Stamping9 min read
Stainless steel stampings: work hardening and tool life
Stainless is not mild steel with a better surface. It work hardens, galls and holds heat at the punch edge, and that changes the die, the schedule and the price.
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Sourcing notes for custom parts
Drawings, tooling, quality and landed cost, from the team that runs the programmes.
All guides, page 36
Browse the full library.
Stamping10 min read
Stamping lead time: tooling, trials and production
A realistic timeline from drawing to shipment, the steps that sit on the critical path and the buyer actions that shorten a programme without hiding risk.
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Wireforms9 min read
What is wire forming? Processes, parts and design limits
A practical guide to formed wire parts: the operations behind them, the design calls that decide cost and where wire forming beats stamping.
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Stamping9 min read
Brass stampings: machining, plating and spring properties
Brass forms easily, machines cleanly and plates well. The grade you pick decides how much spring it keeps, how it behaves in damp air and whether the finish stays put.
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Busbars10 min read
Busbar for renewable energy and storage
Solar, wind and battery systems run at DC, outdoors and for decades. The busbar has to manage continuous current, thermal cycling and a corrosive environment together.
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Stamping10 min read
Fine blanking: when a sheared edge needs to be smooth
How fine blanking produces a clean sheared edge in one stroke, what the tool and press need, and when the process beats conventional blanking plus a secondary operation.
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Stamping10 min read
Measuring burrs and edge quality
How to define a burr, choose a measurement method, set an acceptance limit that matches the function and keep records that show the die is still in control.
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Stamping10 min read
Stamping inspection: first article, in-process and final
What to measure at each stage of a stamped part, how often to measure it, and which records make a shipment defensible.
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Stamping10 min read
Stamping tolerances: what a progressive die can hold
Realistic tolerance bands by feature for a progressive die, the material and thickness effects behind them, and how to place limits so the part is capable and inspectable.
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Busbars10 min read
Busbar for busway and busduct
A busway is a continuous run of conductors, joints and supports. The design decisions sit at the joints and the expansion points, not in the middle of a straight section.
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Stamping9 min read
Compound dies vs progressive dies: choosing the tool
Two die types, two cost structures. How to choose between a compound die and a progressive die for a stamped part, with the geometry and volume rules that decide it.
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Stamping9 min read
Copper stampings: conductivity, temper and tooling wear
Copper is the easy metal to form and the awkward one to keep clean. Alloy and temper decide the current path, the bend radius and how often the die needs polishing.
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Go from reading to checking
The guides are built around the same questions as the free tools. Size a busbar, check an ISO 2768 callout, build a first article report or compare landed cost.
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