parts, and the final step of preparation of the bill of materials can be undertaken.

2.1 Sheet metal stamping

Sheet metal stamping is the most common method of producing metal parts in the
automotive industry because of its high production rate and low cost. In basic sheet metal
stamping, a flat metal sheet is pressed to the desired shape between a die and a punch.
The die is used to define the outside shape of the part. And the punch is applied to define
the inside shape of the part. As well as the aforementioned parts, there is usually a third
component of the tool called the blank holder, which is used to hold the blank against the
die top and to control the blank during stamping.
Sheet metal stamping is essentially a position control process. During the stamping
process, the punch moves to the predetermined position and stops. Then the part is
positioned ready for shaping. In many practical operations, the blank holder would clamp
the metal sheet flange before the punch moves. Since the punch movement can be

controlled according its position, the press and the controls that are required for this
forming operation can be quite simple. The most commonly used press machines are
mechanical, which are relatively simple and inexpensive. There are also hydraulic presses,
which are relatively expensive; however these can provide independent control of speed
and position of the tooling during the forming process.

Figure 1: Metal stamping products

How Does Metal Stamping Work?
Metal Stamping includes many different types of sheet-metal forming manufacturing
processes. Key parts of the process include punching (using a machine or stamping press),
blanking, coining, embossing, and bending. Stamping is primarily carried out on sheet
metal, but can also be used on other materials, such as aluminum, steel, plastic and foil.
Bending
Process that results in a V, U, or channel shape in any bendable material (most often sheet
metal) without fracturing. An example would be the bottom of a drinks can.
Blanking
A shearing operation that uses a punch to create a blank from the sheet metal or a plate.
Progressive Die
Metal Stamping die that pushes a sheet of metal through a series of operations until a
finished part is made. An example would be the lid of a soda can (separate operations for
the lid and pull tab).
Compound Die
Metal Stamping Die that performs more than one operation in a single press.
Deep Draw
Process where a drawing press is used to form sheet metal through the mechanical action
of a punch. An example would be a kitchen sink.
Tapping
Process of cutting the threads in a hole. An example of this would be a nut, where a bolt
screws into.

Coining
A precision metal stamping form used most often where high relief or very fine features are
needed. An example would be money (quarter, nickel, dime), badges, and medals.
Embossing
Metalworking process where soft malleable metals are shaped and designed by
hammering on the reverse side.
Blanking
Metal stamping operation by which the sheet metal is punched to get the required outer
profile of the sheet metal component. During the blanking process the blanking punch
penetrates into the sheet metal and forces the material into the blanking die. The portion of
the sheet Metal which comes out through the blanking die opening is the component with
the required profile. Hence it is important that the dimension of the blanking die profile is
equal to the dimension of the component profile. In blanking tools, the cutting clearance is
given on the blanking punch.
Types of Blanking Dies
Blanking dies can be a single stage press tool where the component is produced in each
stroke of the blanking press. In single stage blanking tools, there could be many stamping
operations done prior to the blanking or those operations could also be done after blanking
depending upon the complexity of the blanking profile of the part, sheet thickness, or
dimensional importance of different stamping operations required to produce the final
component. In progressive blanking press tools, stamping operations like piercing, bending
and forming are done in various stages prior to the blanking stage. In the blanking stage
the final component is punched through the blanking die.
Blanking Die Design
See the below drawing for a simple blanking die design. The portion of the sheet metal
which is punched through the die is the blank or the component.

Figure 2: Schematic view of Blanking Die Process

Note The blanking die is designed with an angular relief after a straight sided area. This is
to ensure that blanks which are punched through the blanking die do not get stacked up

inside the die. Buildup of blanks can cause damage to the blanking tool. As a general rule
the straight sided depth is 3 mm for sheet thickness lesser than 3mm and for sheet metals
above 3mm thickness, the area should be equal to one sheet thickness. The amount of
angular relief is normally from 0 30' to 1 per side.
Date Published: Jan-2011

Metal Stamping Dies: Part Two

Sumrio:

In metal stamping, the metal sheets are placed in a die or a press tool which
has a specially designed cavity that gives the preferred shape to the metal
sheet.
Metal stamping dies are the devices used in metal stamping machines. Each metal
stamping machine can have one or more dies depending on the kind of machine and the
nature of the work it is performing. Dies are the main components in metal stamping
machines that do the actual casting, punching, cutting and shaping of the metal sheet.
The basic die operations are drawing, shearing and bending. In metal stamping, the
metal sheets are placed in a die or a press tool which has a specially designed cavity that
gives the preferred shape to the metal sheet. The upper part of the die connects to the
press slide while the lower component connects to the press bed. A specific component
known as the punch pushes the metal sheet through the die, thus performing the actual
shaping operation. The patterns on the dies can be used to emboss or give threedimensional lettering on the final product.
Dies are placed in sheet metal panels either alone or as a series of presses in a press line.
Metal stamping dies and presses can possess different input variables on the basis of
tonnage, press parallelism, shut height, nitrogen pressure in dies, counterbalance pressure
and press speed. These variables can influence the quality of the stamping panel,
particularly during die setup. The same stamping press can be reused by replacing one set
of dies with another.
The placement of dies in a press is known as die setup. Die setup decides the shut height
and binder force. The number of components produced in a die setup is known as a batch.
There are many different kinds of dies such as single station dies, multiple station dies,
compound dies, progressive dies and tandem press lines. Most dies are designed by the
metal stamping companies who use advanced technologies like CAD to design them
according to customer specifications. Another classification of dies is draw dies, trim dies
and cam-pierce dies.
Metal Stamping Info provides detailed information about precision, custom, and sheet metal
stamping, as well as metal stamping machines and metal stamping dies. Metal Stamping
Info is the sister site of Wire EDM Web.

Sheet Metal Stamping

Stamping presses and stamping dies are tools used to produce high volume sheet metal
parts. These parts achieve their shape through the effects of the die tooling. Production
stamping is generally performed on materials with a thickness of between .020 and .080,
but the process also can be applied to foils as thin as .001 or to plate stock with thickness'
approaching 1.000. Formability is the primary attribute of sheet metal material with
formability being further defined as the materials ability to be:
Bent
Stretched
Drawn
The metallurgical term for these qualities is ductility. Ductility is the materials ability to
deform and elongate without fracture. The extent to which a stamping is subjected to such
deformation is directly related to the parts overall shape and geometry. Other factors also
influence the materials formability and they include:
The die design
The press
The press speed
Lubrication
Sheet metal feeding mechanisms
Monitoring and control systems
The word die is a generic term used to describe the tooling used to produce stamped
parts. A die set assembly consisting of a male and female component is the actual tool that
produces the shaped stamping. The male and female components work in opposition to
both form and punch holes in the stock.
The upper half of the die set, which may be either the male or female, is mounted on the
press ram and delivers the stroke action. The lower half is attached to an intermediate
bolster plate which in turn is secured to the press bed. Guide pins are used to insure
alignment between the upper and lower halves of the die set.
The most common types of dies perform cutting and forming. Cutting dies are used to
shear sheet material into what is called a blank. These blanks are then exposed to blanking
dies which cut the entire perimeter of the part, or into to forming dies where the blank is
stamped into a part. Punching is another function of cutting dies. Punching is the cutting of
a slug from the sheet metal stock to produce a hole or slot.
Cutting dies are also used to trim excess metal from around a formed part. Hole punching
and other cutting operations require specific and carefully maintained clearances between
the punch (male component) and the die (female component). The setting of the required
clearances is determined by both the stock thickness and temper.
In general, die clearances increase as the stock thickness increases. The depth of punch
penetration into the sheet metal stock will also increase as softer stock is used. Forming is
a general term used to describe a stamped part whose shape and contour is reproduced
directly from the shape and contour of a die set. The main forming operations
accomplished with press mounted dies are:
Drawing
Bending

 Flanging
Hemming
Drawing, or draw forming, involves forcing a blank deeply into a die cavity and shaping it
into the shape and contour of the punch face and sides. Without sufficient formability
qualities, drawn blanks are subject to wrinkling, thinning, and fracturing. Draw forming
requires an addition to the die set called a blankholder.
The function of the blank holder, usually a ring through which the punch and ram pass, is to
control the metal flow as it is forced into the die cavity. In practice, the blank holder must
exert less pressure against the blank than the punch, so metal can flow into the die; yet it
must exert enough pressure to prevent the material from wrinkling. Bending is a relatively
simple forming operation which provides rigidity and shape to sheet metal parts. Similar to
bending is flanging. However a flange is by definition, significantly smaller in dimension
than the rest of the part. The functions of flanges include:
Giving a more finished appearance
Rigidity
Edge strengthening
Providing a fastening or attachment surface
Hemming is the folding over of a short flange upon itself to form a smooth, rounded edge
and to facilitate the attachment of mating parts. Multiple stamping operations may be
performed within a single die, or at a number of die stations within a die set and with a
single stroke of the press.
Single station dies can be either compound dies or combinations dies. A compound die
performs basic cutting operations such as blanking and hole punching to produce parts.
Combination dies combine shaping and forming functions with cutting operation to
manufacture parts.
Multiple station dies are arranged so that a series of sequential operations are
accomplished with each press stroke. Two die types are used; progressive and transfer.
With progressive dies, coil stock is fed into the press. Individual stampings are connected
with a carrier strip as they progress through the various die operations and are ultimately
separated and then discharged from the press.
In transfer die operations individual stock blanks are mechanically moved from die station
to die station within a single die set. Large stampings are done with tandem press lines
where the stock is moved from press to press in which specific operations, such as drawing
or trimming, are performed.
The resistance of the sheet metal stock to the forces exerted by the moving dies creates
friction. For this reason, lubrication is vital for successful sheet metal forming. A lubrication's
function is to minimize contact between the tooling and the work piece. This results in
reduced tonnage requirements, longer tooling life, and improved product quality. Lubricants
range from light mineral oils to high viscosity drawing compounds.
They may be oil based, water soluble, or synthetic materials. These lubricants may be
applied in a variety of ways, including:

 Manually by roller or brush

Drip
Machine roller
Spraying
Flooding
Die making is as much an art as a science. When all the dynamics of stamping are taken
into account, the resulting part may not meet all expectations. To help fine tune the
stamping process and finalize die design, die makers use an analytical tool called Circle
Grid Analysis, or CGA. The application of CGA involves the etching of a pattern of small
circles on the surface of the blank. This pattern deforms along with the blank as it is
formed, providing point-to point calculations of the deformation that occurred. Analyzing this
stamped grid pattern suggests the location and type of rework that must be performed on
the dies to produce easily manufactured parts. The CGA process is repeated on the die
until an acceptable part is produced.

Figure 1: Production steps for the manufacture of an oil sump

Date Published: Feb-2011