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Punching and blanking runs are two entirely different processes. Using sheet metal to illustrate that assertion, two singular products pop out of the production line. Let’s start with the punching equipment. The sheet metal is struck repeatedly by the tool, waste is stamped free, and the sheet is crammed full of geometrically detailed openings. This […]

In punch machinery, maximising process efficiency takes more than the ability to squeeze multiple cut sites onto a single sheet of hardened metal. There are other ways to tighten the production cycle. Case in point, the punch material itself is a process performance enhancer. Then there are innovative tool head aids, precisely driven work surfaces, […]

Before writing down a compelling argument, one that explains why punches and dies are formed from hardened super-alloys, we should talk a little about vacuum heat treatment. First and foremost, what happens inside the airless furnace? Well, air is sucked out of the heated chamber, then an inert gas replaces the air. But why go […]

Made in Australia, toughened metal parts gain an edge when they’re coated in zinc. It’s true, a high-tensile support strut or hardened fastener will anchor a super-heavy load, but that mechanical strength can be undermined. Crippled by water, and time, strong alloys corrode. Here in Melbourne, where the coastal salt air drifts far, a zinc […]

There’s no need to get ahead of ourselves, no desire to put the proverbial cart before the horse, so let’s define an EDM Spark Eroding Machine before taking it apart and explaining its various inner workings. This is Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM), a manufacturing technique that uses a special sparking electrode to cut intricate shapes […]

Sophisticated punches and dies indent metal surfaces with clearly detailed outlines. The marks are precise, easy to identify, and they repeatedly stamp out identical tags. It seems like these hardened alloy tools will last forever. Regrettably, nothing lasts forever, not even a super-toughened punch. The punch press is making more noise than it should, and […]

Tool steel has to be much tougher than a regular alloy. The materials are hard, abrasion and impact resistant, and they’re designed to defy wear. All things considered, then, machine dies and punches are obviously substantially harder than those workpiece alloys. That’s because they must be able to deform that softer metal in some meaningful […]

Punches are indentation tools. If you strike the blunt head of this narrow shaft with a hammer, the opposing end of the tool creates an indented mark in a metal workpiece. To look at it, a punch is obviously manufactured from an equally rigid metal. It’s shaped a little like a pen, but the business […]