Page 55 - MetalForming September 2012

Tooling Technology
1 4/6/2011
6:40:58 PM
Pulverman punches the bolt holes and perforations on this muffler heat shield on its tur- ret presses. The part is of 16-gauge Type 304 bright annealed stainless steel.
rent guide assemblies. Pulverman is systematically replacing its old tooling, as the old punch-
es wear out, with EXP punch technology.
“Often, when our old punches wear out, we just replace them because the spring packs and the punch guides are still good. It doesn’t make sense to throw them out,” adds Yermal.
Pulverman has enjoyed signif- icant cost savings since standard- izing its punch inventory. While upfront costs may be higher to pur- chase the holder and the punch when compared to buying just a regular punch, moving forward the firm only needs to replace the punch insert. This has proven to be much less expensive than buying a full replace- ment punch.
“We realized almost immediate cost savings,” says Yermal. “We’re getting more life out of the punch inserts because they’re machined from a high- er-quality tool steel, and we’re also experiencing more grind life with the tooling.”
A Fine Finish on Sensitive Work
Pulverman fabricates a variety of materials, including mild steel, stain- less steel and aluminum. In particular, stainless-steel and aluminum work tends to be very finish-sensitive, requir- ing polished finishes without scratch- es. Not only does EXP punch tooling handle this variety well, it’s also show- ing little signs of wear.
“We’ve been using the tooling for several months now and haven’t worn out any of the punch inserts,” says Yer- mal. “But I can tell you that if they were standard punches, we probably would
Turret punching man- ufactures this truck dash structure, of 16-gauge cold-rolled steel.
have replaced several by now.” Yermal also appreciates the quicker changeover times realized with the new tooling. Once an operator removes the guide assembly, there’s no need to twist out the punch holder. Changing punch- es is a simple matter of switching
punch inserts.
“Instead of having to build the tool
up from scratch,” he says, “all the oper- ator has to do is give a quarter-turn with an Allen key at the bottom of the punch holder. With the punch insert removed he then can install a new insert and lock it in place. It all happens in just a few seconds, a big time saver.”
For Pulverman, upgrading its punch technology represents the firm’s “con- stant effort to expand our business, attract new customers and make sure we stay on top of quality and delivery, to keep our customers happy,” says Yermal.
With yet another year of record sales expected in 2012, this strategy seems to be working just fine. MF
Article provided by Wilson Tool Inter- national, White Berar Lake, MN: 800/328-9646; www.wilsontool.com.
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