There are two general types of tooling for metal spinning processes: wood and steel. CNC lathes are equipped with hydraulicly actuated arms that generate a tremendous amount of pressure from the material being spun to the tooling underneath it. When the material is formed to the tools, the pressure increases by a great amount. Wooden tooling is not as strong as steel, and has the possibility of breaking, or even exploding when too much pressure and strain is added. Wooden tooling is typically used with softer materials, such as aluminum and copper. Because many of our products are made from stainless steel, this is where D-2 Steel comes in very handy. It is an extremely strong and durable material that we make most of our tooling from.
Wooden Tools
Wooden tooling is less durable than steel tooling but offers a cost-effective solution for prototypes and small production runs. However, wood is prone to absorbing moisture and could deteriorate over time. Wooden tooling is commonly used with hand lathes, but with the precision and efficiency provided by CNC controlled lathes, many metal spinners have transitioned away from manual spinning. CNC technology gives spinners the opportunity to produce large production runs in a short amount of time. Most of the tooling used for CNC controlled lathes are made from steel.
Historically, hand spinning was more prevalent, and wooden tools were a fast and economical option for prototypes or one-off orders. Despite advances, wooden tooling can still be used for specific applications, such as followers that hold the part against the chuck, or trim tools. These tools help protect cutters from being damaged by direct contact with steel. Additionally, wooden trim tools are also utilized for adding finishes, where they can be used for polishing directly on the tool in certain cases.
Steel Tools
D-2 Hard Steel is commonly used for metal spinning tooling. D-2 is a specific tooling material with characteristics such as high Carbon and high Chromium with extremely high wear-resisting properties. Its high Chromium make-up gives it some corrosion-resisting properties when it is in its hardened condition. After treating the steel properly, it will not change in size, with the potential to last a lifetime.
Fabricating steel tooling is a lengthy process as machining steel is tougher than wood and may require sending for heat treatment. Heat treating steel can be an expensive process. If the tooling will not see much use, or is not in direct contact with wear surfaces, heat treatment is not always necessary. Unhardened or prehardened steel is also effective and durable for tooling in these cases. However, ultimately, the choice of material depends on the expected use of the tool.
General Characteristics:
D-2 Steel can be utilized for many different purposes including Blanking Dies, Forming Dies, Deep Draw Press Dies, Metal Spinning Tooling, and Rollers. Below are two examples of press tooling.Â
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