Stamping is a forming, manufacturing and separating process with a long history. While hundreds of years ago stamping was mostly used to make coins, modern industrial stamping methods enable a whole range of products to be produced. The process basically always follows a similar principle where the workpiece is pressed and cut (or stamped) between a punch and die at high force. The benefits include precise production, outstanding process accuracy, short manufacturing times, and the highest product quality.

Our production lines are set up to provide cutting-edge stamping processes for a variety of workpieces, allowing us to offer an enormous range of metal stamped parts for our customers.

Where are stamped metal parts used? 
The range of potential applications is huge and shows just how flexible the process is. For instance, small stamped parts for use in electrical engineering are as common as robust metal formed parts for the automotive industry. Thus, you can find our precision-produced components in industry, skilled trades, mechanical engineering, the automotive sector and many other industries.

Classical stamping involves producing parts in various forms from metal sheets. The stamps and dies used define the dimensions and geometry of the product. Typical forms include perforated sheets, grilles, circles, ovals, rectangles and more. It is also possible to stamp recesses, slots, beading, lugs, threads and grooves, so there is a multitude of possible forms and form combinations.

The sheet thickness also determines the potential part geometry. For instance, stamping can produce components that are robust, solid and durable, or delicate and fine.

Customers have specific requirements that we meet by deploying our process expertise. STÜKEN can offer in-depth advice on choosing the right material to ensure your stamped parts meet your specific wishes.

For instance, copper is used for stamped parts in products that require a good level of electrical conductivity. Typical copper stamped parts include plugs, lead frames, power rails and contact plates. Stainless steel offers a particularly wide range of uses for stamped parts. It is corrosion-resistant, hygienic, and hardy, which makes it ideal for many different components.

Thanks to its ductility, metal is particularly well suited to stamping and punch bending. Ductility means that the material can be formed, and that form is then preserved.   

Aluminum stamped parts have proven themselves to be an effective solution for modern applications. Along with iron and copper, this lightweight metal is among the most frequently used raw materials for stamped parts. 

There are several reasons for this fact. For instance, aluminum is generally strong but at the same time low in weight, which makes it ideal for fields such as aeronautical engineering.  Aluminum is also extremely resilient thanks to a protective oxide layer that forms on its surface. It can be even further reinforced through anodic oxidation. Last but not least, aluminum is also a visually appealing option for many customers. With that in mind, we offer an alkaline matting option to suit your application. 

Are you interested in metal stamped parts made from aluminum? It is one of the metals we specialize in, and we would be happy to advise you on your specific production requirements. Benefit from our expertise and let us produce your high-precision aluminum components.

Stamped metal sheets are particularly common intermediate products. They can be used to produce components for automobiles, machines, aeronautical engineering products, and more. 

Stamped metal sheets are also ideal for housing, packaging, covers and other similar purposes. The parts can also be further modified by perforating, cutting, embossing, notching, or grooving. In this respect, high-quality metal sheets provide a high level of flexibility.

Stamped metal strips are processed in a very similar way to metal sheets. They are primarily used when the product is to a strip (that is, it has an elongated, rectangular basic geometry). One typical use is in stamped door strips. However, there are many other processes where strips are stamped, such as the production of electronic components.

Punch bending consists of two processes that are entwined and often performed in parallel. One is stamping, where a formed part is separated from a metal sheet, strip, or wire, additionally, the part is reshaped through bending. The process is generally used for metal sheets, but we can also produce end products with other material properties, for instance by punch-bending hollow workpieces.

More specifically, specialists differentiate between the inner and outer contours and the final bending contour. The inner and outer contours are stamped, while the final bending contour is bent.

Punch-bent parts are used to produce complex end products in many branches of industry including 

• automotive production
• electrical engineering
• the food industry
• the domestic appliance industry
• medical technology

and many other sectors.

As is the case with stamping production, a variety of metals and alloys are suitable for production of stamped and bent parts. 
The materials used most frequently are:

• Steel and stainless steel
• Spring steel
• Copper
• Nickel silver
• Bronze
• Brass
• Aluminum
• Nickel alloys

Spring steel is a material with special properties. While many metals are rather brittle, spring steel has a high level of elasticity, which means it can be used to produce components with a restoring force. Such properties are used to construct switches in electrical engineering, for instance, or to produce seals or springs. 

Punch bending is particularly well suited to making durable and reliable spring-steel components.

STÜKEN predominantly uses sheet metal strips called coils for punch bending. Coils are a wound, flat raw material that is shaped into the desired geometry during the production process. Depending on the primary material, products achieve different properties with respect to rigidity, strength and durability. If necessary, pre-coated coils can also be used for the stamping process. 

The combination of suitable raw materials with a tried-and-trusted method makes punch bending the ideal solution for series production of precision components. The outcome is huge quantities of products of consistent quality in the shortest time possible.

STÜKEN produces punch-bent parts in one combined process. The following steps are generally performed one after the other.

1. Cutting
In the first step, the components are given their outer and inner contours in the strip. This step allows for very specific geometries.

2. Bending
The next step is to reshape the cut geometries, which produces three-dimensional components that are cut, stamped, and bent to suit the applicable purpose or use.

3. Cleaning (optional)
In most cases, the component is then cleaned to remove oil and metal filings. STÜKEN offers options including PER cleaning, aqueous solutions, ultrasonic, and plasma cleaning. 

4. Finishing (optional)
Following the punch bending process, the surface of the component can be finished (for example, by coating it for greater corrosion resistance). Other options include surface hardening using the STÜKEN SWEP® process, matting, laser marking, and more. 

There are a variety of processes for producing components from metal sheets or strips. Stamping and punch bending processes are particularly cost efficient compared to alternatives such as laser cutting. Once the tools have been created, production can be scaled to practically any level. Our customers benefit enormously from this advantage, particularly when it comes to large-scale series production. Please feel free to contact us for advice on your specific circumstances and a non-binding quotation.

Whether in a machine or an electronic device, high dimensional accuracy and minimal variation from nominal values are to aim for ensuring functionality. Stamping technology is a superior solution in this regard, too. It enables the production of metal components with tolerances down to the thousandth. Our in-house tool technology lets us maintain this level of precision even with high production quantities.

It generally takes just a few seconds to punch-bend a component in the automatic stamping press, even if the geometries involved are complex and three-dimensional. Combined with short cycle times, that means a high number of components can be produced at speed.

So stamping and punch bending help you to minimize your production times.

Modern stamping and bending processes are a pillar of industrial metal processing. Once the tools have been made, it can ramp up to series production. The higher the quantity, the more efficient the process is for each component.

Stamping processes are very sustainable. The level of material consumption is low because the stamping process is optimized to ensure only minimal waste is produced. Furthermore, metal stamping saves a lot of energy in comparison to other separating processes (such as cutting or laser-cutting). All in all, stamping production is an economical and environmentally friendly process for manufacturing precision components.