With so many metal forming methods to choose from when designing your product or application, the choice can be overwhelming. Some methods have been around for decades (we’ve been swaging for nearly 100 years) and new ones are currently being developed.

The most common metal forming techniques in use today include:

• Die rolling
• Four-slide forming
• Deep drawing
• Progressive stamping
• Swaging

Swaging has stood the test of time because it is a unique cold-forming process that starts when a continuous metal strip is pulled through a precision-engineered draw die to form a seamed tube.

Tube diameters are then reduced in progressive forming cavities are then separated from the tube. 

Of course, we’re partial to swaging over other metal fabrication methods, but it’s not just because swaging is what we do. We truly believe that swaging is the best choice for many automotive, telecom, and PCB applications because of the unique benefits it offers.

One of the reasons swaged parts are inexpensive is because the process is virtually scrap-free.

We start with a 1000-pound coil of metal and end up with 1000 pounds of finished parts. Because swaging only moves metal and does not remove metal, we generate little to no scrap.

In addition, our tubular contacts weigh 40% less than comparable solid machined pins without sacrificing mechanical or electrical performance. Less material, of course, means less cost to you. It’s also more environmentally responsible. In other words, swaging can make your company greener while saving you money.

You may be wondering if swaging is right for you. While every process has limitations, chances are swaging can be used to design a custom contact pin that will function reliably in your specific application.

To learn more about our swaging process, you can watch our swaging video below or download our free whitepaper.

About Bead Electronics

Bead Electronics, is a global manufacturer of electronic connector pins and has been manufacturing in Connecticut for over 100 years. The award-winning company carries over 500 patents and is best known for inventing its manufacturing process called swaging. This process is a high-speed, virtually scrap-less, cold-forming process capable of producing a wide size range of metal electronic components that are consistent and cost-effective. The family-owned business is led by its fifth generation. Click here to speak to a connector pin specialist today.