Construction metal stamping covers a lot of ground in an industry that is always building toward the future. Not just infrastructure and bettering our society, but construction also applies to at-home projects, hobbies and modeling, and numerous other activities or functions where putting materials together to create a singular structure is the end goal.
Metal stamped parts are frequently found in the construction industry and OEMs, supplier programs, and other customer bases of Winco Stamping as always searching for ways to improve parts anyway they can without sacrificing quality.
Our latest blog highlights key ways where part strength, consistency, and cost efficiency can all be improved in construction metal stamping.
Factor Part Strength in Design
Strength in a part comes from more than just material selection – though that does play a large role. Design considerations can be made to enhance the strength of a construction metal stamped part by taking advantage of materials. Use material grade, thickness, coating, and temper as controlled production inputs, not just purchasing variables that are interchangeable.
Use gradual transitions and radii instead of sharp radii and sudden section transition throughout the part. This stiffens the part without increasing gauge, which not only strengthens a part, but leads to improvements in longevity.
When it’s permitted, use geometries and shapes that can carry load throughout section shape rather than using thicker sheets. Not only does this reduce material scrap, but it also creates a more reliable part as it can withstand different forces and pressures with well-engineered shapes.
Stabilize the Process
Consistency in construction metal stamping operations is achieved when the stamping process itself has been optimized and stabilized. This happens in a few ways, but the first comes from working with an experienced stamping manufacturer that has a targeted and repeatable stamping process.
Beyond that, consistency occurs when the same material properties, lubricant delivery, feed progressive, die wear, press alignment, and limited setup variation are in place. This means placing control on each of these individual parts rather than estimating what’s needed.
Tips for Creating Cost Efficiency Without Sacrificing Quality
Creating cost efficiency in construction metal stamping usually involves material yield, reducing or eliminating value-added services, maintaining uptime, and scrap prevention. It’s much more conducive than simply purchasing the cheapest materials.
Prior to manufacturing, ensure the strip layout is optimized along with coil width, carrier design, part rotation, and common-cut opportunities. One way to improve material yield is through nesting, but grain direction must be compatible with stamping requirements. By reducing or eliminating value-added operations, it can mean placing some of those operations into the actual die itself and can be part of the manufacturing process. Now, it’s important to only consolidate operations so long as it doesn’t create an unnecessarily heavy die.
Tolerances play a role in costs from the standpoint of, if there are overly tight, nonfunctional tolerances, there is an increased cost in tooling, inspection, and scrap. That’s why tolerances should be designed according to part function.
Contact Winco Stamping for High-Quality Construction Metal Stamping Operations
Winco Stamping has served as a premier custom metal stamping manufacturer since we first began business in 1948. Located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, our stamping operations serve OEMs throughout the United States and are backed by our customer-first stance and thorough quality management systems.
Construction metal stamping is a badge of pride for our team knowing that we’re manufacturing parts that are used to help build a better tomorrow for our country. Our stamped parts have been used in measuring tapes, saws, hammers, drills, safety glasses, and much more.
Metal stamping operations at Winco Stamping start off with our in-house tooling capabilities where we provide five raw samples to ensure accuracy and show reliability before the production run begins. Our customers know that their components are going to leave our facility as a high-quality, ready-to-work part because of our thorough quality management systems, which have been ISO 9001 certified for over 20 years.
Contact Winco Stamping today for more information on construction metal stamping and discover the Winco difference in your next project.