Miniature deep drawing also known as the micro deep drawing is the manufacturing process of hollow, thin walled cup or box like products having overall micro dimensions.
As the process involved is this deep drawing and the product that is being drawn has a maximum dimension of just a few millimeters, so the process is called miniature or micro deep drawing. The term miniature refers to the very small shape of the final product.
The process of this deep drawing is not different from the standard deep drawing process. All the tools and process steps and governing parameters remain the same. However there are still some differences based on how things are set up and how it is done.
When we discuss the process, then this deep drawing and a standard deep drawing process is the same. In both processes, sheet metal is gripped between die and blank holder and a plunger is used to press and deform sheet metal into required shape.
However when we discuss how the setup of deep drawing is developed and how parameters are set to do a micro deep drawing. Then it's a completely different thing as compared to standard deep drawing. It is more difficult to design, difficult to tool, difficult to process and difficult to control to avoid defects.
The die, plunger and blank holder are all small and their features developed to get the required shape are even smaller. This makes it a bit more difficult, complex and costly to develop die, plungers and blank holders for the deep drawing process.
The control over the micro deep drawing process is also very difficult. Calculation of the force applied by the plunger or the pressure needed to hold a blank without product defects in the product is difficult. It was found in research work that the lubricant used in deep drawing processes to reduce friction and heat buildup can seriously affect the product quality in this process.
As a deep drawing product is already just a few millimeters. So doing the post machining process to remove any extra material or get the perfect shape is even harder. So the deep drawn parts should be achieved in a single process if possible.
All features of a miniature deep drawn part are so small that even a smallest of error during getting required surface finish can destroy parts. Special research work has to be done in order to get the best quality product. When coating a deep drawing part, quality measured is in parts per billion (ppb).
Defects are very difficult to control in the deep drawing process once they start to appear. As all things involved in the deep drawing process are so small that any moderation in die, plunder, blank holder and any other tools is not an option. Usually to remove defects the entire setup is changed.
The deep drawing can process any shape and materials which a standard deep drawing process can. With micro deep drawing process you can get
All these shapes process through deep drawing process can be made from
Steel deep drawing
Miniature deep drawing has very versatile application specially in the medical, automotive, aerospace and electronics industry.
In the medical industry, the micro deep drawing is used for the manufacturing of several products like deep drawing of vaccine containers. As medical vaccines are needed to be delivered in a fixed amount and in an isolated container that can protect it from the environment.
To develop a very small container with fixed volume, the deep drawing is the best option available. Similarly the deep drawing is used for manufacturing of medical device component, such as medical instruments and implants.
In automotives industries the micro deep drawing process is used extensively for manufacturing of small sensor housing and body or even parts. Sensors like speed sensors, pressure sensors, and temperature sensors have really small parts and housing.
The deep drawing is the best process available for automotive metal stamping parts due its ability to manufacture net shape parts in a single stage.
Just like the automotive industry, the deep drawing process is used to manufacture different electronic enclosures for the aerospace industry. As modern jets contain a lot of different electronics sensors and hundreds of thousands of electronics connectors are used to interconnect these sensors.
All these sensor parts, housing, connectors are very small inside and need exact shape, size and micro dimensions. All this is possible using a micro deep drawing process.
As the world researches and develops more and more electronics gadgets, the use of micro deep drawing for the manufacturing of all types of enclosures and shielding coves for electronics devices or their internal components will be more.
In most sensitive electronic devices, there is a need for a very small but effective enclosure that can protect sensitive parts from electromotive forces and other external environmental factors like dust or moisture. This is where deep drawing plays a key role for consumer electronic components.
The most challenging part of miniature or micro deep drawing is doing the research and designing accurate tooling to do deep drawing of any specific product. This is where JCL is expert the most.
At JCL our dedicated team of engineers and manufacturing experts, not only know how to research for your deep drawing product but also know how to execute the process and deliver top quality products.
We are excited to collaborate with you!
If you have any questions about our products or require custom machining services, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to assist you and provide the solutions you need.
