PMA Seminars and Events Schedule

This listing includes all planned networking roundtables, technical seminars and conferences!
Events are listed by date. View the brochure by clicking on the Event name.


May 2008



May 21

Sheetmetal Forming-Understanding the Properties
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

This one-day seminar explains relative formability between different sheetmetal, using more advanced mechanical properties as the key to understanding their forming capability. These properties control forming limits of different forming modes, including stretching, bending, and drawing. Special topics include springback, springback compensation, yield point elongation, surface roughness, and friction. A full range of steels covering yield strengths from 20 to 200 Ksi is examined, along with aluminum and other metals. By completing this seminar along with Sheetmetal 101 - Understanding the Metal and Higher-Strength Sheet Steels - Solving the Problems you will earn PMA's "Sheetmetal Certificate"!


May 22

Higher Strength Sheet Steel-Solving the Problems
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

Increasing sheetmetal strength makes existing forming problems more severe and creates new ones. Seminar topics include reduced stretchability and bendability; increased springback; greater punch and blankholder loads; increased tool temperature and wear; greater press loads and energy requirements; blanking damage; and case studies. Changes in properties with strength create a foundation for understanding the different sheetmetal types and grades. The new AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steels) are included.

June 2008



June 10

Emergency Procedures
Holiday Inn - Southgate, MI

New for 2008! Attendees will acquire the knowledge and confidence to deal effectively with emergencies and to comply with legal requirements for emergency planning. Topics covered include: equipment needed for a rescue cart, overriding controls and devices which may hinder a rescue, case histories of entrapments and rescues, and demonstrations and procedure development.


June 19

Operating Coil Fed Presses
Holiday Inn Airport - Birmingham, AL

This one-day seminar was designed to teach press operators how to recognize when something is wrong with the press operations and the knowledge to act on it. Topics covered include: coil changes and feeding considerations, straighteners and levelers, operator maintenance responsibilities, diagnostic and monitoring tools, and case studies.


June 24

Safety in the Pressroom - Queretaro
Holiday Inn Zona Diamante - Queretaro, Mexico


June 26

Safety in the Pressroom - Puebla
Holiday Inn - Puebla, Mexico

July 2008



July 17

Costing & Pricing
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

Join us for a one-day seminar designed for contract metalforming companies to teach standardized methods for costing and quoting jobs. Topics include cost standards, price standards, accounting considerations, activity based costing, quality control, capital budgeting overview, and how to price jobs in a global market.


July 24

Transfer Automation
Chicago, IL

New for 2008! A one-day seminar on transfer systems and automated in-press parts handling technology. This seminar provides concepts, theory and practical applications for :blank destacking, automated parts handling, tool design, selecting and installing a transfer system, and common pitfalls to avoid.

August 2008



August 7

Sheetmetal 101-Understanding the Metal
Detroit, MI

This one-day basic seminar helps you understand your sheetmetal. Metal production, differences between integrated and mini mills, hot and cold-rolled coils, and other processing features show why sheetmetal today has greatly improved capability and consistency. Other topics include relating stretching and drawing to basic metal properties, bending, blanking, the inconsistencies of metal forming, selecting metal grades to meet forming needs, coatings, and lubrication. By completing this seminar along with Sheetmetal Forming - Understanding the Properties and Higher-Strength Sheet Steels - Solving the Problems you will earn PMA's "Sheetmetal Certificate"!


August 13 - 14

Designing & Building Metal Stamping Dies
Cincinnati, OH

Join us and learn how to reduce both design and die tryout time; determine material costs, strokes per minute and die costs for each type of die; get the strip started in the die quickly and fed properly; build dies with maintenance in mind; address tool failure problems and much more!


August 20 - 21

CFO Roundtable
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

An executive networking service, this roundtable is for PMA members only and features a presentation & facilitated discussion on August 20 followed by a facilitated roundtable on the 21 to include other relevant topics affecting the industry today.

September 2008



September 9

Design & Building for Higher Strength Steel
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

Due to their higher strengths and greater springback after forming, designing and building dies for higher strength steel stamping require special attention and newly developed engineering know-how. This one-day seminar presents theory, practical applications, case studies and recently developed die engineering know-how for manufacturing higher strength steel stampings and their tools.


September 11

IT Roundtable
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

A members-only roundtable discussing issues of importance to those involved with the Information Technology/Systems Management of their company. ACCEPTING IDEAS for this year's discussion topics! Email Deanna Cunningham at dcunningham@pma.org. Prior topics have included: Security, Internet, Network, Software, Hardware, Communications, etc. Agenda still to be determined.


September 23

Sensors and Control Systems
Brownsville, TX

A one-day seminar for users involved in the implementation of sensors and monitoring equipment for die and press operations. Topics covered include: sensor applications, designing sensors in the tooling, cost justification, part measurement and control inside tooling, integrated electronic systems, tonnage monitoring, press control systems, and signature analysis.

October 2008



October 1

Short-run Metalforming
PMA Headquarters, Cleveland, OH

New for 2008! Learn how to offer customers the best possible stamping and/or fabricating solution.


October 16

Die Maintenance
Grand Rapids, MI

A one-day seminar teaching techniques for improving die maintenance procedures to reduce the cost of stamping operations. Topics include: die design and construction, material considerations, scheduling maintenance and repair, and proper operation of the press to minimize die maintenance.


October 21 - 22

Forming Difficult Stampings
Chicago, IL

A two-day seminar providing keys to produce lower cost, higher quality sheet metal stampings in less time. Topics include: measuring deformation, allowable deformation, avoiding dangerous severity, basic forming modes, blanking damage, analysis techniques, troubleshooting, process tracking, unique process options, and importance of computerized sheet metal forming.


Links to Other PMA Events
Technical Seminars & Roundtable Offerings
In-plant Seminars
Annual Meeting
Local District Events

METALFORM Expo and Conference