Progressive stamping die

A progressive stamping die (progressive stamping) ("die") is a metalworking device that is designed and built to convert a strip of metal raw material into parts that conform to blueprint specifications.

The "dies" are placed into a stamping press. As the stamping press moves up, the die opens. As the stamping press moves down, the die closes. The raw material (metal) moves through the die while the die is open, being fed into the die a precise amount with each stroke of the press. When the die closes, the die performs its work on the metal and one or more finished parts are ejected (usually by gravity) from the die. The stamping die can modify the raw material in several ways, such as bending, coining, and punching. Holes that are cut into the raw material can be almost any shape.

Since additional work is done in each "station" of the die, it is important that the strip be advanced very precisely so that it aligns within a few thousandths of an inch as it moves from station to station. Bullet shaped or conical "pilots" enter previously pierced round holes in the strip to assure this alignment since the feeding mechanism usually cannot provide the necessary precision in feed length.

The key components of dies are made of tool steel to withstand the high shock loading involved, retain the necessary sharp cutting edge, and resist the abrasive forces involved.

The cost is is determined by the amount of features, which determine what tooling will need to be used. It is advised to keep the features as simple as possible to keep the cost of tooling to a minimum. Features that are close together produce a problem because it may not provide enough clearance for the punch, which could result in another station. It can also be problematic to have narrow cuts and protrusions.

An excellent example of the product of a progressive die is the lid of a beer or soft drink can. The pull tab is made in one progressive die and then automatically mated to the lid which is made in another progressive die.

External links

* [http://www.composidie.com/about/video-vault.html See Stamping Dies in Action]
* [http://www.hillengr.com Hill Engineering a member of the Formtek Group]
* [http://www.progressivestampingdies.com California Progressive Engineering - Over 40 years experience]

"Source"
*Kalpakijian, Serope, and Steven R. Schmid. "Manufacturing Engineering and Technology". (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006), 474.