Materials we work with

Metal Spinning

Overview of Metal Spinning

The time honoured trade of metal spinning dates back to the Ancient Egyptian times. Introduced to North America in the early 1800’s, metal spinning has evolved from hand metal spinning on a manual lathe, to the use of modern CNC spin forming machines.

Metal spinning is a forming process that produces hollow parts which are typically circular in cross-section. The basic metal spinning process starts with a flat metal disc (blank), which rotates on a lathe. This rotating blank is pressed against a tool (chuck mandrel) that duplicates the interior of the part.

The basic metal spun shapes are the hemisphere, cone, cylindrical shell and venturi to name a few. Parts produced from metal spinning are utilized in many industries such as:

  • Agricultural
  • Food service lighting
  • Marine
  • Automotive
  • Commercial & industrial roofing
  • Commercial & residential lighting
  • Bearing closures
  • Air pollution and ventilation
  • Custom display stands
  • Funeral urns
  • Industrial vacuum cleaners
  • Flag-stand bases
  • Fireplace accessories
  • Satellite dish manufacturers

Historically, metal spinning was associated with prototypes and low volume production. However, with the introduction of automatic and CNC lathes, metal spinning is now an economical option for both medium and high volume production. The relatively inexpensive tooling price still makes this forming method a cost-effective one for fabricating prototypes.

Tolerance Guidelines

Diameter of Finished Part Commercial
Applications		 Special Applications
Up to 24″ in diameter (600 mm) +/-0.015″ to 0.031″
(0.38 mm to 0.79 mm)		 +/-0.001″ to 0.005″
(0.02 mm to 0.13 mm)
25″ to 36″ in diameter
(600 mm to 900 mm)		 +/-0.031″ to 0.047″
(0.79 mm to 1.19 mm)		 +/-0.010″ to 0.030″
(0.25 mm to 0.76 mm)
37″ to 48″ in diameter
(900 mm to 1200 mm)		 +/- 0.047″ to 0.062″
(1.19 mm to 1.57 mm)		 +/-0.010″ to 0.030″
(0.25 mm to 0.76 mm)
49″ to 60″ in diameter
(1200 mm to 1520 mm) * depending on the shape of part		 +/- 0.062″ to 0.094″
(1.57 mm to 2.39 mm)		 +/-0.015″ to 0.045″
(0.38 mm to 1.14 mm)

Advantages Of Metal Spinning

Spin tooling is relatively inexpensive due to the simplicity and composition.

  • This simplicity translates into short lead times for new parts
  • Design changes can usually be made at a minimum expense
  • The above factors combine to make spin tooling ideal for prototyping.
  • The tensile strength of the material.

The Metal Spinning Process

In the basic set-up for a horizontal spinning lathe the tool (mandrel chuck) is mounted to the headstock of the lathe. A follower block (tail block) is mounted to the tailstock. A circular blank is then clamped to the tool by advancing the follower.

The tool rest and pin provide a support system for the lever arms, a scissor-like apparatus. The lever arms apply pressure to the blank via a roller or other forming tool. The movement of the roller across the blank is called a pass. A series of passes, which ultimately forms the completed part, is achieved by repositioning the lever arms incrementally.

Contact our Engineering department today to see how we can assist you in completing your project with metal spinning or metal stamping.