Forcing Steel To Do Your Will: The Industrial Superpower Worth Having And Why
by Willie Horton
Superman was able to take a lead pipe and bend it into a pretzel, no problem. It is a fantasy a lot of people have to make steel bend to their will. Yet, some people, particularly those in industrial and manufacturing settings, actually do have a way to make steel bend to their will. Here is how they do that.
Metal Stamping
Machines that can press down on steel sheet metal with such force as to create literally any form you want are a part of this industry's superpower. Every metal stamper machine has a stamp mold or stamp former installed between two flat presses. When the mold/former is properly installed, it stays in place for all of the pressings of a particular shape that the industry wants and needs. Think of it as a giant crimping tool with multiple, changeable plate forms and you get the idea. It will create anything from the most basic fold in steel sheet metal to the most complex pressed patterns, and it is as fascinating to watch as it is to do.
Metal Forging
The only other means to get steel sheet metal to bend is through forging. Unfortunately, you need a very hot forge and lots of special tools just to touch the steel sheet metal, so it is not really as impressive as watching a stamping machine cold-press anything and everything into sheet metal within seconds of the cold sheet metal passing through the stamping machine. Still, if you need a more complex method of bending steel into a complicated shape that the stamping machine cannot create (e.g., a perfect steel ring for wooden barrels), forging could be your company's other superpower.
Why Metal Stamping Is Worth Having
There are almost unlimited possibilities with a metal stamping machine. Given how often and how easy it is to swap out the pressing plates and buy tons of extra pressing plates for future jobs, it is the go-to machine for whatever contracts your company lands. These machines make short work of any job that asks you to bend and shape metal flawlessly and quickly. Workers operating this sort of machine do not need a whole lot of training to operate it, either. Even when the press plates need to be changed, the operating employee should have no trouble changing the plates on his or her own, unless the press mold of the plates makes them particularly heavy.
For more information about metal stamping, reach out to businesses like Precision Stamping.
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Owning any kind of industrial manufacturing facility means working with a lot of equipment and machinery. When you're new to this kind of thing, you may be wondering about what kind of ongoing maintenance the equipment will need. If you're lucky, the prior owner has logs and records that will tell you what you need to do. If you're not, that's what we're here for. We're sharing information here to help business owners like yourself to take care of the equipment in your facility today. We will post new information regularly, so check back often for the latest tips and plans.