There are dozens of different manufacturing styles, and you are probably familiar with many of them. There is casting, laser engraving, inkjet printing, and even metal injection molding. However, there are some you’ve never heard of before. Here are three unusual styles of manufacturing.

3 Unusual styles of manufacturing

1. Rubber pad forming (RPF). First, rubber pad forming in the metalworking process is where the metal is pressed between a die and a rubber block. Using a form of pressure, the rubber and the sheet metal are pressed into the die, and the sheet metal conforms to the shape of the die.
2. Flattening. Another unique style of manufacturing is flattening. Flattening is the process by which a circle or sphere is pressed along a diameter to form an ellipse. In this process, there are three variants of flattening, and the main one is called the first flattening.
3. Staking. Finally, staking is the process of connecting two pieces by creating an inference fit. One workpiece has a hole while the other has a boss that fits inside of the hole. In this process, the boss is undersized, so it forms a slip fit inside of the other one.

When manufacturing a complex product, many different manufacturing styles may be used to produce the product as quickly and efficiently as possible. The process may even require a unique manufacturing style such as RPF, flattening, or staking. If you are interested in creating a product, Alfred Manufacturing and our team of experts are here to help you along the way.