Metal forming tools: a quick guide to types, materials, and applications

Machines that transform raw materials and semi-finished products – like rods, wires, tubes, sheets, plates, and profiles – into workpieces require specific tools to carry out the task.

What are metal forming tools?

Mounted on the machines, metal forming tools are used to shape the starting material into the desired geometry through plastic deformation, without removing material. The synchronized movements of the machine, the tool, and the workpiece, apply the stress needed to produce the desired shape.

Depending on the forming task, metal forming tools can have a relatively simple geometry, like the chisel of a spring coiling machine, or complex structures, like the progressive dies used in automatic stamping-bending machines.

Considering the broad spectrum of metalworking processes – such as straightening, bending, stamping, forging, deep drawing, rolling, and extrusion – there is a wide variety of metal forming tools. Cutting, shearing, punching, and other separation operations also rely on specific tooling and are often integrated into metal forming production lines.

Main types of metal forming tools

Metal forming tools vary considerably in design and function depending on the process, the starting material, and the desired geometry of the finished workpiece.

Some of the main categories include:

• Drawing dies: used to reduce the cross-sectional area of wires, tubes, and other products while controlling their dimensions and surface finish.
• Bending tools: including bending dies, punches, and forming pins, used to produce the desired bends and geometries in wires, tubes, sheets, and profiles.
• Stamping and forming dies: used to shape sheet metal and produce complex components, sometimes through multiple operations performed at successive stations.
• Forging and heading tools: punches and dies that shape metal under high compressive loads, producing components such as fasteners and other forged parts.
• Rolling tools: rolls that reduce the thickness of flat products or progressively shape long products such as bars, wire rod, and sections. Thread rolling dies, which form threads on fasteners, also belong to this category.
• Extrusion dies: used to shape material as it is forced through a die opening.

Tools in our industries: what acts on the material

The following examples highlight some of the most widely used tooling systems across the industries covered by Expometals.

Wire

Drawing dies reduce the wire's cross-sectional area and control its diameter, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish. These tools are covered in detail in our dedicated handout Drawing dies: the basics.

Tube

In rotary-draw tube bending, the key tools are the bend die, which establishes the bend radius; the clamp and pressure dies, which hold and support the tube; and, where required, the mandrel, which supports the tube internally to limit flattening and ovality. A wiper die can also be used along the inside radius of the bend to help prevent wrinkling.

In tube production, sizing rolls control the final outside diameter and roundness, while tube drawing dies and internal plugs or mandrels provide dimensional control during cold drawing. Tool materials, surface treatments, and lubrication are selected to reduce friction, wear, and galling.

Sheet metal

Punches and dies cut and form sheet metal, while progressive dies perform different operations at successive stations as the strip advances through the press.

Press-brake bending typically relies on punch and V-die sets. Wear on cutting edges affects burr formation and dimensional accuracy, while the condition of bending surfaces influences bend quality. For high-volume production and demanding materials, tooling may incorporate powder-metallurgy steels, carbide inserts, or wear-resistant coatings.

Fasteners

Cold heading uses punches and dies to form fastener heads and other features under high compressive loads and repeated mechanical stresses. Thread rolling dies, including flat dies, cylindrical rolls, and planetary dies, form threads by plastically displacing material rather than removing it.

Depending on the application, tooling is manufactured from specialized tool steels or carbide, often with surface treatments or coatings to improve wear resistance and service life.

Springs

On spring coiling machines, feed rollers advance the wire, wire guides direct it, and coiling points or pins bend it into shape.

Pitch tools control the spacing between coils, while cutting tools separate the finished spring. Repeated contact with the wire subjects these components to wear, particularly at forming surfaces and cutting edges. High-speed steels and tungsten carbide are commonly used, depending on the stresses and wear conditions involved.

Flat and long products

In rolling mills, rotating rolls apply the forces needed to shape the metal. Smooth-faced work rolls reduce the thickness of flat products such as strip and plate, while grooved rolls progressively shape long products such as bars, wire rod, and sections.

Roll guides position the material during rolling, while shear and slitting blades perform cutting operations where required. Rolls operate under high mechanical loads and, in hot rolling, repeated thermal cycling; wear and cracking alter the roll profile, so rolls are periodically reground or reprofiled.

In flat rolling, particularly cold rolling and skin-pass operations, the roll surface strongly influences the resulting strip finish. Common roll materials include forged steels, alloyed cast irons, high-chromium irons and steels, and high-speed steels, with tungsten carbide widely used in high-speed wire rod finishing blocks.

On the left: Pulling rollers by Eurospecial; in the centre: carbide dies, shafts, cutting dies, sheet metal punches by QP Mechanics; on the right: Verimax ® blanks by Hyperion Materials & Technologies

Tool materials and properties

Tool steel is one of the most widely used materials for manufacturing metal forming tools. This term refers to a range of carbon and alloy steels specifically developed for tooling applications.
Tool steels offer a combination of strength, hardness, wear resistance, and dimensional stability under demanding operating conditions. These properties make them suitable for high-volume forming operations that require consistent accuracy.

Carbides in their matrix are important phase constituents and have a direct impact on the properties of many tool steels. The major alloying elements that form carbides in tool steels are tungsten (W), chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), and molybdenum (Mo). Proper heat treatment of these steels is paramount for achieving adequate physical and mechanical characteristics.

Besides tool steels, other materials are used depending on the forming process and operating conditions. As illustrated by the applications described above, these include tungsten carbide, powder-metallurgy steels, forged steels, and alloyed cast irons. The selection of tool materials depends on the stresses and wear conditions involved, as well as the properties of the material to be formed.

Tool design and manufacturing

Metal forming tools are made by highly skilled toolmakers who acquire during their training a solid understanding of physics, material behavior, and technical processes. Toolmakers must be able to interpret technical drawings, use computer-aided design (CAD) software, and operate both conventional and CNC machine tools.

Toolmaking expertise, springback, and simulation

When designing metal forming tools, several factors must be considered, including mechanical stresses, friction, and wear during operation. Another important consideration is springback: a formed piece of metal often tends to return partially to its original shape after the forming force is removed. This can lead to dimensional inaccuracies, especially in complex geometries. Finite element analysis (FEA) can simulate how a piece of metal will behave and help compensate for springback before production.

Machining, heat treatments, and finishing

The manufacturing of metal forming tools combines appropriate material selection with machining, heat treatment, and surface finishing operations. Depending on the tool's geometry and material, conventional machining and CNC processes are used to obtain the required shape and dimensional accuracy. Proper heat treatment contributes to the physical and mechanical characteristics of the finished tool. Surface finishing, polishing, and coatings can further improve contact conditions between the tool and the material being formed.

Tool wear, coatings, and maintenance

Metal forming tools are subject to high pressure and friction, which makes them vulnerable to wear, chipping, and fatigue over time. This degradation can lead to dimensional inaccuracies, surface defects, and frequent downtime for repairs or replacement.

Proper tool design, surface finishing, and the use of appropriate lubricants help reduce friction, galling, and scuffing. Coatings such as titanium nitride (TiN) and other wear-resistant surface treatments can further extend tool life and improve contact conditions. Maintaining clean working conditions is also important to prevent surface defects.

Across different applications, tool condition has a direct impact on product quality, process stability, and operating costs. Regular inspection, timely reconditioning, and replacement of worn tools are therefore essential to maintaining reliable production.

Applications in manufacturing

Metal forming tools are widely used to produce automotive and aerospace components, construction materials, and mass-produced items such as fasteners, springs, and bent parts.

In the automotive industry, commonly used tools include stamping dies, forging tools, and press tools, which are essential for shaping body panels, chassis parts, and structural components.

In the aerospace sector, metal forming tools are used to produce complex, high-strength components that must meet strict quality and safety standards. Precision forging tools and extrusion dies are commonly used to shape metals such as titanium and aluminum alloys.

The construction and infrastructure sectors rely on metal forming tools to manufacture structural components such as beams, reinforcement elements, and pipes.

Other important applications can be found in the railway, energy, and electronics industries.

Literature

• Darren Wang: Handbook of Metal Forming Process. ML Books International – IPS, 2025.
• Rahulkumar Shivajirao Hingole: Advances in Metal Forming – Expert System for Metal Forming. Springer Berlin, Heidelberg, 2015.
• Heinz Tschätsch: Metal Forming Practice. Processes – Machines – Tools. Springer Berlin, Heidelberg, 2006.
• CIRP – The International Academy for Production Engineering: www.cirp.net
• Research Association for Tools and Materials (FGW), Germany: www.fgw.de

This technical guide was compiled by Dipl.-Ing. Konrad Dengler, an engineer and technical journalist specializing in materials science and industrial technologies.