Patent ID: 8062763

Claim:
A metal blank for use in a metal forming operation, comprising: an outer periphery having at least one cut edge; a binder trim component located inboard of the outer periphery and having a non-linear section that extends along the cut edge and includes first and second projections, the binder trim component helps maintain the metal blank in place during the metal forming operation; and a part component located inboard of the binder trim component, wherein the first and second projections: i) differ from each other in terms of shape and/or size, and ii) provide different amounts of material to the part component during the metal forming operation; wherein the dimensions of the first and second projections are dependent on the thickness of the metal blank; if the metal blank has a thickness <1.0 mm, then the first and second projections satisfy the relationship: B≧A/3; if the metal blank has a thickness of 1.0 mm-1.5 mm, inclusive, then the first and second projections satisfy the relationship: B≧A/3.5; and if the metal blank has a thickness >1.5 mm, then the first and second projections satisfy the relationship: B≧A/4; wherein dimension ‘A’ is the length of the projection taken along a longitudinal axis, and dimension ‘B’ is the width of the projection measured at a halfway point.