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Tips for Metal Stamping - "Requests for Quotation"

While all of the better metal stampers will gladly provide you with design assistance and guide you in developing specifications for metal stampings there are a few areas which need special attention in the request for quote process.

In addition  to detailed CAD drawings with all the required dimensions it is especially important to include the following information:

• Flatness - This measures the degree (or absence) of curvature or variation in the surface of a part.  Often critical when the part must fit adjacent to other parts and a lack of gap between them is desired.  Usually expressed in terms of a TIR measurement.
   
• Tolerances -  With regard to critical dimensions what is the degress of accuracy that is required.  Usually specified as a range of upper and lower limits as some thousandths of whatever unit of measure is being used (inches, millimeters, degrees, etc...).
   
• Cosmetic or Appearance - It is especially critical for a quality metal stamping company to have a complete picture of all cosmetic requirements for a part.  This may influence the final part cost more than any other single factor by requiring specific stamping operations, materials, secondary processes or packaging.  Furthermore detailed descriptions of the appearance requirements should include whether these apply to specific areas of a part or the entire piece.

Other critical information on a quote request:

• Type of material
• Thickness of material
• Hardness
• Coatings (paint, powders coating, plating, anti-corrosion, etc...)
• Quantity (annual, lifetime and shipment size & frequency)
• Hardware related - PEMs, nuts, tapped holes

In general the more detailed and specific the requirements are then the more accurate the resulting quote will be.  Adding a requirement after tooling has been produced can increase the cost of a part far more than if it was designed into it in the first place.  Likewise being able to work with experienced metal stamping experts on revising or eliminating unnecessary requirements can substantially reduce part cost.

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Last modified: February 03, 2006