Industrial metal stamping uses a variety of metals and alloys to produce high-performance parts with excellent accuracy and repeatability. When selecting a metal material for stamping parts, it is important to consider its compatibility with the metal stamping process and your application.
Factors such as tensile strength, hardness, ductility and workability will affect the metal’s ability to accurately shape and shape without breaking or losing strength. In this article, we will discuss the key factors to be considered in the material selection process as well as some of the best raw materials for metal stamping products.
Ⅰ. The types of metal stamping raw materials
There are many kinds of raw materials commonly used in industrial metal stamping. The application itself usually determines which metals can be stamped. The types of metals used for stamping include:
1. Copper alloy
Copper is a pure metal that can be stamped into various parts by itself, but it can also be used to make alloys. Copper alloys include general metals such as brass, bronze, nickel and silver. This versatility makes copper and its alloys the best material for metal stamping companies.
All copper alloys have varying degrees of copper’s most popular properties, such as electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and antibacterial properties. Copper alloys are also non-sparking and non-magnetic.
However, copper and copper alloys are generally too soft for support applications based on strength or structure. Metal is easy to bend, crack or break-however, this flexibility also facilitates metal forming.
Due to their ductility, copper alloy forming and industrial metal stamping have almost no difficulty, and they can be drawn into thinner and thinner wires than other metals. This is not only extremely important for electronic and electrical applications, but also means that copper alloys can easily maintain complex and complex designs and accurately replicate the original designs.
2. Steel alloy
Steel is an alloy made of iron and carbon. It is one of the most commonly used raw materials for metal stamping companies, and there are many varieties with distinct characteristics.
Steel is a dense, strong metal, and many manufacturers like this metal because of its inherent strength and versatility. Although steel is already an alloy, metal can be further combined with other elements or alloys to create unique changes and increase specific physical properties.
Although steel is strong, it can be formed by the correct metal stamping process. The metal is treated before or after the stamping process to increase hardness or make parts corrosion resistant. Although stainless steel is a special alloy that can resist corrosion, other steels need to be galvanized to prevent rust and damage. Designers and engineers also need to carefully weigh the strength of steel and its weight weakness.
3. Aluminum alloy
Aluminum alloys have many characteristics in common with copper and steel alloys. However, they also have their own unique characteristics and ideal applications.
Aluminum is a lightweight metal, and its alloys also have this characteristic. This light weight makes the metal ideal for structures that require strength without additional loads, and applications that require transportation to remote destinations. Aluminum alloys have flexibility, ductility, and corrosion resistance, but these metals are generally more expensive than similar steels.
4. Special metals
Specialty metals are a large group of different materials designed to withstand harsh and extreme environments without corrosion, degradation or brittleness. This category includes many titanium-based or nickel-based alloys.
Due to the wide variety of these metals, they do not have many specific characteristics like the more common types of metals used in industrial metal stamping. These metals can be safely used in aerospace, chemical, energy, marine and nuclear facilities or equipment that many other metals cannot handle.
Due to their higher damage resistance and relative rarity, specialty metals are more expensive. Many specialty metals are very hard and difficult to form or weld, which adds extra time or expense to the project.
Ⅱ. The important factors for choosing metal stamping materials
Selecting the best material for an industrial metal stamping project requires careful consideration of several factors, including:
1. Application
One of the most important factors to consider is the ability of the material to adequately support your application. For example, stainless steel is commonly used for piping components due to its durability, temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance. But copper is commonly used for electrical components and connectors because of its high thermal and electrical conductivity.
2. Cost
In addition to performance and appearance considerations, it is also important to ensure that the cost of raw materials matches your project budget.
3. Bending grade
The formability of a material describes its ability to bend or deform without cracking or breaking. ESI’s bending rating scale assigns colors to different metals to indicate their formability level, with green representing the highest formability and red representing the lowest.
4. Organize options
Various finishes can be applied to metal stamping product parts to improve functional qualities such as strength, temperature resistance and corrosion resistance. Finishes can also improve the aesthetics of stamped parts by providing them with a smoother, more attractive appearance.
5. Tensile strength
Tensile strength measures the ability of a material to resist fracture when a force is applied. The material selected should provide the required tensile strength to withstand the mechanical stresses encountered during use.
6. Solderability
When welding is a necessary processing step, the weldability of the material should be considered. Welding materials with low solderability may require advanced tools and techniques, which can have a negative impact on your timeline and budget.
7. Machinability
Machinability describes how easy it is to cut a material with a processing tool. For stamping parts that require machining operations, it is important to choose a material that can be machined without the use of expensive special tools.
8. Extensibility and formability
The ductility and formability of the material will affect its ability to be successfully processed into a specific shape. For example, ductile materials can be drawn into threads and other elongated or elongated forms without breaking.
