Presswork is a method used to form sheet metal into various shapes by using a press machine. It is incredibly fast, which makes it ideal for producing large quantities of parts in a short timeframe.
Press tools - which resemble the required shape of the component - usually consist of corresponding upper and lower halves. Within the presswork process, the workpiece is punched with a large amount of force between the two halves of the press tool, causing it to adopt its shape.
Press tools can be expensive to manufacture, making it a process that is generally only cost-effective for high-volume requirements. However, it is also versatile, meaning that a number of different materials can be used to produce both simple and complex shapes.
Used to produce
High volumes of small parts from sheet metal.
Materials
Presswork can be used with a wide variety of materials, with mild steel, spring steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and copper being some of the most popular.
Advantages
Cost-effective for large volumes of parts.
Extremely fast process, meaning that large batches can be produced very quickly.
Versatile process that can be used to produce both simple and complex shapes.
Disadvantages
Press tools can be expensive to manufacture, making it a process that is generally only cost-effective for high-volume requirements.
