--- title: Designing metal pressed components for thinness, strength and precision description: Designing ultra-thin metal pressings that are both strong and precise comes down to three decisions made before any tooling is cut. image: https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hubfs/metal%20pressing.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/designing-metal-pressed-components-for-thinness-strength-and-precision#main) - [About](https://www.advanexmedical.com/about-us/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Frame-2.jpg) Our Certifications](https://www.advanexmedical.com/certificates-accreditations/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Medical-section-high-shot-3-1.jpg) Our Facilities](https://www.advanexmedical.com/facilities/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Medical-section-low-shot.jpg) Our Story](https://www.advanexmedical.com/about-us/) - [Solutions](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Shutterstock_2235476257.jpg) Deep Drawing](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/deep-drawn-parts/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Rectangle-119-1.jpg) Functional Springs](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/springs/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/insert-moulding.jpg) Insert Moulding](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/insert-moulding/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Shutterstock_2173233047-1.jpg) Pressing and Stamping](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/metal-pressings-and-stampings/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Shutterstock_1529920154-1.jpg) Wire Forming](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/wire-forms-shapes-and-parts/) - [Services](https://www.advanexmedical.com/services/) - [Applications](https://www.advanexmedical.com/applications/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/auto-injectors.jpg) Auto-Injectors](https://www.advanexmedical.com/applications/drug-delivery-auto-injectors/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/sampling-devices.jpg) Blood Sampling](https://www.advanexmedical.com/applications/blood-collection-infusion-and-sampling/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/respiratory-devices.jpg) Inhalers & Pump Sprays](https://www.advanexmedical.com/applications/inhalers-pump-sprays/) - [![](https://www.advanexmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wearables-1.jpg) Wearables](https://www.advanexmedical.com/applications/wearables/) - [Resources](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/) - [Speak to us](https://www.advanexmedical.com/contact-us/) [Speak to us](https://www.advanexmedical.com/contact-us/) # Designing metal pressed components for thinness, strength and precision Posted by Advanex Medical  |   14 October, 2026 Designing ultra-thin metal pressings that are both strong and precise comes down to three decisions made before any tooling is cut: choosing a material and temper that can survive forming at the required gauge, sizing every feature against material thickness so the part doesn't crack or distort, and setting tolerances that reflect how thin metal really behaves in a press tool. Get them wrong and deformation, cracking and dimensional drift follow. This matters more every year as autoinjectors, inhalers and wearables shrink, while the stampings inside them must perform without failure across millions of units. ## Why are ultra-thin metal pressings difficult to design? **Ultra-thin metal pressings are difficult to design because, as material gets thinner, small variations in grain structure, temper and tooling have a proportionally larger effect on the finished part.** A deviation that is negligible in a 2mm bracket can take a 0.1mm contact clip out of tolerance. [Research from the University of Strathclyde](https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/60056/1/Wan_Nawang_etal_MATECWC2015_An_experimental_study_on_the_springback_in_bending.pdf) into micro-bending 316L stainless steel sheet between 50µm and 100µm thick found that springback ranged from 1% to 11% of the designed bend angle, that thinner sheets generally sprang back more, and that variation between nominally identical parts was effectively random, making it hard to compensate for in tooling alone. ## How does material and temper selection affect strength and formability? Material and temper set the trade-off between strength and formability: the harder the temper, the stronger the pressing, but the less it can stretch before it cracks. Austenitic stainless steels such as 301, 304 and 316L remain the workhorses of medical metal pressings thanks to their corrosion resistance and ability to be work-hardened, with copper, nickel alloys and titanium used where needed. [Type 301 stainless strip shows the trade-off clearly:](https://www.gibbswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Gibbs-Datasheet-Strip-3-301-Stainless.pdf) | **Temper** | **Min. tensile strength (psi)** | **Approx. MPa** | **Min. elongation** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Annealed | 75000 | 517 | 40% | | 1/4 hard | 125000 | 862 | 25% | | 1/2 hard | 150000 | 1034 | 15-18% | | Full hard | 185000 | 1276 | 8-9% | A full hard temper offers roughly two and a half times the tensile strength of annealed material, but only a fifth of the elongation. For a thin pressing with tight forms, a softer temper, or forming in a softer condition followed by heat treatment, may be the only way to achieve the geometry without cracking. For flat contacts with gentle bends, a harder temper delivers strength with fewer steps. ## How can engineers prevent cracking in thin metal pressings? Cracking in thin metal pressings is best prevented at the design stage by bending across the grain, keeping bend radii generous relative to thickness and adding relief where bends meet edges. Rolled strip has a directional grain structure, and bending parallel to the rolling direction concentrates strain along grain boundaries, especially in high-strength or tempered materials. Noting grain direction on the drawing removes ambiguity for the toolmaker. Edge quality matters too. Burrs on stamped parts are typically [around 10% of material thickness](https://www.xometry.com/resources/industry-design-tips/stamping-design-tips/), and a [study in Transactions of FAMENA](https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/264275) on aluminium alloy sheet found that die clearance accounted for 76% of the variation in burr height. Burrs act as crack initiation points and particulate risks, which is why finishing steps such as vibratory or [in-line laser deburring](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/introducing-in-line-laser-deburring-to-minimise-rejection-rates-in-a-leading-drug-dose-counter) are often specified for medical components. ## What design rules help thin pressings hold shape and tolerance? Thin pressings hold shape and tolerance best when every feature is sized as a multiple of material thickness (t), so the tool can cut and form it cleanly. [Common starting points](https://www.xometry.com/resources/industry-design-tips/stamping-design-tips/) include: - Minimum hole diameter of 1.2t for ductile materials, rising to 2t for stainless steels - Holes and slots at least 2t from an edge - Hole-to-bend distance of 2t plus the bend radius for small features - Notches and tabs at least 1.5t wide to avoid punch breakage - Bend angle tolerances of around ±1°, with stack-up accounted for across multiple bends These are guidelines rather than hard limits. Specialist processes such as micropressing, coining and [progressive die stamping](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/the-benefits-of-progressive-die-stamping-in-medical-manufacturing) can hold finer features, and techniques to [combat deformation](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/techniques-to-combat-metal-pressing-deformation-in-medical-applications) and [springback](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/the-metal-springback-phenomenon-and-its-criticality-in-medical-applications) can be built into the tool. Reserve tight tolerances for functional features: over-tolerancing raises tooling cost and scrap without improving performance. ## Ultra-thin metal pressings: frequently asked questions How thin can a medical metal pressing be? Precision micropressing regularly works with strip well below 0.1mm, but the practical minimum depends on material, feature size and required strength. An early design for manufacture (DfM) review confirms feasibility. Does a thinner pressing mean a weaker component? Not necessarily. A harder temper, a higher-strength alloy or stiffening features such as ribs, flanges and embossing can recover much of the strength lost by reducing gauge. Is there a difference between metal pressing and metal stamping? No. The terms describe the same process; "pressing" is more common in the UK and Europe, "stamping" in the US. ## Get thin, strong and precise pressings right first time Designing metal pressed components for thinness, strength and precision is a balance struck at the design stage, long before production begins. Advanex Medical has decades of experience [industrialising metal pressings and stampings](https://www.advanexmedical.com/solutions/metal-pressings-and-stampings/) of all complexities, from cold-forming, blanking and coining to vibro-deburring and laser cutting, produced in ISO-accredited cleanrooms for high-volume medical device manufacturers.  Download our guide below to find out more.  ### [![](https://27133590.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/27133590/cta-background.svg) ![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hubfs/Downloadable%20guides/Guide%20to%20global%20medical%20component%20manufacturing%20(Cover).png) The design engineer's guide to global medical component manufacturing Download the Guide](https://cta-eu1.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLqicGQkIkC9fmmNdgdvUf4AJsosdo5ofpFf4HxA1ziPI8BETmFD0W3tOQjMcB5DvTT53%2F76X0AOohPdCKY56P2qjj%2F6VEHX%2FjPRYQfygNOhnSOLRf1DUwUmpmya%2F%2FBLKAqxJhgAiqq5%2F8zMQIEiNfSB87iWWoBOj6L12d1V%2BMerRG2dj0f3Tl%2FINSBkGDcOfB3CnGhxneGy4cq8teNlHB2bVI6cP4BYVzARMnCS9sTHSN%2FFPPyiPosXu%2FzDh6kZiGMmHL5YV8HSFw%3D&portalId=143411052) ### Related Resources from Advanex - #### [![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Medical%20metal%20press.jpg?width=352&name=Medical%20metal%20press.jpg) Designing high-strength, ultra-thin metal pressings for medical applications 13 June, 2024 More](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/designing-high-strength-ultra-thin-metal-pressings-for-medical-applications) - #### [![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stamp%20die%20medical.jpg?width=352&name=Stamp%20die%20medical.jpg) Techniques to combat metal pressing deformation in medical applications 13 August, 2024 More](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/techniques-to-combat-metal-pressing-deformation-in-medical-applications) - #### [![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/medical%20another%20press.jpg?width=352&name=medical%20another%20press.jpg) Key steps to optimise metal pressing production lines for pharmaceutical components 25 July, 2024 More](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/key-steps-to-optimise-metal-pressing-production-lines-for-pharmaceutical-components) - #### [![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Medical%20stamp.jpg?width=352&name=Medical%20stamp.jpg) How to ensure uniformity across metal pressings in medical assembly lines 25 June, 2024 More](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/how-to-ensure-uniformity-across-metal-pressings-in-medical-assembly-lines) - #### [![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/injector%20pen%20conveyor.jpg?width=352&name=injector%20pen%20conveyor.jpg) The complete manufacturer’s guide to traceability, inspection and compliance in medical components 11 June, 2026 More](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/the-complete-manufacturers-guide-to-traceability-inspection-and-compliance-in-medical-components) - #### [![](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/wire%20forms.jpg?width=352&name=wire%20forms.jpg) Precision bending in wire forms designed for drug delivery devices 29 July, 2025 More](https://blog.advanexmedical.com/precision-bending-in-wire-forms-designed-for-drug-delivery-devices) [View all](https://blog.advanexmedical.com) ### Talk to our experts We develop solutions that meet the exact needs of your project. 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