State-of-the-art strides in CAD/CAM technology have spurred die and punch manufacturing developments at an unprecedented pace. In light of these technologically-driven tool forming developments, we feel an obligation to check out some of the more promising tech trends. Starting with conventional hig

Working in the die stamping sector, there are a pair of press working techniques that dominate the industry. Asked to choose between them, a press technician can’t very well make that decision until the pros and cons of the two techniques have been determined. Starting with Progressive Die wor

CNC Milling and CNC Punching, the Computer Numerical Control prefix does imply a link, but aren’t they two different machining processes? Controlled by computer codes, CNC Miling involves the use of a “milling” cutter. Unlike that subtractive material shaving machine, CNC Punching

With EDM Spark Eroding equipment in-situ, very precise material incisions become entirely possible. That might not seem like a big deal, as any abrasive cutting disc or milling tool can subtract workpiece material. Of some concern, however, aggressive cutting edges can’t make complex incisions

During a punching tool’s short journey, it strikes down, penetrates or indents a sheet metal workpiece, and then it retracts so that it lines up with its next strike. The whole process is over in less than a second. With dies, a more complex tool geometry adds shape to the strike zone. Blade t

Made from hardened tungsten carbide alloys, tool punches should last for ages. That may be the case in an ideal world, but we clearly don’t live there. Punch life issues occur, they frustrate equipment operators, and they cause periods of machine downtime to accumulate. A productivity loss gra

Process-wise, a zinc coating is electrically deposited on a substrate. That’s a barebones description for a much more complicated process. Sure, scant details are handy when articles are skimming over trivial subjects, but that’s not the case here. Really, the above statement can only be

A material-dense punch and die combo can absorb a great deal of punishment. Pushed to its limits, however, even a high-quality tool combo will chip. The overall piston-rolling strength of the tool holds out for a while longer. The impact-driven backbone crashes down resolutely, but the chipping effe

Seeking out punching precision, an engineering formula assures success. Procedurally, the factors accumulate as lots of smaller steps, not as some grand giant corrective leap. For instance, starting with a vital process optimizing initiative, we can use reverse-analysis testing to see how safe a pun

Seen in action, a metal cutting “shear” slices through sheet metal sections in a single cut. By comparison, an industrial saw is a less effective fabrication tool, one that takes time to route its cuts. Needless to say, that all-at-once shearing action takes its toll. Clearly, if a high-

Slug pulling occurs when a “slug” gets stuck to a punch as it’s pulling back from a strike. The tool pierced a panel of sheet metal, the slug (punched scrap) separated from the sheet, but it hasn’t dropped free. In lieu of the expected scrap removal action, the ejected waste

Productivity losses can quickly kill a machine shop’s productivity margin. Narrow enough already because of high material costs and increasingly unmanageable overhead problems, that manufacturing facility can’t afford a run of rejected products. To correct that issue on a food processing

Imagine how a mechanical punch would perform if it was overlooked. Now try picturing that same uncaring attitude as applied to a shearing machine. The high-performance, high-precision equipment eventually falls into disrepair. No surprise there, then. What choice is there now? The machine shop stops

As that first word infers, Progressive Stamping Die stations use a sequential approach. One operation is carried out, then the next stage is initiated, and then the next, and so on, until a fabrication run is complete. Being as how this is a chain of intimately connected actions, the slightest devia

Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring material known to man. They’re used on drill bits and abrasive cutting blades to carry out all sorts of tough tooling jobs. Other materials, even tough carbides, find that kind of work next to impossible to emulate. Unsurprisingly, and this developm

Computer Aided Design involves program design space, parametric models, and proprietary software packages. By itself, this field of engineering can’t create a real-world product. Enter Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), with its machine codes and automated machinery. This is the second half o

Without die clearance tolerances, punching strokes would become woefully inaccurate. The equipment could still send the punch operation downwards accurately, with the tool moving as if it were on an invisible rail, but a poorly configured die-to-punch gap would then deflect the stroke before it made

Modern machines use industrial-strength moving parts. Happily, that’s a development that has produced incredibly fast and productive equipment lines. Not so happily, those machines have been known to cause nasty injuries. Mechanical punch and shearing machines are not immune to such incidents.

The following conclusion was reached by applying a little common sense. Think of it, of a fabrication floor that works on hardened steel. Tool steel can’t hold its form for long, not unless it’s more durable than the workpiece it’s being used upon. Again, that piece of reasoning di

Punch tools exude a perfectly crafted appearance. They shine, with their burnished surfaces exhibiting a flawless aspect that surely can’t read false. Viewed microscopically, though, it’s a different story. Tiny material irregularities could be hidden just below that glossy finish. And,