I. Steel (Most Common, Largest Usage)
1. Cold-Rolled Steel Sheet (SPCC/SPCD/SPCE)
Characteristics: Good surface quality, high dimensional accuracy, and good stamping formability. Uncoated, prone to rusting.
Common Grades:
SPCC: General use, equivalent to Chinese grades Q195 and Q215A.
SPCD: For stamping, equivalent to Chinese grade 08Al.
SPCE: For deep drawing, equivalent to Chinese grade 08Al (deeper drawing).
Applications: Appliance housings, automotive parts, office equipment, general structural components, etc.
2. Hot-Rolled Steel Sheet (SPHC/SPHD/SPHE)
Characteristics: Surface has oxide scale, larger thickness tolerance, good strength and toughness, lower cost. Stamping performance is not as good as cold-rolled sheet.
Applications: Automotive frames, structural beams, washing machine inner drums, and other structural components with low surface finish requirements.
3. Galvanized Steel Sheet (SECC/SGCC)
Features: Galvanized on a cold-rolled sheet, providing rust and corrosion resistance. Divided into electro-galvanized (SECC) and hot-dip galvanized (SGCC).
SECC (Electro-galvanized): Uniform and smooth surface, easy to paint, commonly used in electrical appliance housings.
SGCC (Hot-dip galvanized): Thicker coating, better corrosion resistance, but the surface may have zinc bloom and is less uniform.
Applications: Chassis and cabinets, automotive bodies, outdoor electrical equipment, ventilation ducts.
4. Stainless Steel Sheet (SUS)
Features: Corrosion resistant, high strength, beautiful appearance, but difficult to stamp (prone to work hardening, requires strong lubrication).
Common Grades:
SUS304: Austenitic, most commonly used, good corrosion resistance, good toughness.
SUS301: Austenitic, high strength, good elasticity, commonly used in spring sheets.
SUS430: Ferritic, slightly lower corrosion resistance, but lower cost. Applications: Kitchen appliances, medical devices, building decoration, food industry equipment, fasteners.
5. Electrical Steel Sheets
Characteristics: High silicon content, high magnetic permeability, low iron loss. Brittle and hard, causing significant wear on molds.
Applications: Motor cores, transformer cores, and other electromagnetic components.
II. Non-ferrous Metals
1. Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Sheets
Characteristics: Low density, good electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistant, easy to process. Wide strength range, from soft (O-state) to hard (H-state).
Common Grades:
1xxx series (pure aluminum): Excellent formability, low strength, such as 1100.
3xxx series (Al-Mn): Rust-resistant aluminum, good formability, such as 3003.
5xxx series (Al-Mg): Higher strength, resistant to marine corrosion, such as 5052.
Applications: Aircraft parts, automotive heat sinks, electronic casings, beverage cans, labels.
2. Copper and Copper Alloy Sheets
Features: Excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Relatively high cost.
Common Grades:
Pure Copper (T2): Best electrical conductivity, good ductility.
Brass (H62, H68): Copper-zinc alloy, high strength, good formability, golden appearance.
Phosphor Bronze (QSn6.5-0.1): Excellent elasticity, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance.
Applications: Electrical connectors, terminals, springs, contact springs, decorative parts, heat sinks.
3. Magnesium Alloy Sheets
Features: Lightest metallic structural material, high specific strength, but expensive; poor ductility at room temperature, usually requiring heated stamping.
Applications: Aerospace, high-end 3C product (laptops, cameras) casings.
III. Other Materials
1. Titanium Alloy Sheets
Features: Extremely high specific strength, excellent corrosion resistance, but very expensive; difficult to stamp.
Applications: Aerospace, military, medical implants.
2. Non-metallic Materials
Some non-metallic materials are also processed through stamping or die-cutting.
Insulating materials: Phenolic resin boards (Bakelite), epoxy boards.
Elastic materials: Rubber, silicone.
Others: Mica, leather, cardboard, composite materials, etc.
Factors to consider when selecting stamping materials:
Performance characteristics: Strength, hardness, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, magnetism, etc.
Processing properties: Formability (elongation, n-value, r-value), weldability.
Appearance requirements: Whether painting, electroplating, or using the original raw material appearance (e.g., brushed finish of stainless steel or aluminum) is required.
Cost: Select the most economical material while meeting requirements.
Environmental protection and regulations: Restrictions on hazardous substances such as RoHS and REACH.