To achieve the required depth for a part, the metal typically is redrawn with a series of dies. A blank holder is used to hold the blank in place to prevent the formation of wrinkles in the metal, which would otherwise result from the stress placed on the metal as it is being drawn into the die by the punch.

Deep draw metal stamping is commonly used in the commercial lighting, aerospace, automotive, defense and medical industries. It is an ideal, cost-effective solution for large production runs of durable, high quality metal parts. It also is a good choice for smaller production runs of parts for products expected to have a long lifespan.

Jones Metal Products is a leading producer of quality metal parts made through deep draw metal stamping and offers customers the added value of custom design and production of dies to help reduce manufacturing costs. Dies made by Jones Metal Products offer years of reliable service for deep draw metal stamping.

Deep draw metal stamping further helps control production costs as it reduces material waste. The process minimizes the amount of metal required to make a part as it leaves little extra to be discarded. Deep draw metal stamping also makes more complete parts than other metal fabrication processes, which helps simplify and lower the cost of product assembly.

Another advantage of deep draw metal stamping is that it enhances the strength of the metal so that finished products end up stronger and more durable. Many types of metals can be formed into parts through deep draw metal stamping, such as steel and stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum, titanium, clad metals, lead and high-tech alloys.Other metal forming processes offered by Jones Metal Products include hydroforming, deep draw hydroforming, vacuum heat treating and aluminum heat treating.

To learn more about deep draw metal stamping from Jones Metal, call us at 740-545-6381!

Tooling for sheet hydroforming often costs half that of matched die tooling. The cost of tooling is less because sheet hydroforming generally uses cast iron for punches, rather than hardened tool steels, the typical material required for deep draw stamping. Cast iron can be easily tooled and offers a long service life.

As far as tooling goes, sheet hydroforming requires only a punch, as the male die, and a ring to hold the blank in place. A rubber diaphragm and pressurized forming chamber play the role of the female die.

Sheet hydroforming is an economical solution for complex, asymmetrical parts that would require multiple punch cycles in a matched die process like deep draw metal stamping. Sheet hydroforming can fabricate these parts in a single press cycle, thus saving the expense of additional press time that would be required for a matched die operation.
Another advantage is that sheet hydroforming creates less friction than deep draw stamping, thus reducing stretching. This results in more uniform thickness of the formed material and allows for increased drawability of the material.

And because of the decreased friction, sheet hydroforming creates blemish-free formed parts that don’t required the added expense of buffing and other finishing processes, as are needed with deep draw stamping. It’s because of this advantage that sheet hydroforming is often the technique of choice for producing cookware, medical and aerospace applications that require superior finishes.

Jones Metal Products offers both sheet hydroforming and deep draw metal stamping as both have their place for specific applications. Deep draw processes are economical for large production demands of symmetrically shaped parts, while sheet hydroforming is the ideal solution for shorter press runs of uniquely shaped parts.

Jones Metal Products discovered the process of sheet hydroforming in 1956 and since then has perfected the process. Engineers at Jones Metal Products can help customers decide which is the better, more cost-effective process for their specific applications.

Call us at 740-545-6381 to learn more about Jones Metal Products and our sheet hydroforming solutions!

Manufacturers representing a wide range of industries value deep draw metal stamping for its economical use of materials and how it helps reduce the costs of assembly. Jones Metal Products uses the process to make parts for customers in the aerospace, automotive, commercial lighting, defense and medical industries. It also is widely used for the dairy industry, baking and pharmaceuticals and plastic manufacture, as well as many others.

Just about any part that is deeper than half its diameter – even the metal kitchen sink – can be formed by deep draw metal stamping. Other items that are good candidates for this type of part fabrication include muffin pans and cylindrical products, such as fire extinguisher canisters, oil filters and aluminum cans. Diverse examples of products formed in this way by Jones Metal Products include light reflectors, jet engine components and cake pans.

Typical metals used in deep draw metal stamping include steel and stainless steel, aluminum, high-tech alloys, copper, titanium and brass. The process minimizes waste of these metals, as the minimum amount of sheet metal necessary to form a specific part is progressively shaped in a series of presses of a punch into a die. In contrast to metal stamping, deep draw metal stamping forms parts from a single-piece sheet metal blank, rather than a continuous run of blanks. Jones Metal Products offers its customers added economy by offering the added service of designing and producing dies in-house. Deep draw metal stamping delivers yet additional savings to manufacturers as it fabricates components that are complete, ready for assembly. Another advantage of deep draw metal stamping is that the process adds strength to the original material, leaving customers with seamless parts of exceptional strength and durability for years of dependable, unfailing service.

All in all, deep draw metal stamping offers manufacturers a practical, cost-saving solution for producing quality, sturdy parts to fill large production requirements. It also proves economical for shorter production runs of parts for products that are expected to be on the market for a long period – and to fill the need for replacement parts.

Call Jones Metal at 740-545-6381 today to learn more about our deep draw metal stamping!

Through the deep draw stamping process sheet metal is formed into three-dimensional shapes, using mechanical equipment and dies that are specially designed for each part. Jones Metal Products not only performs deep draw stamping to produce parts for customers but helps customers reduce part production costs by providing in-house design and tooling services.

Jones Metal forms dies that last for years, reliably serving customers’ long-term needs for deep draw stamping.

A wide range of metals can be used in deep draw stamping production, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, lead, high-tech alloys and clad metals. And the process is applicable for a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, commercial lighting, defense and medical.

Deep draw stamping offers several advantages in the fabrication of metal parts over other techniques, such as molding, casting and traditional machining. For one, deep draw stamping makes economical use of materials, minimizing waste. The deep draw process allows manufacturers to use the minimum amount of material necessary, preventing valuable materials from being wasted and thrown out.

Deep draw stamping also helps customers control assembly costs as it creates more complete components that are designed for ease of assembly.

And answering companies’ concern for quality, the deep draw stamping process improves the material strength of finished products. In other words, the finished product ends up stronger and more durable than the original material used to fabricate it. The deep draw stamping process work hardens the metal as it creates seamless, finished parts that are made for long-lasting service.  Jones Metal complements its deep draw services with a variety of other processes. These include deep draw hydroforming, hydroforming, vacuum heat treating and aluminum heat treating. The company stringently complies to AS9100B and ISO9001 quality standards to meet customers’ needs for timely delivery of parts that perform to or exceed specifications every time.

Call Jones Metal at 740-545-6381 to learn more about deep draw stamping!

Jones Metal Product has been in the hydroforming business for over 50 years. Already doing business in stamping and metal enameling, Jones Metal went out and bought the largest and most powerful model of this new kind of forming machine from Cincinnati Hydroforming in 1957.

Some 20 years later, the company had a video produced to showcase this amazing machine. Fifteen minutes in length, it was suited to the slower pace of the flow information of the times. It was used by Jones Metal presidents and sales representatives to introduce hydroforming to current and potential customers for some time, and it conveyed a lot of information.

Looking at that old video recently, we decided to update it in a condensed format to keep the attention of the contemporary viewer. We also wanted to showcase additional services that Jones Metal performs in- house. So we set an outside limit at three minutes of viewing time and came up with a video that features the forming process and additional features of 5 axis laser cutting and vacuum heat treating, all required for an actual part manufactured at Jones Metal.

We also wanted to introduce the viewer to a larger picture of our manufacturing facility, especially the Hydroform Department, which houses 11 machines capable of forming blanks from 15 inches in diameter to 32 inches in diameter. Jones Metal has three of the 32 inch machines in operation. As the camera pans across the department, the viewer gets a look at its size. Of course, most important of all, the viewer gets a close look of how the operator works the machine to form a part from a metal blank.

Ed Myers, Jones Metal Manufacturing Manager, narrates the video. He has been with our company for 33 years, beginning in the Hydroform Department in 1979. Bill Olinger operates the hydroform machine with Herman Mahaffey, helper. Richard Masters, utility, assists with annealing, and Greg Bahmer is the 5-axis laser technician.

Click here to view the hydroforming video on YouTube.

“We saw a demand for this specialty quench and more furnace capacity, and they fit into our plan to add aluminum heat treating services,” said Dan Erb, President and CEO of JMP. “We’ve been offering the new quench service for about six months and are building business with it.”Certain aluminum alloys require hot water quenching.  For this type of quench, de-ionized water is heated to specification ranging from 130 to 150 degrees F. The quench cycle is completed within 12 seconds. The desired effect is distortion control and reduction of residual stress in forgings and castings.

Parts made from aluminum alloys such as 2014, 2025, 6061, 7049, 7050, 7075, 7149, and 7249 benefit from hot water quenching after heat treatment in the furnace. These parts tend to be thick (often over an inch thick) and include plates, forgings, extrusions and castings. For thinner parts, a glycol quench may be specified, and they can be treated in the glycol quench tank.

There are two Recco drop bottom furnaces available in Jones Metal’s heat treat department. The dimensions of the first furnace are 44 inches x 44 inches by 92 inches. It can be heated to 1000 degrees F. and has a load capacity of 900 pounds. The dimensions of the second furnace are 41 inches x 42 inches x 66 inches. It also can be heated to 1000 degrees F. and its load capacity is 900 pounds.

Jones Metal’s aluminum heat treating operation is NADCAP and ISO 9001 certificated.

Call us today at 740-545-6381 to learn more about aluminum heat treating from Jones Metal!

At Jones Metal, preparation for producing a resonator box begins in the company’s tool and die department, where hard tooling is made according to the customer’s specifications.  This hard tooling is then fitted on a 176 ton press, which has a variable speed motor to control the speed of hits. With this kind of control, the material gets time to move and from, and the required depth of the part is better achieved.

A component for the land-based turbine market called the “scoop” also requires deep draw stamping to produce parts somewhat like resonator boxes, but smaller. Tooling and material requirements are similar to resonator box requirements, and several hits on a press may be required. Because these scoops are smaller than the resonator cups discussed above, 45 ton and 110 ton presses are used. Heat treatment and other ancillary services often are performed. Jones Metal makes scoops of varying size and shape, depending on the customer’s specifications.

Contact Jones Metal for more information on deep draw stamping and hydroforming—two different methods of metal forming, sharing experienced people in metal forming with heat treating, laser trimming, and machining, all under one roof!

Take the swirl cup, for example, which is a component in the exhaust system of a jet engine.The swirl cup can be produced from a metal blank of up to 32 inches in diameter, which is just the right size for a large hydroforming machine. Forming this part can involve three different draws on the machine and two anneals to produce a circular shape with six cup-shaped formations. With each draw and anneal, the material moves closer into the desired shape and depth until it has reached specification. After forming, it is ready for secondary operations such as laser cutting, extruding, and machining. Because of its complexity, the swirl cup is considered a difficult part to form and work with, but the technology of hydroforming keeps the forming process simple and precise. Jones Metal Products Company has three 32″ hydroforming machines that are large enough produce the swirl cups, along with eight other hydroforms for smaller work.

Hydroforming has the capability of producing aerospace parts from several different materials. Aluminum and aluminum alloys are used to produce aerospace gyroscope cases, oil filter pans for the helicopter market and lens retainers. Some jet engine components are made of stainless steel. Nickel alloys are used for parts in nozzle systems, nose cones, cowls and the swirl cup discussed above. And titanium is used for components of potable water tanks.

Aerospace manufacturers typically order relatively small quantities of these kinds of parts, usually in a range of one to 200 parts, which works well with the Jones Metal hydroforming process. Our machines form parts under many pounds of pressure per square inch, and we produce each part one by one under close inspection, in order to produce each part to satisfy all various aerospace specifications.

We’d love to talk to you more about hydroforming, call us at 740-545-6381!

• Parts emerge ready for further forming
• Parts emerge without scaling or discoloration
• Parts require no further cleaning

It takes a vacuum heat treatment furnace to achieve these results. Essentially, parts are positioned in a special chamber. Oxygen is removed from the chamber and replaced with (usually) argon gas. The chamber is heated to up as much as 2400 degrees F. at a controlled rate, and then the temperature is lowered. “Soak” time depends on the “recipe” for the part and the particular material it is made of. A vacuum heat treatment cycle takes three to 24 hours and sometimes longer. The process is computer controlled to insure uniformity and repeatability.

Vacuum Heat Treatment Applications

Metal parts that require vacuum heat treatment are parts that must withstand high heat and stress in actual operation—airplane engine and exhaust parts, parts used in land based generators, and auto racing bell housings, for example.

These are difficult parts to form in the first place and may take several forming operations to achieve the final part. The benefit of vacuum heat treatment here is that it can take a part which needs further forming and soften the part so that it is ready for more. Many of Jones Metal’s vacuum heat treatment orders are for softening or stress relieving to prepare the part for further forming. Parts also can be made tougher and stronger with vacuum heat treatment, but that is a separate application.

Materials which are used to form the kinds of parts listed above all respond well to vacuum heat treatment. They include the super-alloys (heat resistant materials based on nickel, iron-nickel, and cobalt-nickel), reactive and refractory materials (Haynes types and titanium), and various grades of stainless steel. Metal parts in some musical instruments made of brass and bronze also require vacuum heat treatment.

These materials also respond well to the controlled environment of the treatment process.  Parts emerge from heat treatment without scaling or discoloration and require no further cleaning, polishing, or washing procedures before the next operation.

Vacuum Heat Treatment and Jones Metal

Jones Metal’s vacuum heat treating operation is accredited by NADCAP and is ISO 9001 certified. Jones Metal prides itself on quality service and fast response times. The goal is to turn heat treat orders, including vacuum heat treatment orders, around in one week. For more information on vacuum heat treatment, contact Jones Metal today.

Sources:

• Vacuum Furnace—Wikipedia
  Operation and Maintenance Manual, Vacuum Furnace Systems Corporation
  Heat Treater’s Guide, ASM International (2010)
  Ed Myers, Operations Manager, Jones Metal Products Company

The secret is in a unique fluid forming process, which offers advantages over conventional mechanical and hydraulic presses. The value of hydroforming has been proven over and over again in the past 50 years with the manufacture of metal parts for such markets and industries as commercial lighting, cookware, defense, aerospace, and land based power generation.

The hydroform machine or press is different from the conventional draw press. A comparison of the two drawing processes with regard to wrinkling is summarized from information from the Precision Metalforming Association, Independence, Ohio:

Compare the matched die process with the hydroform machine. Generally, with a conventional press, the blank is first placed on the top of a lower die and then the blankholder ring is lowered, making contact with the blank. Next, the upper die is lowered to make contact with the blank and now the part is ready to be drawn.

When this starts, there is a relatively small amount of material out of contact with upper and lower die, but then as the draw progresses, more and more material is drawn from under the blankholder ring, ending with having no contact either with the lower or upper die. To restate this, as the draw ring progresses, more and more material is actually out-of-control.

This is usually what causes problems with tearing or wrinkling with parts on conventional matched die tooling. In addition, as the draw progresses, the upper die member absorbs energy, which takes some of the hold-down force from the blankholder ring. As this happens, , the flange area is getting smaller and the material is work hardening—which actually more hold-down force to eliminate wrinkles.

However, everything is completely different when using a hydroform. In hydroforming, hydraulic pressure in the forming chamber forces the flexible diaphragm to be in contact with the blank during the entire drawing process. There is never a time when the material is not “in control”: it is always between the diaphragm and the punch, flowing smoothly without the stretch lines, scuff marks and work-hardening often that often happens with conventional dies.

Additionally, as progress is made during the course of the draw, the oil pressure is increased—which gives greater hold-down forces on the smaller flange area of the part…the result? Pressures that range from 5,000 to 15,000 pounds per square inch.

This true value of hydroforming shows itself in savings on finishing costs. Scuff marks, wrinkling, and shock and stretch lines are avoided. The cushioning action of the flexible diaphragm essentially prevents these faults from occurring, saving in finishing costs.

Hydroforming and Jones Metal

Jones Metal Products Company takes pride in producing parts without wrinkles and marks. This value of hydroforming results in a reduction of time and cost of finishing a customer’s order. With eleven hydroform machines in operation, the company can form parts from blanks up to 32 inches in diameter. Blanking materials include aluminum, stainless steel, nickel-alloys, titanium, copper, brass, and bronze.

For more information on the value of hydroforming, contact Jones Metal today!

Sources:
Precision Metalforming Association, Independence OH.
H. Singh, Fundamentals of hydroforming, 2003, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2003105327.
A. Esposito, Fluid Power with Applications, 7th Edition, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2009, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Ed Myers, Operations Manager, Jones Metal Products Company.