Sheet Metal Spinning or Sheet Metal Forming

Sheet metal spinning is a broad term to cover an array of processes which ultimately result in a spun metal component. Traditional or conventional metal spinning produces a part from an original blank, to roughly the same dimensions as the blank.

Flow forming or shear forming

A more modern approach to metal spinning is called flow forming – or shear forming. With Shear forming, variation in wall thicknes can be achieved and helps manufacturers achieve complex shapes typically required by the aerospace, automotive, nuclear, chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Comparing traditional sheet metal spinning and flow forming

The key difference between standard metal spinning and flow forming is that conventional metal spinning starts with a ‘spinners blank’ and produces a part roughly the same diameter as the blank. With flow forming, the thickness of the material is worked upon resulting in a component where the material is thinner than the original blank and can adopt a more complex shape.

Other metal forming processes

Other methods of forming round metal parts include the likes of forging – where metal is shaped using localised compression, casting – pouring liquid metal into a mold, hydroforming – which uses a specialised die under pressure from hydraulic fluid, and stamping – which effectively punches a shape out of a sheet of metal.