As outlined in MetalForming Magazine’s article, “Avoiding the 7 Deadly Sins of Stamping: Part 3 Poor Die Setup,” ensuring a precise die setup is essential to prevent damage and maintain stamping performance. Most die damage occurs during the setup process, especially for progressive dies. Issues like unbalanced loads during strip-threading can misalign tooling, causing sections to shear and damage both the die and press.
A significant problem during die setup is the accumulation of slugs and debris. If scrap materials from the threading process are left in the die, they can lead to double-feeding and severe damage. Moreover, unbalanced pressure on draw pads during setup can put strain on the die components. Developing a consistent die setup procedure—often referred to as a “recipe”—is crucial to avoid these issues and achieve optimal performance.
Ensuring cleanliness is another critical step. Progressive, line, and transfer dies often have tight tolerances of less than 0.0005 inches. Even small amounts of dirt, oil, or leftover material on the die, bolster plate, or ram can interfere with the die’s functionality. Running a flat file along the die’s top and bottom surfaces helps remove any minor deformities left by previous setups. For larger dies, cleaning the rolling bolster’s base and the press bed will further enhance precision.
Proper alignment of the progressive die with the coil feeder is also essential. Aligning the die’s pilots and coil-feed direction, as well as the coil edge with the die’s side rail, helps prevent feeding issues. Techniques like keying the die to the bolster plate or using locator pins can streamline alignment. For example, locator pins allow setup technicians to position the die quickly, securing it in place with the press fork truck or die cart.
Finally, when lowering the press ram, make sure the initial shut height is slightly greater than the die’s final calibrated height. By setting the ram height to slightly above the final shut height, excessive force on the die’s setup blocks can be avoided. Improperly loaded setup blocks can become crushed, resulting in uneven calibration surfaces. This small but important step ensures the longevity of the die setup blocks, which are essential for accurate calibration.
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Article with all rights reserved, courtesy of MetalForming Magazine.
