Page 39 - MetalForming January 2011
P. 39
tip in the opposite direction while they still reside in the lower die. This leads to excessive die wear, damaged punches and poor part quality.
The real problem occurs when attempts are made to improve die wear, reduce punch damage and improve part quality. Without an understanding of the actual load distri- bution across the press slide, these problems cannot be solved properly. New tool steels may be tried, different punches may be purchased or, worse yet, additional clearance may be added to the side of the die opening that keeps shearing. Eventually, a burr problem develops on the other side of the die opening because the clearance is too great due to the punch tilting when it cuts. As punch wear continues to be a problem, specialized surface coatings may be applied to the punches.
After a lot of work, effort and frustration, some improve- ments might be realized. But if a little effort were spent upfront to correct the off-centered loading conditions, all of this other work would be unnecessary. MF
The MFG Meeting is brought to you by:
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/January 2011 37
Tooling Technology
$% #!""
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa | Chandler, AZ
The MFG Meeting (Manufacturing For Growth) brings together business owners and C-Level executives from around the country for a 4-day forum on how we can synergize our resources to restore manufacturing to its rightful place as an engine that drives the U.S. economy.
Jointly produced by four major industry trade groups, this ground-breaking event tackles the issues that affect the entire realm of manufacturing and facilitates a conversation that can't be found at any event presented from a single sector's perspective.
www.pma.org
www.ntma.org
www.amtonline.org
www.amtda.org
www.themfgmeeting.com
