Also known as spin forming, metal spinning is a process manufacturers use to craft axially symmetric metal parts without cutting the material. This process is efficient and highly versatile. At Helander, we have spent over 80 years providing superior quality metal spinning services to our customers in the aerospace, commercial, medical, and defense industries.
At Helander, our metal spinning and sheet hydroforming processes produce a range of durable and high-quality metal parts. Tank heads especially are a perfect fit for our metal forming processes. We produce our tank heads in a number of dimensions and shapes, depending on each client’s specific needs. This blog will discuss how Helander makes tank heads and the advantages of using custom-made options instead of choosing stock tank heads.
Hydroforming is frequently and advantageously applied within the aerospace industry. The typically high complexity of aerospace components necessitates a fabrication technique that can effectively produce the desired shapes and forms. Metal sheet hydroforming provides an economical manufacturing solution for parts with asymmetrical or complex geometries and irregular contours as the process requires fewer passes to produce the desired part than a comparable matched die stamping process.
The modern use of metals to construct furniture dates back to cast iron tables created in the early 19th century; contemporary designers seeking custom parts still frequently rely on metal for the construction of high quality furniture. Metal furniture not only remains durable and strong throughout its lifetime, but it also offers construction flexibility and deeply pleasing aesthetics. While many metal forming processes exist for furniture construction, one of the best methods to create attractive and complex furniture projects is metal spinning.
In the world of food processing, manufacturing the highest quality equipment is of paramount importance. Not only does food need to be kept safe, but the equipment itself must be able to function smoothly even in the most difficult industrial conditions.
Food processing equipment needs to endure high temperatures and resist corrosion in damp environments. While there are a number of different materials and processes that are commonly used to manufacture this equipment, metal spinning using stainless steel allows for highly durable equipment that meets customers’ exact specifications.
The metal spinning process consists of a tube or a disc of metal that is rotated at high-speed and machined into an axially symmetrical product using either a vertical or horizontal lathe. The advantage of spinning over other forming processes is its capacity to create seamless products from a single piece of material, with relatively low-cost tooling. Without seams, parts can withstand much higher internal and external pressures.
You will typically find spun metal components in decorative and architectural parts. Spun metal parts are also featured in variety of machines, cookware, gas cylinders, and brass instruments, and can be made from a variety of materials. Let’s discuss the three most common materials for spinning.
Too often in the metal fabrication industry, the phrase “we’re not set up for that” really means “we don’t want to do that.” When customers are met with either the unwillingness to manufacture their parts to print or the inexperience to know how to do so properly, the end project suffers greatly. Granted, it’s important for designs to be practical and feasible, but when a manufacturer says, “metal spinning with special alloys is just too difficult” it’s simply not true…for Helander anyway.
Special alloys are in no way a hindrance to getting the custom parts you want, in the specifications you want them, and in the tightest of tolerances. In fact, one of the major advantages of creating parts via metal spinning is the ability to create quality, uniform, products out of traditional metal, alloys, and exotics alike. As long as a part is ductile it can be metal spun and even high-strength alloys are workable and machinable.
Light reflectors are used by architectural and commercial lighting professionals to augment artificial light. Since people obtain the majority of their information through their sense of sight, light reflectors are always in high demand; these products can provide appropriate lighting, which helps people process visual information faster and with greater clarity.
Metal spinning is a well-known fabrication process that produces axially symmetric parts. This process is simple and yields high-quality results, and as such, it has become a primary production method for several manufacturers.
Depending on the specific form and structure of a component, there can be more than one metal fabricating process that can be used to meet the same end. Although different processes can achieve similar results, there may be greater benefits of one over another.