Category: News & Updates

In short, metal stamping and metal pressing is the creation (forming) of a shape in metal. This is done by either pressing the metal with a pressing tool or using a stamping die there is also multi slide stamping.

Spotlight On: Pressings & Stampings

We have been spring manufacturers for over seventy years and are keen to share our passion for bespoke pressings and bespoke stampings with you. We currently produce a wide range of springs and wire forms for companies all over the world, from Sweden to China, so you can trust our expert knowledge.

The History of Stamping and Pressing

Going back as far as 1880, stamping and pressing technology was built on the foundations of blacksmithing. In the past, blacksmiths would use hammers, anvils, and forges to coldwork metal, but in the age of industry, this quickly became automated with the creation of steam-powered hammering machines. Since then, we have been refining our manufacturing process to get to where we are now – high-quality products made quickly and efficiently. If you want to read more about the history of stamping and pressing, we recommend that you read our blog: A Brief History of Pressings and Stampings.

 

How Are Pressings and Stampings Different?

The words ‘stamping’ and ‘pressing’ are used interchangeably but refer to the same process. This is important to bear in mind when reading articles about pressings and stampings in case this isn’t clarified and the misconception that they are different products spreads.

 

Why Are Pressings and Stampings Produced?

Pressings and stampings can be used to become a part of many important products in modern day society, including bicycle parts, aeroplane parts and entire cans. In fact, pressings can be considered an instrumental part of the aerospace, automotive, and construction industries. We consider them so important that we even wrote a blog that considers the state of the world without having discovered stamping and pressing technology: Imagine a World Without Pressings and Stampings.

The number of items produced through stamping is quite broad, from clock springs to race car springs which shows how integral they are to modern life. Each different pressing will have its own meaning and importance within the industry it was created for.

 

How Are Pressings and Stampings Produced?

Stampings, or pressings, are created by inserting flat sheet metal into a specialist machine often referred to as a stamping press, but also sometimes called a power press. This metal is then formed into the correct shape(s) through the use of a metal die. A die is an implement which is pushed into the sheet metal. This forces the sheet metal to take the shape of the die.

After the metal is shaped, it may undergo further treatment including punching, blanking, embossing, bending, flanging and coining. Of these, punching is the simplest to understand as it simply refers to the desired metal shape being punched out of the surrounding material. We’ll explain the other operations a little further here:

Blanking – The process by which a flat shape is cut out of the material, this process usually leads to further processing. Did you know that all drinks cans start off as circular blanks?

Embossing – A shallow depression is forced into the material.

Bending – The material is shaped in one direction. This can happen multiple times to produce a particular shape.

Flanging – Like bending, but along a curved edge.

Coining – Named after the item it was initially used to create, coining is the process by which a pattern is compressed into the flat sheet metal.

There are many other types of pressings too, including stretching, necking, and hemming.

 

What Are Pressings and Stampings Made From?

Our pressings can be made from a variety of materials to suit any industry’s requirements. You should contact us if you’re seeking a pressing made from one of these materials or an alloy: metal strip, flattened wire, melinex, carbon and stainless steels, copper, brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, aluminium and superalloy. If you have a particular project in mind, get in touch with us so we can discuss which technologies best suit your designs.

As stated in the video below, good collaboration in the planning stage will give your pressing request the best chance to work with your product design ideas:

There is even technology that can run your pressing design through simulation software on a computer to ensure that it will withstand the strain of the application it is going to be used in, so ensure that you make the most of our design support when placing an order with us.

If you have any further questions about the processes of our metalworking, why not contact us directly and we’ll see how we can help make your next product design become reality. We can even provide you with prototypes to ensure that you will be receiving exactly what you ask for, whether that’s some flanging, bending, coining, or all three.

We at European Springs are very excited to announce our 2019 exhibition line-up. You can find us at various industry and manufacturing exhibitions in the new year, where we will be showcasing everything we do best.

Subcon Show

The best of British manufacturing will be on display alongside a wealth of market leading international suppliers all looking to help UK manufacturers optimise their supply chain strategy in 2019 and beyond.

Be sure to come along between 4th – 6th June 2019, you can find the European Springs team at NEC Stand D40

Subcon Show

Plantworx

PLANTWORX is a Construction Equipment Association (CEA) event, organised ‘for the industry by the industry.

This event runs from 11th – 13th June at the East of England Arena,Peterborough. European Springs can be found at stand AC7, so be sure to pop and see us!

Plantworx

Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference 

A technology to industry event bringing together, National and International Technology and Hardware Providers across High-tech Manufacturing, Precision and Industrial Engineering, Industry 4.0, Robotics, Automation, 3D Composites & more.

This event is being held on the 25th June at the Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference in Milton Keynes. You can visit European Springs & Pressings at stand A15.

Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference

FAST Live

The UK’s only specialist fastening, bonding and assembly event for design engineers, production professionals, manufacturers and fastener buyers.

This event will be held on 19th September at the National Motorcycle Museum. You can find European Springs at Stand 4.

FAST Exhibition

IMHX

The UK’s largest event for logistics and supply chain professionals

Held from the 24th to 27th September at the NEC, you can find European Springs & Pressings at stand 20F150.

IMHX

Medical Technology Ireland

Showcasing innovative medical technology products and solutions – visiting Medical Technology Ireland is a MUST.

Held from the 25th to 26th September, you can find European Springs & Pressings at stand 101.

Medical Technology Ireland

You can find more information about how to attend these exhibitions on their websites. We hope to see you there!

European Springs are proud to, once again, be exhibiting at FAST Live this year. The event is a fantastic opportunity to see what’s going on in the industry, meet the experts and attend seminars to develop your company’s processes.

If you are a design engineer, manufacturer, involved in the production process or a fastener buyer, FAST Live is a must visit, and in this article, we aim to give you some more insight into the event.

What is FAST Live?

FAST Live is the UK’s only event which specifically specialises in fastening, bonding and assembly for industry professionals. This year’s FAST Live will take place at Silverstone Circuit, in The Silverstone Wing on Thursday 9^th May 2019.

The event is completely free to attend and is the perfect place to find new and innovative ways to improve your company’s production. The event prides itself on bringing together the countries leading fastening, bonding and assembly companies, as well as a whole host of professionals who are at the forefront of innovation and development in the industry. There are many stands, manned by specialists, who are willing and ready to discuss their latest products with exhibition attendees.

Why Should You Attended FAST Live?

If you’re contemplating visiting FAST Live this year, then you need to be aware of the wide range of benefits your business will gain from attending the exhibition.

With your free visitor badge, you will be granted access to meet, and do business with, some of the UK’s leading suppliers of fasteners and advanced materials. You will also be granted free access to a whole host of technical seminars from leading industry professionals, who will be on hand to provide you with insight into the very latest industry trends.

We also understand just how important it is for you to stay in touch with your business whilst out of the office, with that in mind we provide all of our guests with complimentary Wi-Fi at the venue. What’s more, if you arrive before 10.30am, you’ll be treated to a breakfast roll completely free of charge.

Your business can also benefit greatly too, as the event can help you find suppliers who will:

• Enable your business to cut costs
• Speed up your company’s production
• Produce more lightweight solutions
• Allow your business to implement the very latest products and technologies

Provide live product demonstrations, so you can benefit from seeing how the latest products work and function

Why is FAST Live Important for Businesses?

Any manufacturer understands how selecting the most efficient material for your application is crucial to the design project. It is paramount that businesses work with suppliers that have the right materials and expertise, with the best materials and application knowledge to ensure project success.

FAST was created to support just this, and annually helps those in the sector to find solutions to various design queries. The event allows companies such as European Springs to showcase our innovative work, creating a platform through which we can access a wider market whilst providing a face-to-face medium to meet our valued customers.

The ‘roadshow’ style of the event is great for all participants as an engaging exhibition for attending engineers and buyers. As an attendee, you can meet the experts behind the scenes, who will be offering eloquent solutions to all of your design needs.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about this year’s FAST Live exhibition. If you are coming along to FAST Live this year, be sure to come and see us at Stand 4! Our team of experienced and friendly spring manufacturers will be on hand to answer any of your questions.

At European Springs & Pressings we see springs everywhere we go, it’s part of who we are. What we, or anyone else for that matter, aren’t used to seeing is hats suspended from our springs in the bathrooms of one of London’s most exclusive restaurants.

Sketch, housed in an 18^th century townhouse in Mayfair London, is a dining emporium like no other. Fusing Michelin starred food experiences with art, Sketch holds the title of possibly the most instagrammable restaurant and the most desired location to experience a sensory, cultural immersion of food and creativity.

European Springs & Pressings were invited to supply springs that enabled Sketch’s guests to reach up and pull down a spring suspended hat, take a selfie and then release – all from the comfort of the famous egg-pods in the celebrated bathrooms.

Rising to the occasion, the Beckenham branch of European Springs & Pressings manufactured the 2m long springs, rushing them through production to make sure everything met the deadline and no one was caught short.

Joel Bondoux, Technical Director at Sketch says: “We had a very limited time frame to deliver our seasonal themed idea. European Springs & Pressings, completely understood and delivered our brief with a rapid turnaround – not only satisfying our needs but also offering a unique experience for our guests. Hats off to them for managing the project so superbly.”

Howard Downs, Technical Director of European Springs & Pressings concluded: “Seeing our springs suspended from the iconic ceiling of the uniquely extra-terrestrial egg pod loos, in the elegance and extraordinary environment of Sketch is a spring location first and a project we were delighted to be a part of.”

The Manufacturer has put together their Annual Manufacturing Report (AMR) for 2019, which contains a comprehensive overview of the UK manufacturing sector’s state of mind in a year that has been turbulent to say the least. The report looks at the key areas of manufacturing, including Government Policy and Industrial Strategy, Smart Factory Technologies and Skills and Training, among others from a manufacturing business owners’ point of view.

We take a look at some of the key talking points raised in this year’s manufacturing report and give some of our views on the most important issues surrounding the industry in 2019.

Brexit Fears

It would seem wrong to start this article anywhere other than Brexit; it’s fair to say Brexit has dominated the news for the past few years in the UK and obviously played a key role in the survey carried out by The Manufacturer. Whilst some businesses within manufacturing have to thrive throughout the Brexit negotiation process, the vast majority of UK based firms are struggling to implement a solid strategy due to the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s future. An alarming statistic the survey found, was that 71% of respondents said Brexit uncertainty is damaging their strategic planning and business prospects, which in turn, has halted growth for most businesses.

In last year’s survey, 54% of respondents said that Brexit will cause chaos for manufacturers, this figure has sharply risen in this year’s report with 64% now believing that Brexit will be damaging for manufacturers. On the other hand, it’s interesting to note that the report also found that 35% of people believe that Brexit will boost their company’s growth in the coming years.

Despite a potentially bleak outlook based on the respondent’s answers to Brexit related questions, it’s encouraging to see that 77% said that, whatever happens, we have the drive to succeed as an industrial nation. This positive thinking is exactly what the industry needs in a time which has been extremely turbulent and uncertain for many businesses across the UK for an extended period of time.

Smart Factories on The Rise

By 2025, it’s estimated that the global worth of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology will eclipse $6.2 trillion; so, it’s no surprise that many companies are moving towards incorporating smart factory technologies in their day to day operations.

The AMR found that 74% of respondents acknowledged that they’ll need to adopt new digital technologies in order to prosper in the future. The survey highlighted respondents believe the biggest benefits IoT will provide will be in improving design and production processes (87%) or in streamlining internal company processes (74%).

In 2018’s report, 69% of respondents agreed that the official campaign for adoption of these technologies is a positive thing for the industry, and in 2019 this number has risen to 74%, Whilst there has certainly been a shift in thinking when it comes to how business leaders perceive the beneficial impact of technologies on manufacturing businesses, there is still a lack of knowledge on how to successfully implement these new technologies. This is further highlighted with 26% of respondents stating that implementation is on their radar, but they were unsure of their strategy.

More worryingly, 27% of businesses that responded to the survey stated that they currently have no plans to implement an element of digitalisation into their business in the near future. This statistic demonstrates just how much further the industry has to go before convincing business owners that IoT technologies are a necessity of modern manufacturing.

Forward Thinking Training for Young People

It’s no secret that there is a severe shortage of skilled workers entering manufacturing, with current university graduates and apprentices not possessing the expertise to carry out essential tasks. The AMR’s findings in this particular section were not much of a surprise, with 57% of respondents saying that the education system is a disaster for the manufacturing industry and needs a complete overhaul. The survey was also pretty damning on the Apprentice Levy despite this being one of the governments’ flagship policies for the industry, as 51% of those who responded stated they believe it is a ‘tax’ on employment and is inefficient at driving apprenticeships.

More positively, the AMR found that 71% of people believe that apprenticeships are developing into a proper alternative to higher education for school leavers. But it also did highlight that more needs to be done in order for apprenticeships to successfully address the ever-increasing skills gap that needs to be filled. Interestingly, there was a particularly mixed response when respondents were asked if they believe the government are taking the skills gap seriously. Whilst 23% of those asked believe the government is implementing effective policies to address the skills gap, 33% believe that the government is sending mixed messages about dealing with it.

Ensuring that the industry is filled with skilled young workers is something that we believe in strongly and with that in mind, we launched our own apprenticeship scheme back in September 2018. The report from The Manufacturer undoubtedly finds that there is a dire need for young skilled workers within UK manufacturing to address the skills gap and we are committed to making a difference.

You can read the full report by visiting The Manufacturers website.

As spring manufacturers with over 70 years of experience within the sector, we take great pride in keeping our finger on the pulse of the latest news within the manufacturing industry. We utilise the latest report’s and news from the industry to inform our business decisions to ensure that our company continually offers our customers a comprehensive selection of the very best products available on the market today.

When it comes to fire safety there can be no compromise, especially when it comes to buildings that house hundreds of people on a daily basis. With the safety of millions of people around Europe in mind, fire regulations are changing, and European Springs & Pressings are helping to improve fire safety in buildings around the continent.

In this article, we will discuss why fire regulations are changing and how the team here at European Springs & Pressings are helping to guarantee the safety of millions of people.

We will place focus on how the smaller more intricate building components can often be overlooked and cause huge issues in emergency situations. For example, using plastic cable ties in buildings would appear to have insignificant safety implications; in reality, their use has proved to be fatal in the past.

Why Are Building Fire Safety Regulations Changing?

Wiring Regulations for fire resistant cable supports have finally changed in late 2018, and whilst this may sound like a relatively small change, past events suggest that cable supports can be extremely troublesome in the event of a fire.

Under the previous regulations cabling in buildings throughout the EU had been kept in place through the use of plastic fixings and non-metallic cable ties. The use of these particular types of fixing had presented potential fire risks because of their liability to prematurely collapse in extreme heat. The proposed changes to the 18^th Edition of the Wiring Regulations states that: “Wiring systems shall be supported such that they will not be liable to premature collapse in the event of a fire’ (clause 521.10.202)”.

The new regulations have been put in place in light of an incident in 2005, where two firefighters sadly lost their lives whilst at the scene of a fire in a block of flats in Stevenage. A subsequent inquiry found that whilst there were several factors contributing to the death, one of the firefighters became entangled in electrical cabling that had fallen because the plastic cable trucking had melted.

This revelation resulted in action being taken, and now the new regulations state that all cables must be fixed by metal fixings to trunking. Some may argue this change in regulations has come far too late, a whole 13 years after the initial event that sparked debate about the use of flammable materials being used to house cables.

The use of metal fixings which are capable of withstanding a considerable amount of heat will play a key role in fire safety right across Europe. The new rules also state that all cables and associated trunking must be securely attached to a suitable fire-resistant part, especially when cabling is near escape routes and exits.

How European Springs Have Been Helping?

With the regulations now in full effect, European Springs have been tasked with creating a huge amount of metal fixings and parts for a client, to ensure that buildings around Europe are compliant with the changes in legislation. Each fixing we have manufactured must be able to maintain its function for up to 120 minutes in the event of a fire to allow all emergency exits to be clear for both occupants of the building and emergency services.

Throughout 2018, we supplied several million bespoke parts to our client, who deals with safe fittings for buildings. As part of our design process, we spent time to ensure that the fittings we were providing were completely safe to use in the building. Many of our fixings are already being utilised in buildings across the continent and helping to protect the lives of millions of people.

Here at European Springs, we take great pride in being a leading bespoke pressings and spring manufacturer in the UK. Seeing our metal fixings used in buildings right across Europe, helping to ensure the safety of people around the continent, is fantastically satisfying and we look forward to manufacturing many more of our fixings in the coming months and years.