Hot stamping has been around since the early 1970s, and it still holds as much promise today as it did then. Imparting strong steel characteristics on lighter-weight metals remains as relevant today as it did then. Today, however, the desire to exploit hot stamping remains strongest in the automotive industry as it seeks to develop lighter-weight vehicles that can still attain five-star crash ratings. The auto industry's work, however, may eventually influence other sectors that crave that combination of light weight and strength.

As more metal formers find themselves taking on more jobs with lower quantities, they have developed higher interest in quick die change. Many want to automate the entire clamping process: Hit a button and the clamps quickly engage or disengage. Hydraulic, magnetic, or combination clamping systems are options for stampers, but they shouldn't think one is necessarily better than the other without a thorough investigation.

The nomenclature associated with some coil processing equipment suggests they might perform the same jobs, but reality suggests that flatteners, levelers, and straighteners serve completely different purposes for the metal former working with coiled materials.