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Metal Stamping

What types of parts are most commonly produced by custom metal stamping services?

Quick AnswerMetal stamping produces thousands of different parts across virtually every industry. Common examples: automotive body panels, brackets, and chassis components; electrical connectors, terminals, and contacts; appliance panels and brackets; industrial washers, shims, and gaskets; electronic EMI/RFI shielding cans; spring clips and retaining rings; heat sink fins for electronics cooling; nameplates and data tags; fasteners and hardware; and food container lids and closures.Automotive Stamped PartsThe automotive industry is the largest consumer of metal stampings. Common parts: body panels (doors, hoods, fenders), structural brackets (engine mounts, suspension brackets), chassis components (crossmembers, reinforcement plates), heat shields, brake backing plates, seat tracks and brackets, fuel tank straps, and exhaust hangers. Automotive stampings range from thin (0.5mm) decorative trim to thick (6mm) structural brackets.Electrical and Electronic Stamped PartsPrecision stamping produces critical electrical components: connector pins and sockets (brass, phosphor bronze), electrical terminals (tin-plated copper), relay and switch components, EMI/RFI shielding cans (steel, tin-plated steel), heat sink fins (aluminum), battery contacts (stainless steel), and lead frames for semiconductor packaging. These parts require precision tolerances of ±0.001" or better.Consumer and Industrial ProductsAppliance components: washing machine panels, dryer drums, refrigerator shelves, oven brackets. Hardware: washers (flat, lock, spring), retaining rings, shims, gaskets, nameplates, and serial number tags. Food packaging: can lids, bottle caps, pull tabs, and foil seals. Construction: metal ties, brackets, joist hangers, and flashing. Agricultural: equipment guards, panels, and brackets.Why Choose SOMI Custom PartsAt SOMI Custom Parts, our metal stamping services cover parts from simple washers to complex progressive die components with 15+ stations. We work with all standard stamping materials: cold rolled steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and spring steel. Our engineers design the progressive die layout to maximize material utilization and minimize waste. We also offer secondary operations: tapping, welding, and surface finishing.Case StudyA manufacturer of electrical enclosures needed 100,000 stainless steel EMI shielding cans per year. The design required precise .050" x .200" vents in a grid pattern, 90-degree flanges, and two M3 tapped holes. SOMI designed an 11-station progressive die that pierced the vent pattern, formed the flanges, and cut the blank to final shape. Each press stroke produced a complete part at 80 pieces per minute. Tapping was done in a secondary automated operation.Industry DataThe precision metal stamping industry produces over 500 billion parts annually worldwide (Precision Metalforming Association, 2025). Automotive accounts for 60% of stamping output by value, electronics 15%, appliances 10%, and industrial 10%. The average progressive stamping die produces 3-5 million parts over its lifetime before requiring replacement.Related QuestionsWhat is the difference between stamping and CNC machining?What surface finishing options are available?What materials are used in sheet metal fabrication?What is the difference between stamping and sheet metal fabrication?

What is the difference between metal stamping and CNC machining for mass production?

Quick AnswerMetal stamping punches and forms parts from sheet metal coils using progressive dies at 200-1,000+ parts per minute. Per-unit cost at 100,000+ units: $0.01-0.50. Tooling cost: $5,000-$100,000. CNC machining cuts parts from solid blocks at 1-10 parts per hour. Per-unit cost: $5-100+. Zero tooling cost. Choose stamping for very high volumes of thin, flat, or formed parts. Choose CNC for precision, complex 3D geometries, and low-to-medium volumes.Process ComparisonMetal Stamping: A coil of sheet metal feeds through a progressive die in a stamping press. Each station performs an operation (pierce, blank, form, draw, trim). Parts are produced with each press stroke. Press speed: 50-1,500 strokes per minute depending on press type and part size. Material utilization: 60-85%. CNC Machining: Solid block of material is clamped in a machine and cut by rotating tools. Each part is individually programmed and machined. Material utilization: 20-50%.Cost AnalysisFor a simple bracket: stamping tooling $15,000, per-part cost $0.08 at 100,000 units. CNC machining: no tooling, per-part cost $3.50 at 100 units, $2.00 at 1,000 units, $1.50 at 10,000 units. The breakeven point where stamping becomes cheaper is typically 20,000-50,000 units depending on part complexity and tooling cost.Application GuidanceChoose stamping for: simple shapes (washers, brackets, clips), very high volumes (100,000+ per year), thin materials (0.2-6mm), and parts that are primarily 2D with bends. Choose CNC for: complex 3D geometries, tight tolerances (±0.001" vs ±0.005"), small-to-medium volumes (1-50,000 units), and thick materials (over 6mm).Why Choose SOMI Custom PartsAt SOMI Custom Parts, we offer metal stamping services for high-volume projects and CNC machining for precision and low-volume work. Our engineers help you determine which process -- or combination of processes -- delivers the best balance of cost and quality for your specific part. We also offer hybrid solutions: stamp blanks with CNC-machined features.Case StudyAn automotive supplier needed 500,000 steel mounting brackets per year. CNC machining would cost $1.20 each ($600,000/year). SOMI designed a 7-station progressive stamping die ($38,000 investment) that produced brackets at $0.15 each ($75,000/year). The tooling cost was recovered in 3 months. The stamped brackets met all dimensional and strength requirements.Industry DataMetal stamping is the most efficient metal forming process for high-volume production, achieving per-part costs as low as $0.001 for simple parts. The global stamping market is valued at $240 billion, with automotive accounting for 60% of stamping production (PMA, 2025). Progressive die stamping can reduce part cost by 80-95% compared to CNC machining at volumes above 100,000 units.Related QuestionsWhat types of parts are made with metal stamping?What surface finishing options are available?When should I choose sheet metal over CNC?What is the difference between stamping and sheet metal fabrication?