In the past, making complicated parts was a slow and expensive process. There are two ways to make the part: either the tool can be changed over and over in a single press or it can be made with several presses that perform separate actions. Because of this, it took a long time to load and cost a lot to do so.
With progressive stamping tools, a company can avoid these problems and make better parts faster and for less money.
What does Progressive Die Stamping Mean?
Progressive Die Stamping is a way to cut and shape raw sheets of metal with the help of a stamping die. It comprises several separate workstations that each does one or more operations on that part. The progressive die can do many different things, such as cut, coin, punch, bend, lance, shave, extrude, draw, and emboss.
As the name suggests, Compound die and progressive die stamping comprise many steps in which the raw material is pressed simultaneously and in order by an automatic feeding system. As each stage is completed, the desired shape is achieved. These steps have the same basic setup, but some things could be different.
The Process of Making a Progressive Die
The way a progressive stamping tool works can be broken down into three stages.
- During the preparation stage, the plastic powder is weighed, poured into the feeding room, and heated until it becomes plastic.
- Molten plastic is pressed through the feeding chamber when the hydraulic press’ pressing column descends on the press table. The plastic is then injected into the die cavity at high speed through the die casting system, which keeps the heat and hardens it for a certain amount of time.
- This unusual unloading mechanism pulls plastic components out of the mold after it is opened and the charging chamber, runner, and cavity are all cleaned to make room for a new extrusion stroke.
The technical and organizational management levels of die production can be seen in how a progressive die is made. The time it takes to make the mold should be cut down as much as possible. The time it takes to make a die can be cut by more than 60 percent with the help of computer-aided die design and NC machine tool processing technology.
Conditions for Making a Progressive Die with Multiple Positions
- The parts should be standard products, and the batch should be big enough to make at least 80,000 pieces per month. If not, there won’t be much economic gain.
- The parts are mostly more accurate than IT10, but not always. In recent years, as die processing technology has improved, the accuracy of making parts with a multi-position progressive die has gotten a lot better. This has led to better parts, some of which have reached the IT8 level.
- Some parts aren’t suitable for single-process die processing, like parts with unusually complex shapes that need to be stamped more than once to get the right shape and size. For continuous stamping, the multi-position progressive stamping tool is used when the single-process die can’t find and stamp the right place.
- Parts with unique shapes that can’t be made with a compound die like the lead frame of an integrated circuit or the rotor piece and stator of a micro motor can’t be made with a combination die, but they can be made with a multi-position Compound die and progressive die.
- The piece of work is the right shape and size. When the thickness of the material of the workpiece is more than 5 mm, and the shape’s length is more than 250 mm, the progressive die is not a good choice. Most workpieces have a thickness of between 0.2 mm and 4 mm.
- Materials used for stamping are the right length and thickness. If the materials are too short, the production efficiency is low. The feeding direction and positioning are problematic if the materials are too thin. If the materials are too thick, they can’t be lined up, and if they are too thick, they are usually too short to be fed automatically.
- The material needs to be rigid, or it won’t work well with automatic feeding.
- The total size of the die and how hard it presses must be suitable for the size of the press and fit with the press’s other parameters.
Conclusion
Compound die and progressive die stamping can help businesses in many different ways. Adding the process to your manufacturing is a great way to make the most of your company’s time.
Also Read: How to Plan for Precision Stamped Parts Production