The 411 on 4-Slides

Often times when receiving an RFQ (request for quote) our engineers are asked to quote the part as a specific process. For instance, many times we receive a quote in which the customer asks us to quote a “Progressive Die Stamping” in a punch press machine. However, with a wide range of capabilities and engineering expertise, Perfection Spring & Stamping Corp’s engineering team can review the design and assess whether the proposed design is going to achieve the best result with that commonly known method of manufacture. Sometimes the current design may work and be “good enough” but might not be the best. Our engineers may make recommendations for material, design, or possibly through another one of our processes, such as manufacturing using a Fourslide Machine. Often, we recommend switching to this method of manufacture for added efficiency and reduction in scrap, to provide our customers with the most economic method, rather than the most commonly known method.

What is Fourslide Manufacturing?

Slide forming is a unique manufacturing method that can create parts to small tolerances at a very high rate. Slide forming machines—which include fourslide, multislide, and vertislide machines—are an economically viable alternative to other forming methods; this is due to less material waste, lower tooling costs, and higher production per hour. A fourslide machine is a stamping plant in and of itself. Some designers are skeptical about fourslide equipment, but these machines are capable of doing anything a traditional punch press can, if not more.

In fact, many products would be either outright impossible or incredibly costly to create with a punch press. An example of some forms that a fourslide can create at close tolerance and high volume include bends over 90°, multiple bends in various directions, extrusions, tapped holes, and more.