4 Advice to Choose a Metal Spinning Services

21, Jul. 2025

 

7 Design Tips for Metal Spinning - Winward Engineering

Tips For Metal Spinning Design Before we delve into some good rules-of-thumb for industrial design, let’s get a greater understanding of what metal spinning is and some of the potential benefits. What Is Metal Spinning? Spinning metal is similar to the process by which clay pots are made. Pieces of flat circular metal are placed into a hand or CNC lathe. It’s generally used for forming metal disks which can be configured into a variety of products. Common Items Made by Spinning Metal Include: Stainless steel bowls Satellite dishes Brass instruments Gas cylinders In the lathe, the metal is shaped with a complex series of rollers and other tools. These manipulate the metal over “chucks,” which are also known as mandrels. Mandrels can be made of metal or hardwood. Types Of Metal Typically Used For Spinning Metal: Stainless steel Aluminum Copper Carbon steel Brass Hastelloy Titanium Inconel Both hot and cold forming techniques are used in spinning metal. When cold forming is not optional, engineers use direct heat from a torch to shape and sculpt different parts of an object. Now that we understand how metal is spun, let’s take a look at some of its benefits. The Advantages Of Spun Metal Metal-spun objects require less work hardening as a result of the ridges produced during the spinning process. Metal-spun objects come off the lathe tough and resilient. Objects created by spinning metal are getting even tougher as technology improves. Objects can be over an inch thick. It wastes a lot less material than comparable techniques. Spinning metal is a great choice for manufacturing smaller parts out of metal. Seals and bearing rings can be made out of sheet metal instead of carved out of a solid block of steel. Spinning metal is the best option for producing small batches of metal objects. This setup can be used for a variety of manufacturing needs. Some other benefits of spinning metal include: Machining seamless metal objects Produces reliable parts for structural needs Resistant to warping Shortens lead times Improves tensile strength In certain circumstances, spinning metal setups can be used for tooling other materials as well. Now that we’ve covered what metal spinning is and why you should consider it, let’s take a look at some specific design tips for fabrication. 7 Tips For Metal Spinning Design Spinning metal can be used for style as well as substance. It can create beautiful artistic custom designs. It can also create rugged functional tools. These 7 tips will help you to make the most of metal spinning, no matter what you’re using it for. Tip #1: Define Your Object’s Function You can’t know how to design effectively if you don’t know what you’re designing. Knowing your final goal will inform every stage of your design process. Spinning metal is based on circles and semicircles, however. If you plan on taking advantage of metal spinning’s precision and customizability, make sure whatever you’re designing can be achieved using circular shapes. Tip #2: Pick Your Material Designs for spun metal can range from a millimeter to an inch thick. Knowing what materials you’ll be working with will have a great impact on the material you’ll use to realize your end goal. The slightest reduction in thickness and diameter can have sizable implications on the cost of your engineering project. Picking the right material ahead of time will help you make the most of the process while keeping cost and \waste down. Materials tend to thin out and get more rigid once they’re spun. Keep that in mind when preparing for your design project. Tip #3: Define Your Diameter Metal-spun objects are often rolled into a tube shape. These can come in a variety of thicknesses. A large corner radius things out the material less than tight corners. It’s also cheaper to produce and is stronger than tight corner radii. Tip #4: Consider Your Dimensions Now that you have a more specific vision of what you’ll be using your spun metal objects for, you should have a clearer notion of where exactly it’ll go. This will give you an idea of the specific dimensions you’ll need. Shaving off even a fraction of an inch can save a significant amount of money on your project. It’ll let you focus on growing your business rather than leaving your profits on the shop room floor. Tip #5: Specify Your Tolerances Your metal-spun object doesn’t necessarily need to be a uniform thickness throughout. Make sure to specify if your machine-tooled part needs to be a consistent thickness. Specifying your tolerances will let engineers know where to focus their stress points. Make sure to do a cost/benefit analysis to ensure you’ll get your money’s worth from the tolerance specifications. Tip #6: Perform Cost Analysis Spinning metal objects is one of the most cost-effective ways to get small runs of high-quality machined goods. It’s almost always the best bet for manufacturing prototypes and custom projects. Spinning metal actually makes your material stronger than it is initially. This is achieved by re-aligning the grain of the metal. It’s possible to use cheaper metals that are slightly less robust than steel to save a bit of money. Factor that into your cost analysis. Tip #7: Get A Design Consultation Consulting an engineer early on in your design project can greatly streamline your project. They’ll have in-depth knowledge of the different materials that you’ll be using. They’ll be able to help you figure out the best size and radius for your metal-spun objects. Spinning metal is a powerful and robust process that actually makes your metal stronger. You can use it to make fine art or just to save some money when you don’t need a full production run. Ready To Find Out How Metal Spinning Can Help Your Business? 

7 Design Tips For Your Metal Spinning Project

Metal Spinning is a powerful craft used to create axi-symmetrical components for a wide range of industries. It’s recognized as one of the oldest techniques for the production of hollow metal components which can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt.

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Working with designers, manufacturers and fellow artisans we have recognized the different pain points they have during the design process of their products. It’s why we have compiled this simple, easy to read guide to help you make the most of the Metal Spinning Process.


Below, we take you through 7 design tips we think will make your life easier when it comes to your next Metal Spinning project.

It is important to understand the function of your component or product in order to effectively design it. This information is extremely useful throughout the different stages of the design process.

Take some time to really think about the purpose of your product. Will it be used in a deep sea exercise? Or sent to observe the Sun? Will it serve as an ornament? Or will it assist with chemical transportation for a scientific breakthrough? The questions you ask yourself will be important going forward.

Of course the important question ‘can it be Metal Spun’ is just as important if you are considering the process to begin with. As mentioned earlier, the process involves the creation of hollow, symmetrical shapes formed from a piece of sheet metal over a tool. Make sure your design(s) match this basic requirement.

Now that you have defined your component’s function, the next decision you should consider is what material it should be made from.

Brass and Copper are popular materials for products in the home and furniture industry due to the aesthetics of the materials. Stainless Steel is also popular when the function of the product heavily involves elements of hygiene. Meanwhile, an Alloy such as INCONEL 625 has properties best suited for deep sea operations.

It’s important to understand the properties of the materials because it can make or break your designs.

Cost of materials should also be considered within your budgets. Given the increasing prices of Steel, which you learn more about here, the slightest increase / decrease in material thickness can have major implications on the cost of your project.

It’s important to bare in mind the impact Metal Spinning has on the material. Multiple passes with the spinning tool can actually harden the material in use, which you can use to your benefit by opting for a lighter material like Aluminium.

We do recommend picking the right material ahead of time to get the best out of the design process, allowing you to best prepare your budgets and reduce waste. It is also important to note the finish requirements of your component. Additional services can be used that utilize standard scotch-brite finishes and even mirror polishing and these can be discussed with us during the design process.

After a careful consideration of what materials you want your product / components to be made from, it’s time to define the thicknesses of your project.

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Projects with a large corner radius will thin the material less than tight corners for example. It’s also important to consider the length of your component. Too thin a material will stretch and ‘tear’ over specific dimensions.

The thicker the material, the harder it is to form which will increase the time spent to form a component. This will have implications on the cost of your project as more man hours are required to fill out the process.

During the decision process of material thickness, you should also be considering your dimensions.

You should now, at this stage, have a better understanding of your project’s function and should therefore have a good understanding of dimensions. Especially if your project is a component that is part of a sub-assembly.

The size of your components will weigh heavily on the cost, and shaving off a few millimeters can save you further money.

The tolerances you require will largely be dependent on the function of the product / component. In some cases, the metal-spun component doesn’t need a uniform thickness throughout. In any case, it’s important to specify if your project needs a uniform thickness.

Operators will be best equipped with the knowledge of where to focus their stress points during the metal spinning process. We recommend performing a cost analysis, which we’ll talk more about next, to give you a better understanding of how best to use your money when it comes to tolerance specifications.

Metal Spinning is considered one the most efficient metal forming processes within the production community. It has added advantages whereby small batch production would be too expensive in processes best suited for large production.

Over recent years, Metal Spinning has aided many with prototyping and Bespoke project cost effectively. It’s why it is important to perform a cost analysis to see if Metal Spinning is right for you.

In some cases, as mentioned earlier, you can benefit from using lighter, cheaper materials as the Metal spinning process itself can actually harden the material. This gives the process a further advantage over other metal forming processes.

There is also less waste involved, further reducing the cost of the project as it fully utilizes the sheet metal discs that the component initially starts as. Be sure to factor these, and other advantages of Metal Spinning highlighted in the linked guides, within your cost analysis.

As a leading expert in the field of Metal Spinning, and the leading organization in the UK Metal Spinning Industry, Excell’s services have been widely sought after worldwide. With the vast skills and knowledge required, we can ensure quality products are delivered on time and to your requirements!

To get started on your next project with us, and to determine the best possible solution for your industry needs, you can fill out a Quotation Form. Our team are on hand ready to help you!

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