How progressive tooling produces repeatable three-dimensional micro parts from metal foil as thin as 0.02 mm.
Why micro deep drawing matters
As products shrink, OEMs need miniature metal components that hold the same strength and repeatability as conventional stamped parts. Micro deep drawing forms small three-dimensional parts from foil and thin strip, typically from about 0.40 mm down to 0.02 mm thick.
A punch draws a flat blank radially into a forming die. The material flows rather than being removed, so a well-controlled process preserves consistent wall thickness while creating cups, sleeves, housings, and other closed forms in one or more drawing stages.
High repeatability with low material waste
Micro drawing can combine circular, rectangular, and custom features with repeatability that's hard to match with turning or milling. Since the shape comes from material flow, scrap and machining chips stay minimal.
This process suits precision series production where every batch must hold micrometer-level dimensional requirements. Progressive tooling can integrate blanking, drawing, piercing, flanging, and slotting, cutting down handling between operations.
Materials and work hardening
Steel, stainless steel, brass, copper, and aluminum are all viable for miniature drawn parts. Material grain size, anisotropy, elongation, and work hardening become more critical as component dimensions shrink.
For some applications, useful work hardening occurs during forming, eliminating a separate strengthening step. Material selection still needs validation against draw ratio, corner radius, surface finish requirements, and service environment.
Engineering challenges at miniature scale
Accurate strip positioning and transport get tougher when the blank is extremely small. Press accuracy, die alignment, lubrication, and measurement capability must be treated as one integrated system. Conventional tooling rules can't simply be scaled down without accounting for size effects in the material.
A combined blanking-and-drawing sequence can prepare and form the material within the same press cycle. This improves registration and supports stable output for complex micro parts.
Typical micro deep-drawn parts
- Sensor and solenoid housings
- Needle guide sleeves and cannulas
- Miniature filters and oil-filter sleeves
- Caps, rivets and small cartridges
- Reverse-drawn miniature components
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