Metal Stamping is old technology. The first “dies” were used to make coins. The term “striking a coin” literally refers to the striking of a die with a big hammer to imprint the two sides of a coin. “Coining” is a stamping term still in use today, referring to the smooth edge pressed around the outside of a coin. This art was known by the Greeks as early as 700BC! Of course, technology has changed with the speed, accuracy, and size capability of modern systems, but many of the principles are the same as they were 2,500 years ago. Here is a walkthrough of a modern stamping “lineup”
Raw Material
The economy of scale afforded by the stamping process starts with the form of the raw material. Steel mills produce “master coils” in various std thicknesses. These master coils are then processed by “slitting companies” that cut the coils down to the specific width needed for a given part to be produced. These custom cut coils are then trucked to the stamping facility. In lower volumes, the use of flat lengths of “strip stock” is common as it requires less equipment to process and feed into the stamping press.