In the not-so-distant past, the fabrication of prototype stamped parts typically meant using piecemeal tooling, segmented processes and manual operations to create parts that met only dimensional and appearance criteria. The result? Fit and, to some degree, function, and little else. Then, end users began demanding, and stamping companies started fulfilling, requirements to provide prototype stamped parts formed in presses using production-like tooling and processes. The outcome: confirmation of manufacturing intent, to provide an in-depth analysis of tooling designs and to establish data for evaluation of process elements, from raw materials to equipment usage. The effect of the more detailed prototype production provided a more reliable indicator of productivity and performance. Now comes the next stage in stamped prototype fabrication: The prototype stamping specialist, a new generation of forming experts geared to tool and die design, press operations and the intricacies of stamped part fabrication. These firms approach prototype manufacture encompassing the entire process, from analysis of part design and engineering studies to tool-and-die and press compatibility, along with material economies, part handling, quality considerations and secondary operations and finishing stages. The emphasis, however, is on the stamping process and using production-like tools and presses to simulate as closely as possible high-volume production methods. A well-coordinated prototype stamping project will deliver fit, function and the manufacturing intent of the stamping operation, all of the information such as tool life and production rates needed to make the transition from prototype to production. No surprises, no last-minute scrambles, no unexpected delays.
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