The automotive industry has been expanding continuously worldwide since Henry Ford revolutionised the creation of automobiles in the early 1900s.
Since then, automotive production has gone through many changes in terms of the techniques used to produce cars at such a rapid – and accurate – pace.
Stamping is one such technique that has proven to be invaluable in modern automobile manufacture, and one that the industry as a whole may not even survive without due to the current demand for cars.
And with a predicted 77 million automobiles to be produced in 2024 alone, according to Statista, it’s safe to say stamp presses aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
But what exactly is an industrial stamp press? Why are they so essential in car manufacture, and how do they work?
At Cambridge Dynamics, we’re experts in the realm of punch presses, stamp presses, CNC (computer numerical control) processes and more. So feel free to reach out if you’d like to explore press usage within your enterprise.
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at stamping in automotive production.
What is a stamping press?
Presses are predominantly used in sheet metal manipulation.
A metal workpiece is placed between a ram (often a hydraulic ram) and a specifically shaped die, all housed within a press frame. As the ram applies pressure, the sheet metal is manipulated by the force between the ram and the die, to produce the desired result.
Punch presses and stamping presses are similar, though many often use the language interchangeably, which isn’t correct.
While a punch press is designed to “punch” holes and shapes out of metal, stamping presses are used to form metal into certain shapes – such as car parts.
How are stamping presses so essential to automotive assembly?
Because they come in a variety of shapes and dimensions, forming the external parts of a car used to be a ridiculously strenuous process when production first began.
But fast forward a hundred years and today you’ll see these parts being created by stamping presses very quickly and relatively easily.
Whether it’s the door panel, bonnet or roof of a car, these parts usually begin life as sheet metal being pressured into the correct shape as part of the stamping press process, before moving on to become the finished product we see leaving car showrooms every day.
Given the rate at which these pieces need to be produced in the modern day, it’s understandable that physical workers, while still essential, have taken a slight backseat and have allowed automation processes to take over much of the work.
Thanks to CNC, much of the stamping process can now be automated en masse. This has not only reduced much of the formerly necessary labour, but has also increased accuracy and decreased the rate of unsuitable products that were made through human error.
What is the process involved in stamping metal car parts?
Pre-wash
It may sound like a simple cleaning process at first glance, but the pre-wash process used in stamping automotive parts is an essential component of the overall result.
Rather than simply washing the metal part, a special coolant is used to wash the metal which, in turn, avoids unwanted markings being created on the metal during stamping, for a slicker and more usable workpiece.
Stamping
Once the sheet metal has been washed, it is then moved to the stamping press (often an automated action) and is stamped in the manner described above, to create the desired car part.
Post-wash
Once the stamping is complete, the workpiece heads to the paint shop to remove any lingering traces of water and varnish that may affect the manufacturing process.
What is the difference between hydraulic presses and mechanical presses?
There’s an extensive range of presses on the market for such jobs, but one of the main factors to consider is how the press operates. While similar in execution, hydraulic and mechanical presses are powered by different means. As their names suggest, hydraulic presses use hydraulic fluid and pressure to move the ram, while mechanical presses utilise mechanical parts to connect the ram to the power source.
Double-acting presses powered by hydraulic fluid are common, as the two ports allow for the ram to extend and retract quickly. This is compared to a single-acting press, which only uses such force to fire the ram downward, perhaps relying on a spring to raise it again.
Choose Cambridge Dynamics for all your press needs
If you need press services or metal stamping applications for your business, or you’d simply like to know more about presses and how they may be of assistance, speak to the team at Cambridge Dynamics.
With years of experience in automation, presses and manufacturing, we’re your ideal partner to make such processes work for you and your needs.
Get in touch with Cambridge Dynamics today for more information.