We often talk about quality steel for our metal stamping services here at Thomas Engineering Company. While it’s true that we use the optimal materials suited to each part, we can also work with a range of other sheet metal materials. At TEC, we take the time to work with our customers to build a prototype and choose the right material with our metal stamping in Minneapolis, MN.

Within the realm of sheet metal, there are many kinds of metals available. From types of steel to gold, from widths of 7 gauge to foil leaf, and from strip sheets to coiled sheets, steel sheets and metal stamping materials come in all shapes and sizes.

Common Materials:

Stainless steel comes in three grades. Grade 304 is the most commonly used in industrial stamping because it offers the best resistance to corrosion in ratio to formability and elasticity. Grade 316 steel provides more resistance and strength at higher temperatures, and grade 410 steel offers high heat treatability with a lower corrosion resistance.

Aluminum is a cost effective, light metal used for parts needing greater flexibility and lightweight strength. Different grades of aluminum offer different levels of strength, corrosion resistance, and weldability. Of the four most common grades of aluminum, grade 1100-H14 is chemically the purest, and grade 6061-T6 is one of the strongest and most resistant to corrosion.

Less Common Materials:

Iron is increasingly becoming a material of the past within the metal industry. Though iron is one of the strongest pure materials available, it’s also one of the heaviest. Iron automotive parts like transmission casings and supports are often redesigned to utilize lighter, cheaper aluminum alloys. However, iron parts are still often used in electrical applications for their high magnetic permeability.

Titanium has the advantage of flexibility in terms of forming strong alloys with other metals. Industrial and aerospace grade titanium is alloyed with iron, aluminum, vanadium, molybdenum, and steel to produce strong and light metal sheets. Titanium alloys are becoming more commonly-used in automotive and medical industrial production as well, but it is still a more expensive material than steel or aluminum.

Along with these types of sheet metal, even lesser-used materials include brass, copper, tin, nickel, silver, gold, and platinum. At Thomas Engineering Company, we work with you to choose the right metal for the part with our metal stamping in Minneapolis, MN. Call us today.