Said to be the first in North America, a stamping system that selectively thickens designated areas of sheet-metal components during the forming process has gone online. Anchored by a 1000-ton Muller Weingarten mechanical press, the new setup is churning out automotive parts at the Textron Fastening Systems plant in Jackson, MI. The line incorporates coldforming extrusion and tooling technology from Stikosirn, which, instead of stretching and thinning as is the case with other metal-stamping operations, thickens the walls of base materials to create robust joints, according to Textron officials. To bolster joint areas, the process removes material from areas where strength is not needed and adds it to the sidewalls of bolt locations and other load-bearing points.
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