Progressive die stamping
Progressive die stamping is a sequential stamping method. It has several stations and each stage is assigned a function.
There are successive stages for cutting, bending and punching.
After the sheet metal goes through all the sequences, it will be the desired shape and size.
Progressive stamping is suitable for manufacturing large numbers of parts to exacting specifications and tolerances. This method involves feeding a roll of metal through a stamping device, which in turn stamps, bends and shapes the part. The workpiece remains attached to the base tape from start to finish. Separating the finished part from the metal strip is the last step of the operation.
The benefits of progressive stamping include:
- Short preparation time
- Reduce labor costs
- Rapid production
- long
- minimal waste
In short, progressive stamping enables the quick and cost-effective reproducibility of parts with complex geometries.
However, progressive stamping requires investment in permanent steel tooling.
It is also not suitable for parts that require deep drawing. Progressive stamping can use different metals such as steel, aluminum, copper, stainless steel and copper as the main material.
Precious metal superalloys, titanium and Inconel can also be used. In some cases, metal parts can be stamped progressively.
The method used in continuous stamping is done by using a transfer press.
These presses use the fingers to transfer components from one place to another.
To produce large numbers of stamped parts that require a complex press process, progressive presses are recommended.
An advantage of this type of press is the duration of the cycle. Depending on the components, throughput can easily exceed 800 parts per minute.
However, this type of press is not suitable for high precision deep drawing as your drawing depth may be greater than the size of the part/assembly.
This process is carried out with the help of a transfer press. It operates at a slower speed and uses robotic fingers to hold the part in place throughout the molding or forming process.
Progressive presses are only a small part of the forming process controlled by sleeves using springs or similar devices. It can cause problems such as uneven thickness of the material.
Another disadvantage of continuous presses compared to transfer presses is the higher amount of raw material required to transfer components
These tools cost more because they are built-in modules. They don’t have specific rules for each station.
Additionally, they cannot perform procedures that require components to leave the strip, such as crimping, neck thread rolling, flange crimping, rotary stamping, and more.
The number of features determines the cost and tools required.
It is recommended to keep tools as basic as possible to keep tool costs to a minimum.
Features that are too closely spaced can create problems because they may not provide enough punch space, which often results in the need for a second site.
There may also be problems with protruding and narrow incisions.
Dies are usually made of tool steel and can withstand high shock loads, retain the required sharp edges, and withstand wear forces.
Transfer Die Stamping
Transfer die punches treat each part as a whole, so the first step in the punching sequence is to separate the part from the metal strip. Then use your fingers to transport it to the various battlefields where individual operations are performed.
The most laborious task of creating a process sequence is to determine the number of forming stations required, tool geometry, overall dimensions, tolerances, residual stresses and surface finish to meet product requirements.
The transfer die stamping process is similar to the progressive stamping process in that it uses sequential machining.
The main difference is that the stamping is separated from the metal strip earlier in the process. This process is best suited for large metal parts and/or parts with complex design elements such as pipes/tubes, grooves, ribs and threads.
It can also be used to make deep-drawn parts because there are no metal strips attached to the part. The press can punch as far as the raw material allows.
Aluminum, brass, copper, Inconel, stainless steel and precious metals are commonly used, but ferrous and non-ferrous materials can also be used to manufacture parts.
four-wheel stamping
Fourslide stamping is a complex metalworking process that combines stamping and forming to create tiny, complex parts/assemblies from wire or metal coils.
This method offers several advantages over traditional pressing methods, including increased flexibility and design versatility, increased speed, and reduced production costs.
With these advantages, four-slide stamping has become the manufacturing method of choice for high-precision products and applications in many industries, from automotive to aerospace to medical and electronics.
Metal stamping, as opposed to the vertical motion of the punch, the Fourslide metal stamping machine operates at right angles by using four slides that move to perform the stamping or forming process.
Fourslide stamping is like multiple slide stamping. However, a multi-slide punch has more functionality than a four-slide.
The four shafts are connected to a series of bevel gears and are driven by a single motor that drives the slide.
Cams attached to each axis handle slides that strike the metal workpiece in four orthogonal directions as it is fed through the machine.
This multi-directional method allows you to bend or punch the workpiece from all four sides simultaneously or sequentially.
A single four-slide operation can produce complex shapes using many curves, bends, or twists.

Deep Drawn Aluminum Battery Housing
Fine blanking
Fine blanking is also known as fine blanking or fine blanking.
The main goal of fine blanking is to produce parts with neat, smooth surfaces.
The difference between fine blanking and standard blanking is that the material is blanked by shearing only. No breakage after clamping on all sides.
There is no fast passing force in fine blanking. Therefore, it is quieter and has less vibration.
The cost of tooling is higher than traditional blanking, and the process cannot be performed at extremely high speeds.
Deep drawing stamping
The deep-draw stamping process molds flat metal to create precise, often cylindrical parts.
It does this by feeding flat metal coils into the press, which are then surrounded by tool stations. Each station repeats a process on the steel.
The deep drawing process is used to stamp sheet metal into different hollow axisymmetric parts. Shapes created with this punching method are cylindrical, however, it is also possible to create box-shaped objects.
Deep drawing can be used to make a variety of industrial and household items such as sinks, bakeware, sanitary ware, auto parts, beverage cans, housings and more.
This type of stamping applies a pressure punch to the sheet metal, pulling it radially into the die cavity.
The sheet metal is first placed on the forming die and held in place at each end by the compressive force applied by the blank holder.
Second, an axial force is applied to the metal plate by a mechanical stamping tool, which deforms the metal plate and flows into the mold cavity to form the desired shape.
“Deep Drawing” is so named because the depth of the component is greater than its diameter.
short punch
Short run metal stamping is a process used to make small quantities of perforated metal parts.
A short run can be defined as a run that produces fewer than 5,000 parts (depending on the manufacturer).
Short-term metal stamping is used in a wide range of industries. Ideal for small batches of seasonal products, special products or other situations where a high investment in permanent tooling is not feasible.
Metal stamping is cost-effective, versatile, quick to set up, and provides precise cuts and shapes.
Short-run metal stamping offers a cost-effective method of producing high-quality, reliable parts with faster turnaround times.
If you are looking for faster delivery, short run production may be a good option for you.

Deep Drawn Medical Sterilization Tray
Short-run production has applications in various industries, such as
- car
- aerospace
- commercial lighting
- put up
- electronic product
- household appliances
- medical
A short metal stamping process creates uniform parts and uses metals such as aluminum, brass, copper and steel.
Short-term stamping requires a small amount of material, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Metal stamping process – a step-by-step process
Following design and prototyping, a series of multiple steps are required to create complex metal parts, assemblies or parts. This is a far more difficult task than most people imagine.
Parts that appear simple at first glance rarely require only one stamping step to be considered complete.
Confusion often arises when trying to determine the best process for metal stamping.
When choosing a metal stamping process, it must be considered,
- How will this process affect design functionality?
- Design or industry specific requirements?
- Production time and cost effectiveness?
Common metal stamping process
There are several metal stamping processes. They include blanking, perforating, stretching, bending, air bending, priming and embossing, forming, edge trimming, slitting, stretching, ironing, necking/reduction and hemming.
blanking
If required, the blanking process is the first step in your stamping method.
Blanking is the process of cutting a large sheet or coil of steel/metal into smaller, more manageable parts.
This process involves cutting a rough sketch of the shape of the product you want to obtain at the end of the entire metal stamping process.
When cutting, the main concerns include hole diameter, length, geometry, spacing, etc. during the cutting process.
Blanking doesn’t just give you an intuition of what to expect. It also helps to minimise the amount of waste that may arise later.
It also eliminates the problem of wasting time. Blanking usually occurs when a metal object is drawn or formed.
punching
If the part you are machining requires holes, slots, or other cuts, you can use the pierce option.
Punching and blanking are carried out at the same time, and the desired shape can be formed from the metal plate or steel plate.
draw
Drawing is the actual stamping process.
The punch presses a portion of the metal into the die to form the basic shape of the part.
If the depth of the part is lower than the main opening, it is considered a shallow draw.
Parts that are deeper than the opening are deep drawn.
bending
Bending is an easy-to-understand process. The workpiece is placed on a specially designed die, and an indenter forces the metal into the desired bend.
Bending is done after stretching, as punching a bent metal part causes the entire part to deform.
air bending
Air bending is the process of bending the flat surface of a part into a die (usually a V-shape) with a punch.
The distance between the punch and die is greater than the thickness of the metal, creating a slightly loose bend when the part is removed.
Air bending is less energy intensive in terms of pressure and power than most other bending techniques.
Primed and Casting
Primer and stamping are two bending methods similar to air bending, but using 2 to 30 times the pressure.
Material is pressed into a tight-fitting mold, resulting in a longer lasting bend.
forming
Forming is a bending process similar to priming, bending and embossing. It is used to manufacture parts with multiple bends in one step, such as U-bends.
pinch scissors
Edge trimming involves cutting pieces of sheet metal and separating them as scrap metal. This is a novel method because the metal is extruded in a vertical plane.
It is often (but not always) used to cut deep drawn round cups from sheet metal.
Lanlin
A unique process, lancing is used to make labels or vents.
A piece of material is cut into three edges, which are bent at the same time.
This method creates an open or hooked design. Discharging waste is a secondary processing step.
The stamping process involves a variety of techniques, but not every method is effective or even necessary for every component.
When you fully understand the process, you can create parts that reduce scrap, lower costs, and speed up production without sacrificing quality.
stretch
Here, we increase the surface area of the metal plate. To achieve this, tension is increased while minimizing inward movement of the edges. This process also helps smooth metal parts.
ironing
Sheet metal is extruded to minimize its thickness. Ironing is critical in applications such as the manufacture of beverage cans.
Necked or reduced diameter
A necker or borer is designed to reduce the diameter of a pipe.
hemming
During the hemming process, the edges of the sheet metal are folded over, making it thicker, adding strength and stability to the shape.

Plunger Casing
Custom Metal Stamping
Custom metal stamping is the process of forming metal that requires custom tools and techniques to manufacture the part.
A variety of applications and industries employ custom-designed stamping processes to meet high-volume production needs and ensure that each part meets accurate specifications.
Custom-designed sheet metal stamping can include blanking, cutting, punching, stretch embossing, and more.
Each step is done using tools designed by CAD/CAM software that provide the precision needed for complex parts.
Sheet metal stamping is an efficient and effective method of manufacturing high-quality, durable parts for a variety of industries, including hardware, electronics, medical, aerospace, industrial lighting, and more.
Finishing operations in metal stamping
When creating and manufacturing precision metal stampings, the manufacturing company’s engineers and project managers, their suppliers and metal tooling need to discuss finishing options to ensure optimum performance.
In most cases, the final product of the metal stamping process may not be ready for use. Some finishing operations may be required to make it perfect.
The most common post-stamping operations include tapping, cutting, reaming and deburring. These finishing processes improve the appearance of the product and make it compatible with other machines.
Deburring removes residues of metallic material left after the stamping process. Remove sharp burrs and make sure all metal parts are smooth.
Preventing corrosion, improving appearance or smoothing sharp edges requires this critical element of metal finishing and manufacturing and should be considered from the outset.
- finishing options include
- Powder Coatings and Electronic Coatings
- plating
- Electropolishing
- Deburring
- heat treatment
- clean
Metal stamping materials
Precision metal stamping machines can produce high-quality parts, but choosing the right raw material is just as important as choosing the right machining program.
Each alloy and metal has unique properties. Depending on the composition, common alloys or special metals can be selected.
A variety of common alloys are used in metal stamping and precision engineered in various industries. they include
- Aluminum alloy
- brass alloy
- copper alloy
- Nickel alloy
- Steel and stainless steel.
Engineers and designers must have a basic understanding of the most commonly used metals and specialty metals to assist in material selection.

Custom Solenoid Valve Body
The benefits of metal stamping
Metal stamping is a well-known manufacturing process because it offers many advantages.
Mass Production: Mass production of products and parts is encouraged.
High Accuracy: If the sheet metal is cut or bent, the result will be accurate parts/assemblies with correct measurements. Modern metal stamping equipment is designed to operate with high precision.
Uniformity: In mass-produced products, stampings keep each part uniform in shape, design, and size
Balford has passed ISO9001 in 2017. We has over ten years experience on manufacturing motor housing, solenoid valve housing and sensor housing, focused on auto parts.Now Balford enter into solenoid valve housings and sensor housings industry that are mainly based on difficult deep drawing process.
We employ documented procedures for every step in the manufacturing process from initial program launch through steady-state production in order to ensure consistent performance. We engineer our processes to produce the desired results, monitor those results, and use what we learn to regularly refine our processes as part of our commitment to continuous process and efficiency improvement.
Many of our customers have been with us for 5-8 years or more. Year after year, they experience zero late deliveries and zero returns.