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What is the Ironing Process

Ironing is a key operation in deep drawing where the workpiece wall is uniformly thinned in a specific area. Used strategically with deep drawing, it's essential for making parts with uniform wall thickness and improved height-to-diameter ratios.

Our Capability

We focus on thinning thick material during deep drawing while keeping the original stock thickness at the base. By ironing and drawing the outer wall in a controlled sequence, we get smooth exterior surfaces and straight, parallel walls—this also solves demolding issues. We run this as part of our progressive deep drawing tooling, which is where our precision forming capability really shows.

Ironing in Thin-Wall Deep Drawing

Ironing in thin-wall deep drawing gives you a smooth finish, holds tight tolerances, and improves mechanical properties—all of which contribute to the quality and function of the finished part.

Balford runs precision ironing and thin-wall deep drawing in progressive dies, which requires tight process control. We can hold minimal outer and inner corner radii through ironing and thin-wall drawing, and we maintain the demanding tooling standards that this level of work requires.

Benefits

Lower Energy Use

Thin-wall deep drawing replaces traditional cold extrusion, cold heading, casting, or forging, which cuts energy consumption and reduces press tonnage requirements.

Higher Part Strength

Parts from thin-wall deep drawing show better strength and toughness from the cold work in the steel, which also improves wear resistance.

Tighter Tolerances

Thin-wall deep drawn components hold precise tolerances, making them well suited for press-fit and close-clearance applications.

Better Surface Finish

Thin-wall deep drawn parts come off the tool with a clean surface—no die marks or blemishes—giving you a smooth, consistent finish.

This process works well for mechanical components such as engine parts, transmission parts, and hydraulic components that need to handle high stress and hold precise fits. Depending on the material and reduction, we may specify stress relief annealing after forming to control springback and residual stress.

Deep Draw Metal Stamping