In-Die Staking Services

Founded in 1966, Norstan has since established itself as an industry-leading manufacturer of precision electrical contacts and stampings. Our high-quality electrical contacts serve as an ideal component for use alongside low-voltage power sources in electrical circuit control and management applications. Equipped with an ISO 9001 registered facility, our expert team delivers cost-effective solutions that bring our customers’ ideas to life. In addition to our primary manufacturing capabilities, we offer a broad selection of value-added services, including the in-die staking/auto staking of contact assemblies.

What Is In-Die Staking?

In-die staking is a progressive die stamping process—a complex metal forming technique, often used by industry professionals in the automotive or electronics industries, that creates a high volume of parts at low production costs. During such operations, the workpieces undergo various processes at different workstations, each of which progressively converts the raw material into completed parts.

Also referred to as auto-staking, it’s the process where rivets (either bi-metal or solid) are secured to a substrate via progressive staking tools.  The contacts are fed by a feeding system to the nest receiving the contact and plastically deforming the contact shank material to achieve a mechanical bond between the substrate and contact head.  The integrity of the mechanical bond between members must very tight for the device to achieve optimal heat management while in service.  If heat cannot be managed properly by the mechanical bond of the members, contact failure will occur very quickly in the device.  The contact head will begin lifting from the substrate reducing the surface area for heat dissipation and contact failure accelerates exponentially. The most common test to determine mechanical bond integrity is by torque and cross-sectioning samples.  There is a current/power limitation for rivet-staked assembly.  Setup time and production running rates are good.

Additional Methods Associated with the Staking Process

Orbital forming and manual staking are two manufacturing processes often associated with staking. One supports it as the means of producing the additional parts required, while the other serves as an alternative method.

Orbital Forming

Orbital forming is a process that uses a shaped tool insert, a rotating tool holder, and a forming machine to produce the heads on posts, pins, and rivets. The equipment employed offers a broad range of pressures—400 to 36,000 pounds of downward force—and cycle speeds—900 to 1,700 rpm—to suit different part and production requirements. The process is particularly well-suited for the manufacture of highly precise assemblies but can be used for loose assemblies as well.

The orbital forming process poses unique benefits and limitations that make it ideal for many, but not all, manufacturing applications. For example:

• It is highly versatile. Orbital forming accommodates a variety of malleable materials, including fragile or delicate compounds, with no risk of damage or degradation. As the process does not employ the use of heat, it is suitable for manufacturing plastic assemblies. Some of the materials often used in orbital forming operations include aluminum, brass, copper, mild steel, and plastics, such as ABS and polycarbonate.
• It produces lower-quality heads. Compared to the heads produced in twin-spin roller or radial forming operations, the heads created through orbital forming often are of lower quality. Additionally, the process does not accommodate the use of blind rivets.

Manual Staking

In addition to our in-die staking capabilities, the Norstan team offers manual staking services for contact assemblies that require it.

Why Partner with Norstan for In-Die Staking?

At Norstan, we aim to fully meet the needs of our customers with superior products and services. By partnering with us, our customers benefit from our:

• Over five decades of industry experience
• Knowledgeable and responsive team
• Numerous primary and value-added service offerings, including in-die staking, orbital staking, manual staking, resistance welding and brazing, and semi-automatic and hand assembly
• Fully integrated tool design and build capabilities that offer greater control over the program development cycle

Combined, these qualities allow us to save them time and money during production operations.

If you require in-die staking or other electromechanical part stamping and manufacturing assistance, contact us today. As an experienced manufacturer, we have the knowledge and skills to get the job done.