What do manufacturers need to learn to grow their metal forming business?

Identifying, defining, and learning needs is the first step toward improving sheet metal forming results and pursuing new manufacturing opportunities. Getty Images

If you’re a bit overwhelmed by the changes in the sheet metal forming industry, you’re not alone. We’re all faced with lightweighting, carbon neutrality, an uncertain near-term market, and demands for components made from newer steels and aluminum. And those new materials often require ovens and press hardening. Servo presses are replacing old hydropneumatic presses at an increasing rate, and the higher contact pressures and temperatures of higher-strength steels require specialized lubricants that can maintain a low coefficient of friction and viscosity through the stroke.

If that’s not enough to make your head spin, there’s always the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 to ponder.

Sheet metal forming follows many rules of thumb built on the experiences of tradespeople over its long history. Until about 30 years ago, these rules were acceptable practices for the metals used. Since then, however, suppliers have introduced thousands of new steel grades, and aluminum has become a bigger player in manufacturing. Obsolete practices need to be updated, and processes and technologies must be adapted to handle modern materials and to meet the requirements for efficient forming operations.

All of these developments make now the perfect time to review your current state of knowledge. Identifying and defining your learning needs is the first step to improving your forming results and pursuing new opportunities. When you understand what you must know to meet your goals, you then can develop and execute a meaningful and prioritized training plan that addresses real weaknesses. This will lead to immediate and meaningful results, both in your personal abilities and on the plant floor.

A knowledge self-assessment requires that you be honest with and about yourself and your organization. This isn’t a test; there is no grade. A self-assessment simply defines what more you need to know about your materials, processes, and technologies. It is only a first step toward building an efficient and competitive forming operation.

The following outline is a guideline for how to conduct a meaningful assessment of your knowledge goals.

Define your organization’s goals.

1. What production improvement goals do you face?
2. Where do you want to grow and compete in the market?
3. What new technologies will you adopt in the near future?

Measure your budget constraints.

1. What activities are budget priorities?
2. Is your training budget adequate?
3. How much is your organization willing to commit to new technologies?
4. How much is your organization willing to commit to process improvement?

Identify incidents and shortcomings.

1. What negative incidents must you prevent? Are you adequately prepared?
2. What production issues must be fixed?
3. What must you and your staff know to meet your organizational goals?

Keep a continuing self-assessment log. As issues arise, write your experiences and what you wish you and your people understood better than you currently do.

Before leaders can prepare their companies for future business opportunities, they need to identify and define their learning needs. In other words, they need to find out what they don't know.

Spend time closely observing plant activities.

1. Does equipment function as wanted?
2. Do employees follow production and safety guidelines?
3. Is material received, blanked, stacked, oriented, and loaded properly?

Conduct a 360-degree appraisal by collecting anonymous input from employees on management direction and oversight, as well as their production experiences. This will help you identify your and your company’s knowledge shortcomings, which you can use to prioritize a training plan to support your competitive, production, and budget goals. Forming areas that typically need attention include:

• Reading mill test certifications.
• Blanking and shearing.
• Forming simulation and die tryouts.
• Maintenance and reliability.
• Lubrication selection and application.
• Scrap reduction.
• Press hardening equipment and processes.
• Forming aluminum, tailor-welded blanks, and advanced high-strength steel.
• Welding.
• Material properties and reading lab test results for tensile properties, forming limit cuves, anisotropy and blank orientation, and bending strength.

This article offers only a sample of items to consider when building your self-assessment and training plan. You know your organization’s plans and constraints. You probably have a good idea of the knowledge you’ll need to meet those goals, but sheet metal forming is a dynamic environment, and you’re likely not aware of all the issues yet. Following a structured self-assessment plan will help you record the challenges you know and discover issues you might not be aware of.

Demand for suppliers of components from stronger and lighter materials is expected to grow into the near future. With the right foundation of knowledge and awareness, your organization can confidently pursue new opportunities in forming components for the products needed today and tomorrow.