Slideforming

Slideforming is a high-volume process where a system of cam-controlled tools produce small simple or intricate parts from coiled sheetmetal or wire. Moving slides, with end-of-slide tooling specific for each job, hit the strip or wire, progressively forcing it into a desired shape. Other tooling assumes the role of dies in traditional stamping, supporting the strip or wire during forming. Though forming generally is limited to bending, slideforming does enable, in a single machine cycle, blanking, trimming coining, embossing and other operations.

Competitive processes: Stamping.

Parts produced: Slideforming can produce very high volumes of clips, brackets, clamps, electrical connectors and similar parts.

Benefits: Multiple slides allow a variety of operations to take place within the machine, sometimes more than what is capable even in traditional stamping presses employing transfer or progressive dies. This means less material handling and less floorspace dedicated to machinery. Slideforming tooling is of simpler design and less costly to procure, maintain, store and implement.

Capacities: Volumes produced in slideforming machines usually outpace stamping-press capability, somewhat due to the ability of multiple-slide machines to produce more than one part per cycle, depending on part complexity.

Materials: Slideforming machines can accept coil strip and wire of various alloys. Tempered strip can be formed providing bending is not severe and the strip is relatively thin. This process can mar coated materials, though use of nonmetallic inserts can reduce marks.

Should I use it? If you need high volumes of clips, connectors and bracket parts, slideforming could be the ideal choice. But make sure tooling can withstand prolonged high impacts. Workpiece size is limited to about 8 in. wide by 30 in. long in strip forming. Wire parts to 40 in. long can be slideformed provided wire diameter does not exceed about 3/8 in. Drawing and stretching are not feasible due to lack of required tonnage and operational limits of tooling setups.