Rapid Prototyping Metal Components - Metal Spinning
3 Mar 10
Metal Spinning is a process that has been around for a long time and is often forgotten. Metal spinning is the process in which flat metal blanks are formed over mandrels to produce shapes.
Click here to locate suppliers with metal spinning capability
In the manual metal spinning process, a flat metal blank is held between a mandrel and clamping follower on a lathe that looks much like a heavy-duty wood turning lathe. The material is then worked by applying pressure by means of hand tool or rollers.
The hand tool is held under the operators arm and by using leverage off a peg in a T-rest, the material is worked in an arc motion from the bottom to the top. This motion is repeated until the blank has been drawn down to follow the same contour as the mandrel.
Roller spinning has the same basic concept as hand spinning but rather than a tool under the arm, a roller mounted on a hockey stick (scissor like tool) is used.
Metal spinning can also be performed using automated CNC equipment able to produce metal spun components at incredible speeds and as good as 0.1mm accuracy with quality finishes.
Why metal spinning can be considered an excellent process for rapid prototype metal components is because the tooling or mandrels are quick to produce and cost very little compared to a stamping tool. Components can be produced is short lead times at very low cost.
Even for CNC metal spun components, the tooling and setup time is fast, but complex shapes can be produced accurately and components can be finished with safety beads, trims and more.
Metal spinning is also a useful process to contribute components or sections for the fabrication process. Metal spun components can be cut to provide curved sections to be welded together to produce complex shapes.
By the nature of the process, metal spun components must have an open end when formed. However, 2 'halves' can easily be welded together to form a complete sphere for example. Use of laser welding can quickly join 2 metal spun components with a seam hardly visible.
The following are some examples of products and shapes that can be produced or prototyped using the metal spinning process:
- Domes & Hemispheres
- Cones
- Inlet or Intake Cones
- Tank Ends
- Stubbie Coolers
- Venturies
- Hose Reel Side Plates
- Light Fitting Components
- Lamp Shades
- Ice Buckets
- Letter Box Components
- Rubbish Bin Lids
- Table Tops & Bases
- Post Caps
- Pipe Reducers
- Irrigation components
- Bearing & Dust Covers
- Pizza Trays
- Fan Shrouds
- Fan Extraction Components
- Cone Reducers
- Intake Ram Tubes
- Agricultural Silo Lids
- Plumbing Components
- Fire Protection Components
- Kitchenware and Cookware
- Ducting Reducers and Connectors
Click here to locate suppliers with metal spinning capability.
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