Cold Forming of Stainless Steel at Walter Schneider
Cold forming is not a detour, but the direct path to the finished stainless steel part. We cold-form stainless steel at room temperature into complex functional geometries. For applications where durability, dimensional accuracy, and process stability are crucial. From feasibility analysis to series production, all from one source.
Shaping Stainless Steel – Without Milling, Without Heat, Without Waste
Stainless steel is one of the most demanding materials in industrial manufacturing: mechanically resistant, corrosion-resistant, durable – but difficult to machine and costly in material. Traditional manufacturing methods like turning, milling, or casting produce high waste and often require extensive post-processing. This is where cold forming of stainless steel offers a superior alternative – especially for medium to high volumes.
During cold forming, the stainless steel is plastically deformed under high mechanical pressure – but without heat input. The forming occurs below the recrystallization temperature, i.e., at room temperature. This preserves the fiber structure of the material while its structure is compacted by the force applied. Targeted hardening increases the mechanical load capacity and dimensional accuracy of the component – making the process a precise, reproducible and economically convincing solution for functional stainless steel parts.
Why Cold Forming with Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is expensive – both in purchase and processing. Cold forming provides decisive advantages:
Material Utilization: Nearly 100 %
Cold forming utilizes the full material volume without intentional loss. The raw material flows completely into the component depending on the geometry. Especially with high-grade stainless steels like 1.4301 or 1.4567, this is a significant cost advantage over milling or turning.
Higher Component Strength through Work Hardening
The plastic deformation increases the strength of the material. The microstructure becomes denser, and the flow stress increases. The result: Components that are permanently durable, wear-resistant, and resistant to cyclic loading – without additional heat treatment.
Dimensional Accuracy to One-Hundredth Precision
The forming occurs in tightly tolerated tools. Springback is reduced to a minimum. This allows tolerances of up to ± 0.01 mm to be reliably implemented depending on the geometry – even with complex component shapes with multiple functional elements.
Reproducibility for Millions of Parts
The process is highly automatable. Stainless steel is cut from the coil, fed, and reformed in automated presses in sync. This guarantees consistent quality – from the first to the last part.
Nearly Burr-free, Smooth Surfaces
The flowing transition in the forming process produces smooth, dense surfaces with minimal burr formation. Ideal for press-fit zones, sealing surfaces, or visible parts with little post-processing. Additionally, the surface can be optimized by vibratory finishing.
Which stainless steel components can be cold formed?
Cold forming is not suitable for arbitrary components, but for a wide variety of functional geometries that would be expensive to manufacture by machining. Typical component groups are:
Hollow bodies with defined internal geometries, e.g., press-fit bushings, contact housings, fluid connection parts
Functional bolts and pins with collars, detent structures, crossholes, or flanges
Cylindrical housing parts with integrated fastening features or sealing contours
Thin-walled rotationally symmetrical parts with complex cross-sections and a high length/diameter ratio
Axles with end deformations, structured surfaces, or multiple features
Cold forming allows for functional integration directly in the component. Deburring, punching, or calibrating can be directly integrated into the forming process. As a result, many subsequent processes are eliminated or significantly reduced.
Your Manufacturing Partner for Stainless Steel Cold Forming
The cold forming of stainless steel requires more than just machine performance. It requires material understanding, process security, and production-oriented engineering – from the first draft to the last production batch. Walter Schneider specializes in making sophisticated stainless steel parts not only technically feasible but also economically viable in the long term.
What sets us apart:
- In-house Toolmaking: for precise, process-secure forming solutions
- Design Support: focused on function, feasibility, and series viability
-
Manufacturing Expertise for Stainless Steel and Special Materials:
reliably automated - Scalable Series Processes: economically from around 200,000 pieces annually
- Digital Quality Assurance: with CAQ and in-process measurement from the first part
Contact
Do you need a stainless steel component produced functionally, durably, and cost-effectively? We will check whether cold forming is possible for you – with concrete recommendations for action for geometry, material, and process design.