It may be the default metal forming method for many manufacturers, but the disadvantages of die stamping are worth considering. As manufacturers search for ways to bring new products to market as quickly as possible, it's easy to lose sight of the importance of quality, accuracy, and repeatability. In this article, we'll touch on a few of the most significant disadvantages of die stamping.
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Disadvantages of die stamping
- Poor accuracy and repeatability.
- High tooling costs.
- Cannot accommodate rapid prototyping.
- Not suitable for small or mid-size production runs.
- Not an iterative process.
- High scrap rates.
- High post-fixturing costs.
#1: Poor accuracy and repeatability
Although progressive die stamping can yield accurate parts with complex shapes, material thinning is highly likely and part repeatability is poor. It also requires incredibly expensive permanent, progressive steel tooling.
Advantage of FluidForming
Thanks to incredibly high forming pressures, FluidForming is a Six Sigma metal forming process that uses a single die to produce components with minimal warping, unparalleled accuracy, and high repeatability rates.
#2: High tooling costs
Die stamping requires significant upfront, hard tool and die costs. Not to mention ongoing tool maintenance. Because both a punch and a die are required, tooling costs are significant with die stamping. If tooling changes are required or tools are damaged, additional costs are inevitable. Where possible, designs should be based on the use of existing dies for standard shapes and bends. The need to create a custom die for stamping will further increase initial tooling costs (Thomas).
Advantage of FluidForming
Because just one tool is needed from prototype through production, tooling costs are reduced by 50-90%. And, with 3D printed tooling, it's easy to make changes to your product design without incurring significant delays or prohibitive expenses. Furthermore, because water is the forming force, tool wear is also minimized.
#3: Cannot accommodate rapid prototyping
Outdated metal stamping methods &#; like die stamping &#; require costly and time-consuming tool development. Because of this, rapid prototyping is prohibitively expensive and ineffective with die stamping.
Advantage of FluidForming
All of FluidForming Americas' FormBalancer metal forming machines are compatible with 3D printed, metal sintered, steel, aluminum, and composite tools. In other words, it's possible to move from design to production in a matter of days.
#4: Not suitable for small or mid-sized production runs
For the same reasons die stamping isn't suitable for rapid prototyping, it just doesn't cut it for low-volume, or short-run productions, either. It's simply too expensive and tooling development and set-up take too much time.
Advantage of FluidForming
FluidForming is ideal for low- to medium- volume production runs. Our process can easily accommodate anywhere from 1 to a million parts per year. Because just one tool is needed, tooling costs are slashed. And as an added benefit, FluidForming uses the same tool from prototyping through production &#; which saves time and money.
#5: Not an iterative process
Product developers and product innovators are hampered by the inherent restraints that die stamping metal forming process imposes. Because tool development is so time-consuming and costly, product designers cannot innovate and iterate products as freely as they should.
Advantage of FluidForming
Not only do 3D printed tools save time, but they're dramatically less expensive. Plus, FluidForming Americas offers customers detailed pre-production Finite Element Analysis (FEA) reports which means we're iterating before production even begins.
#6: High Scrap Metal Rates
Although die stamping produces less scrap than machining, for example, scrap rates and non-conforming rates are high with die stamping.
Advantage of FluidForming
More and more manufacturers are focusing on reducing scrap because it's better for the environment, lowers production costs, and because it can result in faster turnaround times. FluidForming's 99.996% accuracy rate virtually eliminates non-conforming scrap and our nested tooling capabilities make the most of every inch of sheet metal.
#7: High Post-Fixturing Costs
Die stamping is a primitive stamping process that relies on brute force to deform metal into a predetermined shape. The process requires substantial post fixturing work like deburring, clamping, painting, and polishing. All of which adds time and cost to the process.
Advantage of FluidForming
&#;Because the forming force &#; water &#; comes in contact with just one side of the material, post-fixturing costs are all but eliminated. The process is compatible with pre-finished, textured, painted, or polished materials.
Are you designing for tomorrow with yesterday&#;s metal forming technologies? Find out how our 21st Century technology can revolutionize the way your product design teams dream, innovate, and produce. Contact FluidForming Americas today at (800) 497- or us at . Let&#;s start designing for tomorrow with today&#;s technologies.
FluidForming Americas, Inc. is a member of the Precision Metal Forming Association and is AS Rev D, ISO : certified.
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Computer-aided design (CAD) is a wonderful technology that can lead product engineers and designers to think that anything is possible. After all, you can draw a complex part on the screen to perfection. What CAD programs don&#;t tell you is that the metal stamping process has limitations, as does the material itself. Just because you dream it doesn&#;t mean the part can be stamped out of metal to your satisfaction. That&#;s why metal stamping engineers want to discuss your part design as early in the development process as possible.
Recognizing the Effect of Material Selection on Metal Stamping Limitations
Metals come in different hardnesses and thicknesses. In precision metal stamping, the characteristics of the exact material will affect the finished part, such as the thickness that must be punched, the area for forming, the metal&#;s hardness and grain direction, and the spring back of the material when stamped.
Typical materials for metal stampings include:
- Ferrous and non-ferrous
- Stainless steel
- Aluminum clad copper
- Aluminum
- Titanium and noble metals
- Preplated
- Mylar
- Wire
Metal stamping engineers can help manufacturers select the right material for the part under development. For example, the engineers will evaluate whether the material you specify will perform to requirements when stamped or whether it may present problems in production such as cracking. If so, they will suggest alternatives.
Swapping Materials and Processes Doesn&#;t Always Work
Another common misconception is that a metal stamping can easily replace a molded plastic part or a cast metal part. Although it may is possible, the processes of molding, casting and stamping are completely different, as are the materials used.
One manufacturer asked that a complex part that had been molded in plastic be reproduced in the exact same form as a metal stamping. Despite the precision that can be achieved with metal stamping, the complexity of the part made the metal stamping process much more difficult and costly, involving multiple stations on the tool, rather than a simple form. Had the OEM been willing to make small changes to the part design, the cost of producing the part could have been reduced without compromising its function.
Understanding the Impact of Critical Dimensions for Your Part
Oftentimes, the manufacturer&#;s engineering department will submit the original part drawing with certain critical dimensions defined, but when the finished part goes to the OEM&#;s quality department for the Product Part Approval Process, the list of critical dimensions grows. The metal stamper needs to know all of the critical dimensions upfront so that they can ensure their production process will be able to meet them. Once the customized tool to stamp the part has been designed and built, it may be too late to address the critical dimensions in the tool without incurring additional costs.
Identifying the Right Dimensions and Tolerances
Another issue is specifying more critical dimensions and tighter tolerances than are actually needed or desirable. A broader range of tolerances may be sufficient, depending on the part and its assembly. Here again, CAD may be part of the problem, as the software may default to a certain number of decimal points, which may be too tight for high-volume production.
According to the Precision Metalforming Association&#;s Design Guidelines for deburring, &#;The common specification &#;remove all sharp edges and corners&#; is seldom appropriate, and deserves special mention. To literally remove all sharp edges and corners from a part is usually an excessive requirement, and is therefore not cost effective. The knowledgeable designer specifically addresses the actual need by indicating only those areas of the part that require a specific edge condition to meet subsequent functional requirements.&#;
Here, too, the part design may be modified to perform better if the corner of the part is specified as too sharp, resulting in a dangerous edge.
Designing for Manufacturability in Metal Stamping
The key to success is design for manufacturability (DFM) in light of metal stamping&#;s limitations.
When the manufacturer first submits the print for an estimate, the metal stamping firm should involve its quality, engineering, tooling and production teams to review the production parameters and print details.
A robust DFM review process requires the metal stamper to:
- Review customer specifications, the industrial application of the part, and its expected useful life
- Incorporate statutory or regulatory requirements and specific customer requirements such as cleanliness for medical devices
- Determine the customer's desired run-at rates
- Plan for secondary operations
- Address any unusual risks identified
- Review the print in depth and determine if revisions are required
- Evaluate the material and its characteristics
- Ensure that correct tooling parameters are established from the outset
- Define control plans
- Determine final assembly and packaging requirements
Proving Manufacturability with Prototypes
If the collaborative DFM process raises serious concerns about the part&#;s manufacturability, producing a prototype may be a wise move. Although it takes a bit more time and expense, prototyping can ensure the long-run viability of the part design and the tool needed to produce it. The metal stamper should have the capability to build a prototype tool and employ simulation software to evaluate how the material and the part will function in the tool. If the simulation reveals weak spots, the part or the tool can be redesigned to improve manufacturability, which can save time and expense in the long run.
When OEM engineers understand the limitations of metal stamping and design their parts accordingly, they are in a better position to benefit from metal stamping&#;s advantages, including the potential to save money, time and materials.
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