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Traditional parts retention methods for thicker materials like micro-joints (or “shake and break”) are not always strong enough to hold the part while punching. The traditional micro-joint approach places small, interconnecting tabs between the parts by programming the spacing of the slitting punch to leave unpunched material. Micro-joints leave burrs on the edge that could interfere with other downstream operations, such as bending or even cause serious injury if not removed. Increasing the size of the micro-joint to handle the thicker material tends to leave an even larger burr on the part.

Thicker Metals Require the Square ShearButton™

A Square ShearButton™ tool is a part retention system for thicker materials. Available in both form up and form down, Square ShearButton allows fabricators to snap punched components out of sheet metal. One of the components is a spring-loaded set that allows partial punch penetration and the material to strip off from the toolset. When the tools penetrate the sheet, they move material in the shape of the punched tab (up or down) to a point before the material fractures. This process leaves a tab that is strong enough to hold the part in place but will still break off easily for removal. It makes removal easy since you snap the parts from the sheet. The actual penetration depth and force required to snap the part depends on the ductility and thickness of the material and the width of the shear button.

You may use Square ShearButton with a variety of material types, including stainless steel, aluminum, cold roll steel and more. You can adjust depths and heights to the specific application. Potential uses for Square ShearButton include nesting parts in a large sheet, very large/heavy parts with minimal micro-joints and rounded part corners where a corner micro-joint is not possible.

Download the Solution Bulletin for more information and tips for success.