---
title: "Metal Stamping Services | Progressive & Deep-Draw | OpenSpindle"
description: "Get quotes for high-volume metal stamping from independent shops. Blanking, piercing, forming, and deep draw with progressive dies, the lowest per-part cost for flat and formed metal parts at scale."
canonical: https://openspindle.com/capabilities/metal-stamping
---

# Metal stamping from independent shops

Presses and dies turn coil or sheet into formed metal parts at volume, the lowest per-part cost for flat and lightly formed metal once the die is built. Upload your part and hear back from independent stamping shops with tooling and per-part pricing.

## Metal stamping shops on OpenSpindle

Real stamping shops running progressive and compound dies. See their press tonnage and materials and get a competitive quote for tooling and production.

[Browse all metal stamping shops](https://openspindle.com/manufacturers?capability=Metal%20stamping)

## Sheet stock our stamping shops run

Stamping starts from coil or sheet stock. Common metals are below; if your material or temper is not here, ask when you request a quote.

- [Cold-rolled steel](https://openspindle.com/materials/carbon-steel.md) -- CRS · HRPO
- [Stainless steel](https://openspindle.com/materials/stainless-steel.md) -- 304 · 301 · 316
- [Aluminum](https://openspindle.com/materials/aluminum.md) -- 5052 · 6061 · 3003
- [Brass](https://openspindle.com/materials/brass.md) -- C260 · C360
- [Copper](https://openspindle.com/materials/copper.md) -- C110
- Spring steel -- High-carbon, heat-treated

## How to design for Metal Stamping

The design choices that most affect whether a stamped part runs cleanly in the die and quotes well.

| Design rule | Typical spec | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Min hole diameter | >= material thickness | Smaller holes risk punch breakage during the stroke. |
| Min edge distance | >= 2x thickness | Holes or features too close to a part edge distort or tear when the slug is cut free. |
| Min bend radius | >= 1x thickness | Tighter radii crack the outside of a formed flange, especially in harder tempers. |
| Typical tolerance | +/-0.005 in | Progressive dies hold this on formed features once the tool is proven out; tighter callouts add die cost. |
| Min feature-to-feature spacing | >= 2x thickness | Adjacent holes or slots too close together weaken the web between them and can tear during stamping. |
| Internal corner radius | >= 0.5x thickness | Sharp internal corners concentrate stress and are a common tear point in blanked or formed profiles. |

Typical starting points for cold-rolled steel and aluminum. Stainless and spring steel are less forgiving; a shop confirms against your part and temper.

## Die types and tooling options

The die is the biggest driver of your upfront cost, lead time, and per-part price at volume. These are the tooling choices stamping shops weigh.

### Die type

- **Single-station die** -- One operation (a blank, a pierce, or a bend) per die, with the part hand- or robot-fed between stations. Lowest tooling cost, best for prototypes and short runs.
- **Compound die** -- Multiple operations happen in a single press stroke at one station, for example blanking and piercing together, producing a finished flat part in one hit.
- **Progressive die** -- A strip of coil steps through a sequence of stations that blank, pierce, and form the part, cut free from the strip at the last station. The standard for high-volume production.
- **Transfer die** -- Individual blanks (not a connected strip) move station to station by mechanical transfer, used for larger or deep-drawn parts that will not run efficiently off a coil strip.

### Cost and tool life

- **Die cost scaling** -- Cost rises with the number of stations, part complexity, and the tolerances held. A simple single-station die can run a few thousand dollars; a multi-station progressive die for a complex part can run tens of thousands.
- **Tool life** -- Hardened tool steel dies commonly run from the hundreds of thousands into the millions of hits before rework, depending on material hardness and how abrasive the stock is.

## Metal stamping vs other processes

Stamping wins on per-part cost at volume once the die is paid off. When your volume or geometry points elsewhere, here is the better-fit process.

| Process | Best for | Typical volume | Choose it over Metal Stamping when |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Laser Cutting](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/laser-cutting.md) | Flat parts, no tooling | Prototype to low volume | You need flat or lightly formed parts fast, in small quantities, without paying for a die. |
| [CNC Machining](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/cnc-machining.md) | Thick or 3D precision parts at low volume | 1 to 1,000 | The part needs 3D machined features or tolerances tighter than a stamped part holds, at a volume too low to justify a die. |
| [Sheet Metal & Press Brake](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/sheet-metal-fabrication.md) | Low-to-mid volume bending and forming | Prototype to mid volume | You need bent or formed sheet metal without a hard die, or the volume does not clear the break-even point for tooling. |
| [Die Casting](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/die-casting.md) | 3D solid metal parts at volume | 10,000+ | The part is a complex 3D solid shape rather than a formed sheet, and die casting is the better fit for that geometry at volume. |

## What Makes a Good RFQ

| Instead of | Send |
| --- | --- |
| "Stamped bracket, need a quote" | "0.062 in cold-rolled steel, blank and form, qty 50,000/yr, progressive die" |
| "Some holes and a bend" | "Hole and bend locations per the flat DXF, tolerances called out on critical features" |
| "Deep drawn part" | "Deep-drawn cup, 1.5 in draw depth, 304 stainless, qty 100,000/yr" |

Material, thickness, annual volume, and whether a die already exists are what set the tooling cost and the per-part price. Send a flat DXF or 3D model with your request.

## Industries Served

- Automotive
- Electronics
- Appliances
- Hardware
- Industrial / OEM
- Electrical

Stamping shops on OpenSpindle build brackets, terminals, enclosures, and formed components for a wide range of high-volume industries.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is metal stamping?

Metal stamping is a manufacturing process that uses a press and a die to cut, pierce, bend, and form flat sheet or coil metal into a part in one or more strokes. It is built for high volume, where the cost of the die is spread across thousands or millions of parts to reach a very low per-part price.

### What is a progressive die?

A progressive die is a single tool with a sequence of stations that a strip of coil steps through, one press stroke at a time. Each station performs an operation, blanking, piercing, or forming, and the finished part is cut free from the strip at the last station. It is the standard tool for high-volume stamped parts.

### How much does a stamping die cost?

A simple single-station die can run a few thousand dollars, while a multi-station progressive die for a complex part can run tens of thousands. Cost scales with the number of stations, part complexity, tolerances, and expected tool life. Upload your part to get a real tooling quote from independent stamping shops.

### Metal stamping vs laser cutting, which one should I use?

Laser cutting has no tooling cost and is the right call for prototypes and low-to-mid volumes. Stamping needs a die, which is an upfront investment, but once the die is built the per-part cost drops well below laser cutting at high volume. The crossover point depends on part complexity and annual quantity, so ask shops to quote both.

### What tolerances can metal stamping hold?

Progressive dies commonly hold about +/-0.005 in on formed and pierced features once the tool is proven out, with tighter tolerances possible on specific critical features at added die cost. Flag the few dimensions that truly matter and a shop tools the die to hold them.

### What is deep drawing?

Deep drawing is a stamping operation that forms a flat sheet blank into a hollow, cup-shaped part, such as a can, housing, or enclosure, by pulling the metal into a die cavity rather than just bending it. It takes more press force and a die designed to control material flow so the part does not tear or wrinkle as it forms.

### Is there a minimum order for metal stamping?

Stamping is a volume process because of the die cost, so most shops look for production quantities, typically in the thousands per year and up, to make sense of tooling a new die. For lower volumes, laser cutting or sheet metal fabrication is usually the better fit until your quantity grows.

## Other Capabilities

- [Sheet Metal & Press Brake](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/sheet-metal-fabrication.md)
- [Laser Cutting](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/laser-cutting.md)
- [CNC Machining](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/cnc-machining.md)
- [Die Casting](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/die-casting.md)
- [Welding](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/welding.md)
- [Powder Coating](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/powder-coating.md)

## Design Notes That Move Your Price

Not a definition of metal stamping. The design and sourcing choices that move your tooling cost, piece price, and lead time.

- **Confirm your volume before tooling:** A die is a fixed upfront cost that only pays off at volume. If you are not yet confident in your annual quantity, laser cutting or sheet metal fabrication keeps you flexible until the design and demand are locked.
- **Keep features away from edges and each other:** Holes and slots too close to an edge, a bend, or another feature distort or tear as the slug is cut free. Keep spacing at roughly 2x material thickness as a starting point.
- **One material and thickness per part:** Mixing gauges or metals means a different die or a secondary operation. A single material and thickness keeps the part on one progressive die.
- **Tell the shop if a die already exists:** If you are reordering a part with an existing die at a shop, say so. You only pay the per-part run cost, not tooling again, unless the die needs a transfer or rework.

## Get metal stamping quotes

Upload your part once and compare tooling and per-part stamping pricing from independent shops.