Cold Bulk Forming
Cold bulk forming is a chipless metal forming process conducted at room temperature. Blanks are plastically deformed under high pressure into their final shape—without material removal or heating. The result is high-precision, durable components with excellent dimensional accuracy and material utilization—ideal for medium to large series in industry, medical technology, or mechanical engineering.
What is Cold Bulk Forming?
Unlike hot forming, cold bulk forming takes place at room temperature, without prior heating of the material. Through targeted force application—for example, using punches and dies in specially designed tools—the material is plastically deformed. The internal fiber orientation of the metal is preserved, resulting in high strength values.
Cold bulk forming includes various processes such as:
- Forward, backward, and lateral forging
- Upsetting and necking
- Multistage forming processes for achieving complex geometries
Advantages of Cold Bulk Forming
-
Low Material Waste
All material is transferred into the part geometry—no waste, no cutting. Particularly economical with expensive metals like stainless steel or special alloys. - High Component Strength Cold work hardening and preserved grain flow create components with high endurance—without predetermined breaking points as in machining processes.
- Precise Shapes With Tight Tolerances Tolerances in the tenths or even hundredths of a millimeter are possible—ideal for series parts or high-volume production parts with high fitting accuracy requirements.
- Less Reworking Parts often come directly ready for installation from the press—additional machining such as milling or grinding is usually not necessary.
- Energy Efficiency Since no heating is required, the process consumes less energy than hot forming or casting.
Which materials are suitable?
Walter Schneider GmbH processes a wide range of metallic materials, including demanding alloys:
Stainless steel—for corrosion-resistant and durable components
Copper & lead-free copper alloys—ideal for electrical and hygienic applications
Aluminum—light, easily formable, perfect for weight reduction
Case-hardening and free-cutting steels—for robust, mechanically durable components
The Process: How does Cold Bulk Forming work?
Cold bulk forming is a method of metal forming technology, where a metal blank is plastically shaped into a new form at room temperature under very high pressure—completely without heating and without material loss. The process works as follows:
1. Position the blank
A blank, such as steel, copper, or aluminum, is placed in a specially shaped tool or automatically fed.
2. Apply force through punch and die
A punch exerts great force on the blank, exceeding the so-called yield strength of the metal, causing it to plastically deform—meaning permanently take the new shape.
3. Material flow into the tool
The metal flows into the form under pressure, either forward (with the punch), backward (opposite direction), or laterally to the punch movement (cross extruding). The material is not removed—it is plastically displaced into shape.
4. Form Filling and Ejection
In closed tool systems, the material is fully enclosed by the tool. Once this occurs, the punch is withdrawn. The formed component—e.g., a sleeve, bolt, hollow body, or connector—is removed or automatically ejected.
Walter Schneider GmbH—Your Partner for Cold Bulk Forming
As one of the few specialists in Europe, we offer tailored solutions for cold bulk forming at room temperature—with extensive experience in stainless steel, copper (including lead-free), aluminum, and special alloys. Focus is on technical feasibility, economic efficiency, and long-term partnerships.
Complete Project Management – From Design to Series Production
Many clients come with an idea, drawing, or rough specification—We assess technical feasibility, advise on part design, and develop a customized solution collaboratively with the client. Our team takes care of tool design, ensuring a smooth transition from development to series production.
In-House Toolmaking—Precise, Fast, and Fully Integrated
Our in-house toolmaking ensures maximum accuracy between tool and part. This not only provides high dimensional accuracy but also shortens response times for changes or new projects.
Process Diversity – Combined Cold Extrusion Methods
We rely on the combination of forward, backward, and cross-cold extrusion—even in a single part. This makes it possible to realize complex or asymmetric geometries that would not be economically feasible with conventional methods.
High-Volume Series Production with Precision
Our processes are designed for medium to large series (from about 50,000 pieces per year). We guarantee not only dimensional accuracy and shape stability but also high repeat accuracy across millions of parts.
Digital Quality Assurance with CAQ Systems
Every part is digitally inspected—including first-article and final-inspection protocols, in-process control, and documented acceptance protocols. This way, we meet demanding quality standards in industries such as medical technology, drive technology, or electrical industry.
Are you planning a part?
We offer a non-binding evaluation to determine whether cold bulk forming is the optimal process for your project—including honest feasibility feedback and optimization potential.