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...
Kicking off with a straightforward explanation, one that forming equipment maintenance professionals know all too well, oily films neutralize friction. If there’s little to no friction during a machine’s operating...
If a multi-tonnage press snaps down at breakneck speed, will a punch eject a razor-sharp blank? Not necessarily, not if there are certain quality-attenuating factors hindering the process. For one...
A J-hook is a type of punch deformity, one that occurs due to tool wear. It’s a shape, a wear pattern that appears as an inward-curling burr of punch tip...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
In the modern industrial world, you need to know that you have the proper tools and components on hand in order to render your services appropriately. Industrial machines are reliant...
Machine shop punch press tools perform a series of intricately controlled mechanical strokes. Cuts and indentations drop down with ram-like force. Slugs drop free while a matching die accommodates the...
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...
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...
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...
