The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Purchasing progressive die design

What is Progressive Stamping?

Progressive stamping, also known as progressive die stamping, is a metalworking process that involves feeding a strip of metal through a series of dies to create a finished part. The strip of metal is fed through the dies in a continuous motion, with each die performing a specific operation on the metal until the final part is produced.

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The process is highly automated and can produce high volumes of complex parts quickly and efficiently. Progressive stamping is commonly used in the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries, among others.

Benefits of Progressive Stamping

Progressive stamping offers several benefits over other metalworking processes, including:

• High production rates: Progressive stamping is a highly automated process that can produce large quantities of parts quickly and efficiently.
• Cost-effective: The use of automated equipment and the ability to produce high volumes of parts make progressive stamping a cost-effective option for manufacturing.
• Consistency and precision: The use of dies ensures that each part is produced with the same level of precision and consistency, resulting in high-quality parts.
• Complex parts: Progressive stamping can produce complex parts with multiple features and tight tolerances.
• Material versatility: Progressive stamping can be used with a variety of materials, including steel, aluminum, and copper.

Equipment Used in Progressive Stamping

Progressive stamping requires specialized equipment to perform the various operations on the metal strip. The main components of a progressive stamping machine include:

Feeder

The feeder is responsible for feeding the metal strip into the machine and ensuring that it is properly aligned for the next operation. The feeder can be either pneumatic or mechanical, depending on the type of machine.

Die Set

The die set is a series of dies that are used to perform the various operations on the metal strip. Each die is responsible for a specific operation, such as cutting, bending, or forming.

Press

The press is the main component of the progressive stamping machine. It provides the force needed to perform the operations on the metal strip. The press can be either mechanical or hydraulic.

Stripper

The stripper is responsible for removing the finished part from the metal strip after each operation. It ensures that the part is released cleanly and without any damage.

Other Components

Other components of a progressive stamping machine may include sensors, lubrication systems, and safety features to help streamline the stamping process.

Step 1: Design and Engineering

The first step in the progressive stamping process is the design and engineering phase. This involves creating a design for the part and determining the best way to produce it using progressive stamping. This step may also involve creating prototypes to test the design and make any necessary adjustments.

Step 2: Tooling

Once the design is finalized, the next step is to create the tooling. This involves creating the dies that will be used to perform the various operations on the metal strip. The tooling is typically made from hardened steel to withstand the high forces and pressures involved in the stamping process.

Step 3: Setup

Once the tooling is complete, it is installed in the progressive stamping machine. The machine is then set up to ensure that the metal strip is fed through the dies correctly and that the operations are performed accurately.

Step 4: Production

With the machine set up, production can begin. The metal strip is fed through the machine, and each die performs its operation on the strip until the final part is produced. The finished parts are then removed from the strip and inspected for quality.

Progressive stamping can be used with a variety of materials, including steel, aluminum, and copper. These metals are commonly used in progressive stamping due to their versatility and ability to withstand the high forces and pressures involved in the stamping process. The choice of metal depends on the specific requirements of the part being produced and the desired characteristics of the finished product.

Steel

Steel is a versatile material that can be easily formed and shaped during the progressive stamping process. It can be used to create parts with various geometries, including intricate designs and complex features. This versatility allows for the production of a wide range of parts for different industries and applications. Steel is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, making it suitable for applications that require strong and sturdy parts. Progressive stamping can produce complex parts with tight tolerances, and steel&#;s strength ensures that the parts can withstand the forces and pressures involved in the stamping process. Progressive stamped parts made from steel are less likely to deform or break under stress, ensuring their longevity and reliability. Steel is readily available and relatively inexpensive compared to other metals, which makes it a cost-effective material for progressive stamping.

Aluminum

Aluminum is highly formable, allowing for the creation of complex shapes and designs during the progressive stamping process. It can be easily bent, formed, and shaped without sacrificing its structural integrity. This versatility makes aluminum a popular choice for parts with intricate geometries and tight tolerances. Aluminum is also known for its low density, making it significantly lighter than steel. This makes it an ideal choice for applications where weight reduction is important, such as in the automotive and aerospace industries. Aluminum is an excellent conductor of electricity, making it a preferred choice for electrical and electronic applications. Progressive stamping can be used to create intricate designs and features in aluminum parts, allowing for efficient electrical conductivity and connectivity. Aluminum has high thermal conductivity as well. This makes it suitable for applications where heat dissipation is important, such as in heat sinks or cooling systems.

Copper Alloys

Copper and copper alloys can be a good material choice for parts made with progressive stamping in cases where excellent electrical conductivity is required. Copper is known for its high electrical conductivity, making it ideal for applications in the electrical and electronics industries. Progressive stamping can be used to create intricate designs and features in copper parts, allowing for efficient electrical conductivity and connectivity. Copper alloys, which are mixtures of copper with other metals, can also offer improved strength, corrosion resistance, and other desirable properties while still maintaining good electrical conductivity.

Exotic Metals

&#;Exotic metals&#; is an umbrella term that is used to describe a group of high strength alloys whose unique properties come from the addition of a less common material. These alloys can be based in steel, aluminum, copper, titanium, magnesium, and more. Exotic metals can be used for progressive stamping, especially when the parts being formed call for a very specific set of properties that cannot be achieved with more common alloys alone. Exotic metals are typically used to make parts for the aerospace, electronics, and medical industries.

Dayton Rogers is a leading provider of progressive stamping services, with over 80 years of experience in the industry. We offer a wide range of capabilities, including in-house tooling, design, and engineering services. We also have a variety of presses capable of exerting forces up to 300 tons to accommodate different part sizes and production volumes.

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Revolutionary Resources

One of our company&#;s greatest accolades is the creation of the Metalforming Design Handbook- commonly referred to as The Red Book- and the accompanying illustrated guide Example of Design Principles- also called The Black Book. The Metalforming Design Handbook provides comprehensive information on the design principles and best practices for metal stamping. It covers topics such as material selection, die design, tooling considerations, and troubleshooting common issues. The handbook serves as a valuable resource for engineers and designers involved in progressive stamping, helping them optimize the design of parts for manufacturability and efficiency. The Example of Design Principles, or The Black Book, serves as an illustrated guide that showcases real-life examples of successful progressive stamping designs. It provides practical insights into the application of design principles and demonstrates how to overcome common challenges in the stamping process. This guide is a valuable tool for designers looking for inspiration and guidance in creating progressive stamping parts. Despite first being published decades ago, our reference materials are widely used across the manufacturing industry even today.

Experience Counts

Our extensive experience, combined with these reference materials, makes us a trusted authority in the field of progressive stamping design. By leveraging our expertise and the knowledge shared in The Red Book and The Black Book, Dayton Rogers can provide high-quality progressive stamping services and ensure that your part designs are optimized for manufacturability.

Progressive stamping is a highly efficient and cost-effective metalworking process that is used to produce high volumes of complex parts. Using the right equipment and decades of metal stamping expertise, like Dayton Rogers can provide high-quality progressive stamping services for a variety of industries. By understanding the process and the benefits it offers, you can make informed decisions about whether progressive stamping is the right choice for your manufacturing needs.

1. Often the design of the die dictates the speed at which the die can run.
2. A die that feeds poorly can reduce profits significantly.
3. A few key principles can help you design a progressive die that feeds effectively.

Strip Starting

Some stampers invest thousands of dollars on a quick die change system in an effort to reduce the die setup time by 15 that cannot be strip-stated easily. Operators can take as long as an hour simply to get the material fed into the die. With a properly designed die, the same setup would take five minutes or less.

Most progressive die damage occurs during the initial die setup, not during production. This usually is because the die designer has placed a greater emphasis on processing the part through the necessary stations and neglected the great responsibility of designing the die to be easily and saftey fed and loaded.

Pay strict attention to items such as large leads on guide and running rails. Keep in mind that feeding a 2-inch-wide strip into a small progressive die is fairly simple, but feeding 72-in. - wide, 0.020-in.-thick material into the die is a different story. Whenever possible, provide a shelf for the material to sit on so the operator doesn&#;t have to try to hold the material up while feeing it into the die.

Figure 1 shows a die design for easy strip-starting.

Pitch Stops

Pitch stop notches, or french notches, often are used to prevent overfeeding and to establish pitch. Although they require the strip width to be slightly wider, they can help to prevent miss-hits and unnecessary die damage.

Removing a portion of the strip edge also removed any edge camber before the metal is fe through the die. Many stampers have done away with pitch notches, which is fine if all the necessary die protection is functioning, the coil feeder is accurate, the strip has very little edge camber, and the operator is well-trained.

Figure 2

shows a lance and bend pitch stop, which makes a pitch notch without creating a slug. This design not only eliminates cutting slugs, but also provides an extra-strong carrier web. It is popular for one-sided carrier strips that either are weak or have a tendency to edge-bend through the die. It works in the horizontal and vertical boundaries of the carrier rail to ensure the strip can be fed forward only (see Figure 3 ).

Lifter Systems

Many different types of lifter systems can be used for progressive die applications.

Round lifters can be purchased readily and fairly inexpensive (see Figure 4 ). They work well when the metal gauge is fairly heavy and resist sagging or deflection. They should be placed strategically at supporting intervals.

Round lifters don&#;t support the entire strip length through the die, so they often allow the strip to sag from lifter to cause metal to fold or buckle on itself. Round lifters also have very small or no leads on them to facilitate strip starting.

Bar lifters, although more expensive, support the entire strip throughout the length of progressive die (see Figure 5 ). This eliminates sagging and helps reduce or eliminate the probability of the metal folding onto itself. Bar lifters also can be customized to accept a lance and bend pitch stop.

Strip lifters often are used to lift the strip slightly when the part requires very little lift to feed it (see Figure 6 ). They also support the strip during pilot entry.

Carrier Strength

Make sure that the carrier is wide enough to prevent severe deflection during the feeding process.

If the metal is very thin and weak, add a a strengthening rib to the carrier web as soon as possible in the die (see Figure 7 ). This rib will stiffen the carrier and allow for much smoother feeding.

Whatever means you use, make sure that the carrier is stiff enough to resist deflection and can be started ad fed through the die very smoothly without hand-ups, and use large leads on all lifter rails and guide rails. Best of luck!

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