The Progressive Die: Tool for Prototype Parts Manufacturing

If you want to streamline your prototyping processes and reduce the costs associated with each phase of production, one tool can help &#;the progressive die.&#; They are precious to manufacturers who require a quick turnaround of parts and components during the design process. This guide on progressive dies and their uses throughout the manufacturing process will interest businesses looking to improve their manufacturing processes.

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What is a progressive die?

A progressive die is a tool with a series of dies designed sequentially to form a product. These dies are made from different materials and configured for specific purposes, such as prototype parts manufacturing. Progressive stamping dies are perfect for creating custom pieces because it allows you to create long runs of the same item using one piece of tooling. The use of stamping dies is all you need for all your prototype parts manufacturing needs, including prototyping mold components, sheet metal fabricating, deep drawing, etc. Progressive dies provide an efficient die stamping process that creates prototypes, large-gauge metal parts, and micro-miniature parts.

Things to consider before purchasing a progressive die

How your progressive dies will function is essential before purchasing them to know what size will work best for your project. Knowing about die and progressive dies is crucial before purchasing one for your prototype parts manufacturing needs. The most important consideration when buying a die is whether it is right-hand or left-hand. Progressive dies are designed for production efficiency, while traditional dies are intended for one-piece-at-a-time production efficiency. A progressive tool design die would be best if you want to produce many parts in a production run using a die. This die will do the job well when cutting by hand or needing precision cutting without bending.

STAMOD progressive die services 

The world&#;s leading companies have used Stamod&#;s progressive die services to manufacture high-quality prototype parts and production tooling. The STAMOD Progressive Die process is a cost-effective, reliable, and rapid solution to your precision metalworking needs.

STAMOD provides quality craftsmanship, dependability, and accuracy responsiveness to meet the needs of any size project. The progressive die is a one-tool-fits-all precision metalworking solution with the most affordable rates. Our team delivers a complete line of progressive presses.

How does Stamping die work?

Manufacturing firms looking for engineering designs can find just what they need when they turn to progressive die stamping. A stamping die is a tool that can produce various forms and shapes with little time and effort. They can create the custom shape or form you need in just one pass through the machine, meaning there will be no more secondary work after the initial manufacturing process.. The injection molding technique is perfect for creating the custom shape & form without going through any additional operations. The same machine used to make your part also becomes your mold, which is why it saves so much time!

Advantages: Progressive Die Stamping

Progressive die stamping refers to a metalworking process with many benefits. For example, the precision and complexity of parts manufactured with stamping dies are unmatched by any other method. As a result, manufacturing firms looking for engineering designs can come to us knowing that we can manufacture the final product using our experience in progressive die stamping. Additionally, this process allows you to create prototypes quickly and inexpensively without sacrificing quality or precision, something other manufacturing processes cannot offer.

The many uses of progressive die stamping

With many uses, progressive die stamping is a versatile tool for the modern metalworking industry. 

For automotive, electronics, or aerospace industries, progressive die stamping is the right choice for quickly and precisely manufacturing prototype parts. The type of material that can be stamped and formed by this process also depends on the desired application. Suppose you want to create automotive components from aluminum or stainless steel. In that case, you will need to invest in stamping dies equipment designed to handle these materials specifically. The properties of each type of metal dictate; the tools necessary for efficient production&#;titanium die. For instance, it is not helpful for steel-based products. However, this does not state that it will not produce aluminum products such as utensils or food containers. The ability to manufacture different metals within one machine saves space and money.

Want to find the perfect progressive dies for your next project? Choose STAMOD.

At STAMOD, we aim for 100% error-free and high-quality service &#; in three different models. First, we handle production and design to ensure that your stamping dies services are completed on time and without pitfalls. 

With our outsourced services, your project is graced with internal, embedded staff.

We have a global infrastructure of companies and delivery centers to ensure that our customers get fast turnaround times without sacrificing the quality of our stamping dies product.

Our team comprises industry experts with over 100 hours of experience, complemented by practical knowledge about production and theoretical design principles. 

With investments in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, STAMOD works with companies across these countries. To optimize customer satisfaction, we scale our size on demand for refined die-stamping products.

Final thoughts

Prototype parts manufacturing can be costly and take up too much time, but with stamping dies technology and advanced tool design, it can be more seamless. 

Many metalworking industries are now using stamping dies to simplify production and enhance efficiency by changing how they work with materials. The power of the Progressive die comes from its ability to create complex shapes from a single blank at any stage in its progression.

CEP Technologies Corporation is a third-generation, family owned progressive metal stamping company specializing in miniature to small stampings. We work with OEMs and aftermarket suppliers in the automotive, medical, electrical, lighting, power protection, EMI/RFI shielding and telecommunications, and other industries. This metal stamping guide gives a detailed overview of our services and capabilities.

Custom Stamping Services

Our core capabilities lie in expert progressive stamping with in-house tool and die building and lifetime maintenance (you may also choose to transfer existing tooling). We support customers with projects in medium to high annual volumes from 25,000 to 1,000,000 parts. Sample kits of our custom stampings may be ordered here.

Progressive Die Stamping

We specialize in progressive stamping of miniature to small parts from metal coil between 0.002 in. and 0.080 in. thick. We also stamp blanks up to 6×6 in. square. We use high speed presses manufactured by Bruderer, Minster, Raster, V&O and Perkins, ranging from 15 to 60 tons. Tooling and dies are custom-built and maintained to hold tight tolerances and exceptional degrees of precision throughout production.

EMI/RFI Shields

CEP manufactures custom metal EMI/RFI shields for controlling electromagnetic and radio frequency interference in electronic and cellular devices. PCB-mounted shields create a physical barrier between a circuit and its neighbors, reducing the performance and safety risks associated with interference and data transmission. Metal shields are commonly made of copper, brass, nickel, silver, steel, or tin.

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Custom Packaging Options

Packaging is critical to maintaining parts in assembly-ready condition, even after transportation and storage. CEP provides tape and reel encapsulation as well as custom packaging solutions for the components we stamp.

Custom packaging, such as divided trays and custom cartons, help keep delicate parts separate if they are prone to nesting or becoming entangled. It is also an excellent way to organize parts for efficient use at the point of assembly or other use.

What Makes CEP Different?

Customers have many choices for progressive stamping. CEP stands out for several reasons:

End To End Solutions

We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to obtain high-quality, custom stampings that are cost-effective. All of our services and capabilities are offered with this goal in mind. CEP operates three manufacturing facilities, located in New York, Texas, and China, which allows us to serve customers around the world.

In addition to progressive stamping with in-house manufacturing and maintenance of all tooling, we offer these value-added services for a complete solution:

• Rapid prototyping
• Engineering and design support
• Electroplating and selective plating
• Laser cutting
• Photo-chemical etching
• Technical cleanliness processes
• Tape and reel and custom protective packaging

Technical Cleanliness Capabilities

Most stampings involve cleaning and other finishing processes prior to use, but PCB components like EMI/RFI shields as well as electronic and automotive stampings often require a higher degree of care: technical cleanliness. CEP uses a number of specialized cleaning techniques including forced air, ultrasonic, submersion, rinsing, and bubbling in a variety of solutions at different frequencies to remove tiny particles. With these methods we can hold particle sizes to less than 200µm for parts that have pre-plated raw material, and even smaller particle sizes depending on customer specifications. Learn more about technical cleanliness here.

Quality Tape and Reel Packaging

Precision stamped components need to be in an assembly-ready condition when they leave the stamper&#;s facility, and they must stay in that condition during transportation and storage and until the point of use. CEP uses tape and reel encapsulation to individually seal stamped parts in an embossed carrier strip. Prior to sealing each part is verified and inspected to ensure correct placement, orientation, and identification markings.

Material Selection Expertise

Our decades of experience working with different metals gives us insight into factors that matter in progressive stamping and material selection, such as:

• Design intent
• Part manufacturability
• Physical stresses during manufacturing and end use
• Thermal conductivity and end use operating conditions
• Conductivity
• Solderability (especially for PCB applications)
• Tensile strength
• Ductility
• Hardness
• Corrosion resistance
• Brittleness

We regularly work with stainless steel, aluminum, high- and low-carbon cold rolled steel, pre-galvanized steel, nickel-plated steel, precious metals, brass, bronze and copper. Pre-plated materials are also available for some applications, along with finishing options like electroplating and selective plating, heat treating, etching, and deburring.

Choosing the Right Material: Material Selection Strategies

The properties of each metal and how it &#;behaves&#; when stamped determine how suitable it is for a specific application. The number and type of metal stamping techniques performed on the material (e.g., bending, coining, shearing) also add complexity to the manufacturing process and can even make some part features challenging to form within tight tolerances. Balancing material properties with production costs is another aspect of every project. CEP can help at each step along the way.

Using Cost Effective Materials

Metal prices vary considerably based on material composition, form, relative rarity, high-performance qualities, and corrosion resistance. Factors like tariffs, global shipping challenges, mill availability, and other unexpected incidents can impact lead time.

While there may be one or two typical or usual materials associated with a part, there are often highly suitable alternatives. We can suggest material options that improve manufacturability, are more readily available, or simply help lower production costs, as explained here.

Quality Assurance in Metal Stamping

A successful production run starts with assessing the part&#;s design intent and understanding how materials and stamping operations enable, or impede, the ability to achieve a functional finished part. Working from the part print, our team uses prototyping and virtual modeling to optimize manufacturability. Sometimes adjustments to the design or the progressive stamping process makes a significant difference in meeting tolerances, dimensions, and quality goals.

Inspection, verification, and testing are also critical to part performance individually and as part of a larger assembly or finished product. CEP uses both manual and computer-aided inspection methods to ensure parts meet customer requirements and comply with regulations or other guidelines. We are also IATF : and ISO : certified with TUV Rheinland of North America.

CEP Featured Custom Stampings and Case Studies

From simple to complex, CEP has been successful with a wide variety of challenging designs for customers in different industries. Read a few examples of how we use progressive stamping design guidelines to improve part manufacturability, efficiency, and production costs in the case studies below:

Medical Device Metal Stamping Case Study

Learn how we designed a custom manufacturing process for a uniquely-shaped disc component in a medical flow-through valve. The part included tolerances for thickness and flatness, and specified tin electroplating. Read more here.

Automotive OEM Metal Stamping Case Study

Through prototyping and testing, CEP was able to reduce production costs for an automotive component originally consisting of two pins welded to a base terminal. The redesigned component was made from a single piece of metal with no welding required. Read more here.

Custom Packaging Case Study

See how we developed custom packaging trays that organize completed parts while preventing them from becoming tangled. This solution keeps the assembly process moving smoothly without the need to stop and separate parts. Read more here.

Work With a Quality Metal Stamping Partner Today | CEP

At CEP we bring decades of progressive stamping and engineering experience to customers around the world. From the earliest stages of part design, through prototyping and production, to finishing and packaging, our team is here to meet your requirements for quality and part performance.

Please contact us if you have questions about any of the topics in this metal stamping guide or are ready to request a quote.

The company is the world’s best progressive die design supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.