In progressive die stamping, a coil of metal is fed through a machine that
consists of a series of stamping stations that perform simultaneous
operations. The metal strip moves through the drawing process, with each
progressive die station altering the configuration on the metal from
the previous station. Once the metal has gone through the entire machine
and all the stamping stations, the piece will be complete.
Progressive die stamping is well-suited to operations needing to produce many small
pieces quickly, since you can perform multiple cutting and forming
operations simultaneously. This combining of operations can also save on
costs, although you will have to pay for permanent tool steel die sets.
Progressive die stamping can also allow you to maintain close
tolerances if you have the right tools.
In transfer die stamping, rather than feed the metal part through a series of stations, a
mechanical transport system transfers the part from station to station.
The transfer die can be a single die or part of several dies lined up in
a row. Transfer die stamping is used to perform operations on the part
free from the strip.
Transfer die stamping tends to be more economical than progressive die stamping. It is also much more versatile
than progressive die stamping. If your part has features like cut-outs,
pierced holes, ribs, knurls or threading, you can use transfer die
stamping to work these into regular press operations so that you don’t
need secondary operations at added cost.
You will use transfer die stamping when you have large parts you need to transfer between
multiple presses to complete them, such as shells, tube applications,
frames and structural components. You can find transfer die stamping in
all the industries where you find progressive die stamping. It all
depends on the specific type of part you are stamping and your
requirements for that part.
