A metal punch press dies produces holes and other forms of various diameters rapidly and effectively while fabricating sheet metal. A punch is used to pierce the metal substance, and the extra metal is then forced into a die to operate the machinery.
Multiple tool sizes can be accommodated by a punch press dies, which has a variety of uses and benefits for your sheet metal manufacturing process. In this article, we’ll discuss how the metal punch press dies work, the different types of metal used and benefits in brief.
How Does Metal Punch Press Dies Work?
A strip of metal, also known as a blank or tool steel, is cut and shaped using one or more dies to produce the required shape or profile during the cold forming process known as die pun. The force used to modify and alter the blank’s geometry results in stress that enables the work piece to be bent or shaped into intricate shapes. Depending on the application, the manufactured parts can be either minimal or incredibly huge.
Punching, blanking, piercing, coining, and other operations are some procedures used in the punch press procedure, also known as pressing. To ensure that every punch provides the best possible product, designs must be exact.
The metal punch press dies uses specialized instruments called dies to produce designs, which can be anything from straightforward everyday objects to intricate computer components. Dies can be created to carry out a single task or a sequence of tasks that occurs sequentially.
Metals Used In Metal Punch Press Dies
Any kind of metal, whether ferrous or nonferrous, may be utilized in the punch press dies process. Iron is present in ferrous metals, but not in nonferrous metals. Since iron ore is used to make steel, it serves as the ideal illustration of a ferrous metal. Raw aluminum is used to create aluminum, which has no iron. Nonferrous metals are not magnetic, while ferrous metals are, with a few exceptions.
Nonferrous metals do not rust or oxidize since they do not contain any iron. Copper, aluminum, bronze, brass, gold, silver, tin, and non-ferrous metals are used in press dies. Aluminum is the most often used non-ferrous metal because of its durability, low weight, and corrosion resistance.
- Steel in Punch Press Dies
The primary component of metal punch press dies is carbon, a material that is incredibly tough and resilient. Steel gets tougher than its carbon content increases. Due to its lifespan and toughness, stamped steel is very sought-after. Steel is typically alloyed to boost its tensile strength and rust resistance. Nickel and chromium are the two most popular alloys for steel.
- Stainless Steel
Stainless steel, another ferrous metal, is another type of steel used for punch press dies. The grades of stainless steel are based on the alloy combinations it contains, primarily chromium and nickel. Each grade includes qualities and traits that make it perfect for a wide range of uses. Steel grade is utilized in the processing of chemicals and food, whereas stainless steel grade is best for maritime applications.
- Aluminum
As a non-ferrous metal that is lightweight, strong, and corrosion- and rust-resistant, aluminum is frequently used in punch press. Most of the time, aluminum is alloyed with other materials in order to boost its strength and some of its other features and characteristics. Aluminum’s formability makes it the ideal metal for press dies because it can be molded and formed into any shape.
- Copper in Punch Press Dies
Similar to aluminum, copper is a nonferrous metal that can be swiftly and readily molded into single pieces of seamless components. It is a low-maintenance metal with excellent corrosion resistance and naturally sanitary qualities for use in the manufacturing of medical devices, foods, and beverages.
Even though pure copper is used for punch press, it is frequently alloyed to increase its toughness and longevity. It is the perfect metal for the press process due to its great ductility.
- Brass
A copper alloy made of copper and zinc is known as brass. The grade of brass and its ductility are determined by the proportions of each metal. Brass has a surface that is extremely silky and smooth, is resistant to corrosion, and has great conductivity. The beauty and superior aesthetic value of brass are additional considerations in the selection process.
Brass comes in a variety of grades and varieties, but C26000 is frequently used because of its remarkable corrosion resistance. The amount of zinc a piece of brass contains affects how hard it is.
Specialty Metals in Metal Punch Press Dies
The category of specialty metals includes a huge variety of metals that are made to survive harsh environmental conditions without corroding, deteriorating, or breaking down. Numerous varieties of titanium and nickel-based alloys fall under this category. It is challenging to characterize the features of these types of metals due to their diversity and breadth. They are designed to work in the circumstances for which they are being made.
The resistance to corrosion and heat are two characteristics that specialty methods have in common. The improvement of the base metal’s strength, durability, and resistance to impact and physical harm are all aspects of the engineering of specialty metals.
Advantages of Metal Punch Press Dies
- Versatility
This soft tooling equipment is capable of creating all the shapes and holes required for your particular project. The metal press dies can make circular holes, square holes, varied shapes, perforations, and forms thanks to adjustable tool sizing and the ability to employ several strokes rapidly and effectively.
Due to the numerous tooling in one device, the machine can process complex parts with ease and without needing to halt the process to change out the parts.
- Cost-Effectiveness
Soft tooling is the best option for those one-off sheet metal jobs or low to medium production runs because it is inexpensive to purchase or replace as needed. Punch press machines are also extremely efficient and operate at high rates, which results in a reduction in production time, material waste, and cost.
Without having to manually change the tooling, the operator can quickly rotate the turret using the controller to choose a different punching tool as needed. The assembly of bigger projects can also be tested using soft tooling using a punch press. This enables organizations to avoid investing in and creating customized punch press dies that may ultimately require pricey modification or redesign.
- Technology Advancements for Increased Safety
The metal punch press dies technology has seen a number of recent advancements that have reduced the time it takes to complete components and made machine use safer. Self-stripping punch tools and multipurpose combination tools that don’t require separate turret indexing for each tool fall under this category.
The advancement of CNC programming has also improved machine productivity to get the most output from the workpiece while lowering expenses and material waste.
Conclusion
Many sectors of the global economy heavily rely on metal punch press for their machinery, including the automobile sector, aerospace projects, and medical equipment. Metal punch press dies are an economical approach to produce the large quantities of sophisticated parts that are needed around the world.
A number of metal-forming techniques can be used to finish the challenging process of metal punch press dies. To change the metal into the desired shape, some examples include bending, punching, blanking, spinning, or piercing it.
