There are five elements that will increase the life of your tool and profitability, ensuring fabricators get the most value out of their carbide tools tools, reduce wear and tear on their tools, and also punch correct shapes.

To get the most out of your punching tools, avoid tool wear, and punch proper shapes Take a look at the five points below.

Correct Adjustment

One of the biggest errors manufacturers make is to not ensure their turret stations are properly aligned and functioning properly and not only in relation to position, but with respect to the direction in which they are punched. A saw-tooth effect will occur when a station has not been in the right alignment and is rotated by half an inch. This is caused through the use of a nipper or making straight lines using the use of a rectangular tool. The saw-tooth effect could cause uneven wear on the tool as time passes. This can eventually result in a loss of the cutting edge.

Nibbling can cause side loading where the punch starts to come down and only a portion of the tool is able to penetrate the material. Most of the tool remains unsupported, which causes the tool to pull toward the side it is not supported, causing a breakdown of the sundi tools.

If you are going to nibble, professionals suggest using fully guided tool with a stripper designed with more clearance in order to keep the precision carbide punch point horizontal when piercing through the sheet. This is especially useful for small holes in thick material or for nibbling.

Treatments and coatings

Treatments and coatings can be a fantastic method to prolong the life of your punch and lessen the amount of galling. One of the best methods of getting the most from your punching device is to coat it with. A variety of different treatment options and coatings are readily available like the nitride treatment where nitride is infused into the point of punch.

This makes the punch easier to punch through the material and then pull it out. Coatings such as zirconium, titanium, and nitride are applied in multiple, thin layers onto the edge of the punch. That adds lubricity and helps keep the punch cool for applications with high impact that are subject to heat buildup within the punch.

Correct Pass Away Clearance

The right clearance is critical as it has a massive bearing on the stress factor on the tooling not to mention the finish on the hole.

Burr is an indication that the die clearance is not right. Too much clearance can cause the material to roll and stretch, which can result in a down-edge or burr. If the clearance is too strict, this could result in extreme stress on the tool, and the tool may break out of the hole that has been pierced.

Proper clearance of the die results in greater stripping efficiency and less burr. Die clearance is a matter of material. For stainless, fabricators will generally adjust the die clearance to 25 % of the thickness of the material. The clearance of the die for mild steel as well as certain types of aluminum is about 20% less than that of stainless. It all depends on the type of material being punched.

4.Sharp Tools

A sharp tool can make all the difference in punching hole quality. It's the easiest way to feel the tool to tell if it needs to be sharpened. If your tool feels dull, it needs to be sharpened. If you notice any movement at the edge of your tool this could be a sign of a dull tool. The punch may also be deteriorating in the event that the hole has been distorted. A circular hole that appears like an egg could be a sign that the punch is beginning to fall apart.

It's simple to spot the difference between a punch hitting a sheet and one that is dull. Fabricators must keep their tools sharp instead of simply punching until they get extremely dull.

It's best to sharpen the tool frequently and remove a small amount of material off every time. This will dramatically increase the lifespan of your tool. For example, in side-by side testing of identical tools in the same application, sharpening more frequently will increase carbide punches tools life exponentially.

To sharpen your tool, the right coolant is vital. If you are unable to sharpen with cooling agent, the heat buildup will alter the nature of the material, weakening the tool. Make sure you use a high-quality grinding wheel and constant speeds to feed the tool in and out.

When you've finished sharpening the tool, it's crucial to de-magnetize your tools. When they become magnetized, they attract any carbon-type debris. Wear is increased with the addition of dirt or dust that is deposited on the tool. You are essentially punching through more garbage.

You may notice a burr around the edge of the point when the tool is sharpened. To eliminate this, you can use the stone with a soft abrasive to cut off the material. You will get straight edges with a very small radius. After sharpening the dies, use die shims to ensure that they are back at the an appropriate height so that you get the correct punch penetration across the board.

Lubrication

Fabricators could not be lubricating their punches properly. This could result in a reduction in tool life by up to 60%, and also galling when working with softer materials. Lubrication of the tip properly will prevent the punch from getting hot.

In addition to these five points be sure to have a proper storage system for your custom die punch tools and dies, so that they are not rolling around and getting scratched.