A skilled staff: The key to quality and continuity for metal formers

A stamping press is only as productive as the folks that make the tooling, maintain the press, and operate the equipment. A metal forming business with the right skilled workforce is at a competitive advantage over those that struggle to find talent. Getty Images

Today more than ever, sheet metal workers must understand the fundamental components, technologies, and processes involved in creating sheet metal components.

Despite new and emerging technologies, metal manufacturers still rely on their skill and ability to create formed components—a direct reflection of their talent. Much as with art, the sheet metal blank is their canvas. A company’s technology and the skills of its employees define their ability to express themselves in metal.

A young friend recently acquired a film camera. She never took images with anything but her phone. We had a brief conversation about film selection, exposure, metering a subject, and focus. It got me thinking about our relationship with technology in sheet metal forming.

The principles of capturing a still photograph are no different than they were more than 100 years ago. We must compose the image, hold the camera still, understand the values of the light in the image, expose the film or sensor with the right amount of light and time, and be certain the image is focused correctly. The technology changed to help the photographer manage exposure and focus. In the end, though, the skill and knowledge of the photographer remains the single enduring constant in capturing artistic images.

Much the same holds true in metal forming. Today’s hype is about the Internet of Things and simulation. Technology is a tool to help the sheet metal artisan make better decisions. Sometimes your decisions shouldn’t be what the technology recommends. That’s not heretical; that’s a simple fact from technology’s sometimes painful history. The one constant remains the skill of the individual behind the technology.

Manufacturing technology can do monotonous and redundant tasks consistently and without human fatigue. It also can assimilate information from many sources and offer production adjustments and recommendations. It offers production employees insight into the current state of the equipment and the ability to learn from historical events. What technology doesn’t do is replace an employee’s insights and experience.

That skill is what helps to differentiate a company in the market. The ability to produce affordable components with reliable quality draws customers. The types and grades of metal a company can form define the opportunities for sales and profitability. Technology is a tool to enable employees to showcase their forming skills. Employees’ mastery of technology and of the metals being formed is key to a company’s success.

Returning to my photography analogy, younger people have shown an interest in used print and film cameras, and there has been a corresponding resurgence in sales of those products. Among the reasons for this interest are the authenticity of the end product, the skills required to work the equipment, the ability for camera owners to express themselves, and the simplicity of a nondigital tool.

We live in a world full of sameness. We like our mass-produced goods, but the growth of organizations like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and craft stores reflects our need for things that are unique and carefully crafted.

In photography, the film camera takes us a step away from the obviously phony components of social media. Research has shown that inauthentic models are met with skepticism and are not as well-received by the buying public. In sheet metal forming, we mass-produce components. What makes each of us different, though, is our talent. The depth of our knowledge and skill defines how well we can solve problems, adapt to changes, and respond to market needs.

As you know, the core of forming sheet metal components is applying force to a flat piece of metal to build a permanent geometry. Flat pieces of metal can take the form of anything from a hinge to a piece of an advanced aircraft. The differences are in the metal selected to be the canvas, the technologies applied to that metal, and the skill involved in forming that final part.

Photographers understand how inks work with certain papers and how that affects the final image. They understand the properties of the paper, how it absorbs drops of ink, and how its glossiness affects the appearance of the final image. Likewise, when you understand the mechanical properties of the metals you form, the more you will be able to anticipate their behavior in a press. If you understand how their surface properties and hardness affect heat and friction, you will understand more which lubricants to use and how to apply them. As you continue forming, you can collect data and adjust your operations for greater efficiency. The skill to make the right decisions for your product and your bottom line, however, is yours.

Today’s forming, information, and networking technologies are amazing supplements to your skills. They do not replace your need to understand the many variables of forming a blank into a quality component. On average, the new hardware, software, and network technologies installed today will be obsolete in four to seven years. Running beyond obsolescence in a production environment imposes risk on operations, safety, and security. Developing and supporting the skills of your workforce is your best strategy to ensure continuity in production and efficiency.