Patent ID: 8434340

Claim:
A method for forming a stamped part that includes one or more flexure regions, said method comprising the steps of: a) provide a flat metal sheet material having a thickness of no more than about 0.2 inches; b) supplying said flat metal sheet material to a metal blanking process to form a stamped metal part, said stamped metal part having a top and bottom surface and an edge, said metal blanking process including a die that is designed to minimize fatigue failure initiations sites in said stamped metal part; c) heat treating said stamped metal part, said step of heating treating including i) coating said stamped metal part with a material that inhibits bonding of said stamped metal part with adjacently positioned objects, ii) heating said stamped metal part to an annealing temperature, and iii) cooling said stamped metal part; and, d) finishing said stamped metal part, said finishing step includes deburring at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part and rounding at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part.