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Materials

When it comes to metal parts manufacturing, there is a wide variety of materials to choose from. Of course, the selection must be smart by doing some analysis about the expected results while considering different factors. Among the factors that should be considered, we can include:

• Final geometry and structural shape.
• Final dimensions and tolerance levels.
• Mechanical and other properties of the material, for example yield strength, tensile strength, corrosion resistance, among others.
• Loads that will be applied on the part.
• Surface finish required.
• Manufacturability.
• Cost.

The most common materials used for metal parts manufacturing include standard steel, stainless steel and other alloys. Also, depending on the manufacturing processes involved, the raw materials usually come in the form of metal wire, metal bars, metal slabs, metal tubes and sheet metal.

Materials processed by Schmale Machinery

Schmale Machinery offers fully automated machines that integrate a series of manufacturing processes, such as bending, swaging, punching, notching, lug pressing, flattening and welding, which may be required by the fabrication cycle of different metal parts.

These machines are mostly used to apply the processes mentioned above on metal wire. However, they are designed so that they can be also implemented to process metal tubes, sheet metal and metal strips.

Schmale automated machines have the capability of working with metal wire with diameters ranging from 1mm to 26mm (1/25” – 1”), sheet metal with a thickness up to 1/2” and a width up to 4” and tubes with diameters of up to 3”. Larger materials can be used on request.

The metal wire usually comes in the form of coil (up to 5 tons each) and they are placed on an automatic decoiler to then feed it into the process by means of a servo electric feeder. Pre-cut bars and other types of materials can also be fed via a buffer magazine or a bowl feeder depending on the specific case.

The materials processed by Schmale Machinery go from standard steels to stainless spring steel. They can have yield strengths of up to 1,400 N/mm² (200,000psi), although almost every material can be processed as the machines capabilities include force up to 700 tons.

Moreover, materials such as plastic, rubber and others can also be used in the assembling processes included in the fabrication cycle. Also, inks and laser can be included in stamping or marking processes if required.

It is also important to highlight that the majority of the pneumatic components used in our machines come from our partner Festo, while many electric components and automation, are provided by our partner Siemens. In addition, both the newly developed SPEEDMAX from Schmale and also the machines in the X2000 series can integrate the processes required into a complex production process to produce the desired metal parts from the materials described before.

As it is the case with all other production technologies, Schmale places the highest standards on the productivity and future viability of the machines created. The customer receives a modern, future-oriented and energy-efficient machine that has been precisely tailored to his requirements to produce complex components from wires, tubes, sheet metal and metal strips in an economical and flexible manner.

The fabrication cycles obtained with Schmale integrated solutions only take a few seconds along the different stages to obtain the part ready for market, which clearly represents an enormous increase in efficiency and productivity and a significant reduction in the time to market, meaning that the profitability of your business will be higher. Moreover, series can run 20,000 parts or more depending on the specific part being produced.

Schmale Machinery has delivered hundreds of integrated and automated machines to serve a wide range of industries including the automotive industry, the household industry, the building industry, the public transportation industry and others, resulting in a large list of happy customers.

If you are looking for an automated solution to process metal wire, metal tubes, sheet metal and metal strips, or you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will gladly help you.