Metal stamping is one of the best ways to create new metal products, while also saving your company time and money that will directly impact your bottom line. When stamping presses are used in conjunction with a tool-and-die set, they can transform metal blanks into any number of desirable products, and with just a few variations, you can create an endless number of different possibilities.
Metal stamping provides some other benefits in addition to the versatility it offers in the way of product manufacture: it reduces product costs, it allows for shorter production times, and it increases the shelf life of products. To get the most out of your metal stamping process, try adhering to the following principles.
Connect with the Stamping Engineer Early On
A metal stamping benefit is that it can save you a ton of money to have your metal stamping engineer involved in your process early on. The limitations of metal stamping make it important that you consult with your stamping engineer to convey your vision early on, so it can be determined if the vision is a viable one. By putting your head together with the stamping engineer early in the process, obvious impossibilities can be avoided, and design optimizations can instead be achieved, all of which will save time and money during production.
Forecast Requirements
Another good reason to seek out your metal stamper early in the process is so that you can share with him the entire assembly process, the volume projections, dates for release, and the actual lead times which will be necessary for your product. When your metal stamper has all the necessary information right at the outset, it can make for a much smoother production routine from end to end.
It might even be possible to have your manufacturing process streamlined by the stamper. The volume of all produced parts should be discussed with your metal stamper, since that volume will have a direct bearing on the cost of your operation. When the stamper is also aware of lead times, it can provide extra time for review and modification, as well as eliminating the need for rush jobs and artificial deadlines.
Evaluate Final Assembly
By providing precise dimensions for the assembly of your parts, the metal stamper may be able to use in-die assemblies which can then avoid unnecessary steps in manufacturing, lower costs for production and labor, and get your products to market faster. This makes it ultra-important for you to know exactly how your parts fit into the general design of the product, so that you can have a feel for the cost of the project.
Assess Simulations
Before launching your product into production, you should make sure to test its design and functionality extensively. One of the great things about metal stampers is that they have the capability of testing prototypes and simulations, and these can check out how well the product performs under stressful conditions. If any issues are detected during these simulation processes, slight modifications can be made to optimize its performance and improve functionality. This of course, can save you a ton of money, because you won’t be wasting resources on creating a product that simply cannot perform well under the conditions it would normally be used in.
Velocity Metalworks is excited to see these upcoming changes. We have become recognized as a valued partner in the metal stamping industry for our strong Tool Design and Build competency. This, combined with our metal stamping capacity, precision machining services, and EDM capability make us a full service provider that can deliver value in your tooling and stamping needs. Contact us today to see how we can help you work even better.
