Before the stamping process, the material is cut, which involves two types of operations:
- sheet metal shaping: blanking and punching;
- sheet metal forming: bending and deep drawing.
Blanking and punching are two operations that fall under sheet metal shaping and consist of applying sufficient “shearing force” to separate the material along the cutting edge of the die. In particular, blanking allows us to shape the perimeter of the part being processed, while punching is used to create holes and cut-outs.
Both operations can be carried out using different types of presses, depending on the requirements, or automatic CNC punching machines. These machines provide high productivity thanks to the possibility of changing the punches, which are already preset, using simple commands through the computerized control system operated by our specialized personnel. The main difference lies in the destination of the material separated from the original sheet metal part. In blanking, the separated material constitutes the finished product, whereas in punching it becomes scrap.
G.P.B. Blanking Department
Our company is able to perform blanking operations on sheet metal up to 6 mm thick.
G.P.B.’s machinery includes friction presses with capacities of up to 250 tons, equipped with PLC systems for die adjustment and identification. This technology helps reduce set-up times during sheet metal blanking operations. In addition, we have a special single-bar transfer press with 10 stages and adjustable pitches ranging from 50 to 250 mm. The feeding systems installed on our blanking machines allow us to manufacture parts of different sizes, starting from strips with thicknesses ranging from 0.1 to 6 mm and up to 500 mm in width.
