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Punching Thick Material – Over 0.157(4,00)

• Use sharp punches and dies – sharpen when cutting edge has a .003 – .005 (.07 – .13) radius proper sharpening is critical
• Clearance of 25 – 30% of material thickness (reference die clearance chart)
• Heavy duty back taper on punches
• Punch to material thickness of 1:1 (minimum)
• Minimum punch size of 0.250(6.40)
• 0.020(0.50) radius on all punch corners
• Inspect tools frequently for wear
• Lubricate the sheet, punch, guide
• Run machine on slow cycle
• Special care should be taken NOT to exceed press capacity (tonnage) when punching large shapes – for best results, use 80% of press capacity
• Bridge hitting is recommended – this will keep a balanced load on the punch
• Nibbling is NOT recommended – if you must nibble, use 70% minimum of punch length – Do NOT nibble with width of punch
• Heavy Duty Tooling recommended – (114 Style and ULTRA TEC® available)
• Use Maxima™ coated punches
• Use a special shear punch (Shear punches are best for minimizing tonnage when blanking parts.)  Benefits of using a shear punch:
  • Reduced tonnage
  • Noise reduction
  • Slug control
  • Reduced shock loads
  • Improved stripping

Heavy Duty Tooling Advantages

• 1º back taper (per side) on punches
• Heavy duty SLUG FREE® die design
• Heavy duty springs (ULTRA TEC® canister)
• Rooftop shear – D station and larger (114) – B station and larger (ULTRA TEC)
• Radius on all 90º corners to improve corner strength
• Premium M2 tool steel (ULTRA TEC punches)
• Quick length adjust (ULTRA TEC)•
• Quick tool change (ULTRA TEC)
• Maxima™ coating option (M2 ULTRA TEC punches only)

Punching Thin Material – Less than 0.020(0,50)

• Use sharp punches and dies
• Use appropriate die clearance
• Use Slug Free Light dies
• Ensure proper tool alignment
• Use special point tolerance for punch and stripper
• Use proper die penetration
• Use guides in good condition
• Use Fully Guided punches
• Demagnetize tooling after sharpening to help prevent slug pulling
• Use Maxima™ coated or Nitride treated punches
• Avoid use of die adapters
• Use SLUG FREE® dies to reduce slug pulling (blanking may benefit from non-SLUG FREE dies)
• Use slug ejectors for thin materials
• Avoid use of station adapters if possible
• Use shorter slitting tools

Punching Non-Metallic Material

• Use sharp punches and dies
• Reduce die clearance by 5% – 8%
• Run the machine on slow cycle
• Lubricate hard plastic if possible
• Use Maxima™ coated punches
• If marking occurs use urethane pads
• Support thin material when possible