Guides / Process
Secondary Operations After Stamping: What to Specify and What It Costs
October 12, 2026
The part coming off the press is rarely the finished part. Threads, welds, coatings and assembled hardware usually happen after stamping, and each one adds cost, lead time and a chance for something to be missed on the quote. Specifying these clearly is one of the fastest ways to avoid a requote.
Tapping and threading
Threaded holes can be tapped directly into the stamped part, or handled with a self-clinching insert pressed in after stamping.
- Direct tapping works on thicker material where enough thread engagement exists without extra hardware.
- Self-clinching inserts (rivet nuts, PEM style fasteners) suit thin material where tapping directly would not hold enough thread, and are pressed in either during the stamping operation or as a secondary step.
Specify which approach you want, or ask the shop to recommend one based on your material thickness, since guessing wrong on the print can mean re-tooling later.
Welding
Spot welding and projection welding are common on stamped assemblies that combine two or more formed parts.
- Spot welding suits simple lap joints between flat or lightly formed surfaces.
- Projection welding uses a raised feature stamped into the part to concentrate the weld at a specific point, which needs to be planned into the die design, not added after.
If your part needs projection welding, say so before tooling starts, since the projection itself is a stamped feature that has to be in the die.
Plating, painting and coating
Finish requirements change both cost and lead time meaningfully:
- Plating (zinc, nickel and similar) is usually outsourced to a specialty finisher, adding transit time to and from the plater on top of the stamping lead time.
- Painting adds a cure cycle and, depending on the coating, a masking step if only part of the surface is painted.
- Passivation, common on stainless parts, is a chemical treatment rather than a coating, and is faster than plating but still an added step outside the press.
State the finish spec exactly, including the standard it needs to meet, rather than a general term like “plated,” since specs vary in thickness and salt spray resistance requirements that change the cost.
Deburring beyond the print callout
Every stamped edge has some burr, covered in common metal stamping defects. Deburring beyond what the die naturally leaves is its own operation, whether tumbling, vibratory finishing or manual deburring, and it is priced separately from the burr height tolerance on the print.
Ask whether your burr callout is achievable straight off the die, or whether it needs a secondary deburr step, since that changes both the price and the lead time.
Assembly of more than one stamped component
Some parts ship as an assembly of two or more stamped pieces, sometimes with purchased hardware included.
- Who sources the hardware. If screws, clips or other purchased parts go into the assembly, decide whether you supply them or the shop does, and put it on the RFQ.
- Assembly method. Press fit, welded, riveted or fastened, each with a different cost and a different equipment requirement at the shop.
- Inspection of the finished assembly, not just the individual stamped components, if function depends on how the pieces fit together.
Cleanliness requirements
Parts going into sealed assemblies, lubricated mechanisms or electronics sometimes need a cleanliness spec beyond normal handling.
- State the requirement specifically, referencing a standard if your industry has one, rather than a general note like “clean parts.”
- Ask how the shop verifies cleanliness, since this is easy to specify and hard to inspect without the right equipment.
What this looks like on a quote
Reusing the format from how to read and compare a metal stamping quote, every secondary operation on your RFQ should show up somewhere on the quote:
| Operation | Included in piece price, or separate line |
|---|---|
| Tapping / inserts | |
| Welding | |
| Plating / painting | |
| Deburr beyond die burr | |
| Assembly | |
| Cleanliness verification |
A blank row is the question to ask before you order, not after the first shipment arrives short of what you expected.
Where we fit
List every secondary operation on your RFQ and we match it with stamping shops that actually run those processes in house or manage them reliably through a finishing partner, then reply within 24 business hours. For the rest of what a complete RFQ needs, see the RFQ checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Are secondary operations usually done at the stamping shop or outsourced?
It depends on the shop and the operation. Many stamping shops run tapping, welding and basic assembly in house. Plating and painting are more often outsourced to a specialty finisher, with the stamping shop managing the logistics. Ask directly rather than assuming either way, since it affects lead time.
Does adding a secondary operation always mean a separate line item?
Not necessarily, but it should always be accounted for somewhere, either folded into piece price or listed separately. What you want to avoid is a secondary operation left off the quote entirely, which shows up as a surprise adder later.
Can secondary operations be added after tooling is already built?
Often yes, for operations that happen after the part leaves the die, like plating, welding or assembly, since they do not usually require changing the stamping tool itself. Operations built into the die, like an integrated tapping or forming station, are harder to add after the fact.
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