The Cosine of Metal-Stamping Technology
July 25, 2025Comments
Technologies in metal stamping and tool and die continue to advance and mature, more rapidly than in the past, and new technologies are profoundly more complex. Computer technology often seamlessly handles this complexity, and in the coming years more will be handled by artificial intelligence (AI), resulting in an ever-widening knowledge gap. This knowledge gap is rooted in not understanding the fundamental principles underlying the technologies that we use and take for granted in our daily jobs.
Many readers might remember the acronym SOH-CAH-TOA from high school math. This helped us remember trigonometric relationships so that we could find unknown angles using sine, cosine and tangent tables. With the emergence of the electronic calculator, solving trigonometric functions involved simply pushing a button. But what happens when a calculator is unavailable? We struggle to solve problems because we do not understand that the cosine of the angle is a function of the adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse (CAH) and that the resultant angle can be found in a table.
The same holds true in the die shop. We become so reliant on the expediency and efficiency of our technology that we no longer grasp the underlying principles supporting it. This prevents us from solving problems when technology fails to provide solutions.
If you plan to attend FABTECH Chicago in September, the metal-stamping technical sessions, offer solutions for filling the knowledge gap.
AI’s Transformative Impact
During FABTECH, Will Healy III from Universal Robots will explore the transformative impact of automation and AI in the press shop, providing insights into how these technologies revolutionize processes from the boardroom to the shop floor. Attend his presentation, The Impact of Automation & AI in Metal Stamping: Real Transformations of Business Management, Manufacturing Processes & Machines, to gain an understanding of advancements in automated press tending, collaborative automation and data-driven insights.
AI and machine-learning (ML) applications also carry a lot of promise for the sheet metal stamping and tool-and-die industries: stamping production control, material characterization, alloy design and optimization being just a few. In his presentation, AI/ML in the Service of the Sheet Metal Stamping Industry—State-of-the-Art and Outlook, Kidambi Kannan, from AutoForm, will review recent advances, challenges and future opportunities for these rapidly evolving technologies.
