Tools jigs and Die Design (MEng5323)

BY FISHER BIRUK (M.Sc.)

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 Part two
2. Introduction to Metal Stamping Dies
2.1: DESCRIPTION OF A DIE
 Sheet metalworking includes cutting and forming operations performed on
relatively thin sheets of metal (0.4-6 mm).
 The tooling used to perform sheet metalwork is called punch and die. Most sheet
metal operations are performed on machine tools called presses.
 The number of consumer and industrial products that include sheet metal parts:
automobile and truck bodies, airplanes, railway cars and locomotives, farm and
construction equipment, small and large appliances, office furniture, computers
and office equipment, and more.
Sheet metal parts are generally characterized by high strength, good dimensional
tolerances, good surface finish, and relatively low cost.
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 Metal stamping is a process that can produce large quantities of sheet metal
parts that are consistent in appearance, quality and dimension using press tool and
press machine.

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2.1.1: Major die components

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2.1.1: Major die components

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2.1.1: Major die components
1. die set (upper and lower die shoe with guide post)
• both machined to be parallel
• The upper die shoe is sometimes provided with a shank, by which the whole
tool is clamped to the ram of the press.
• Both die shoes, upper and lower, are aligned via guide pins or guide posts.
These provide for a precise alignment of the two halves during the die
operation.
• The guide pins are made of ground, carburized, and hardened-tool steel, and
they are firmly embedded in the lower shoe. The upper shoe is equipped with
bushings into which these pins slip-fit.
• Guide posts length should be sufficient so that they never come out of their
bushings during the press operation.

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2. Die block
 It is firmly attached to the lower die shoe. It is made of tool steel, hardened
after machining.
 The die block is usually a block of steel, either solid or sectioned, into which the
openings are machined.
 The openings must match the outside shapes and outside diameters of the die
bushings; they must be precise and exact, since the die bushings are press-fitted
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into them.
3. Punch plates
 The punch plate is mounted to the upper shoe in much the same manner as
the die block. Again, it is made of a hardened-tool steel, and it may consist of a
single piece of steel, or be sectioned.
 It holds all punches, pilots, spring pads, and other components of the die.
4. Backup plate
 Both the die block and the punch plate are often separated from the die shoe
by back-up plates, whose function is to prevent the punches and dies from
becoming embedded in the softer die shoe.
5. Guide rails/ gauges
 The sheet-metal strip is fed over the die block’s upper surface by using this
guide elements, and it is usually secured between guide rails or gauges.
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 There are two types of gauges: side gauges, for guiding the sheet through the
die, and end gauges, which provide for the positioning of stock under the first
piercing punch or blanking punch at the beginning of each strip.
6. Stripper
 The strip is covered up, either whole or its portions, by the stripper, which
provides for stripping of the pierced material off the punch.
 The stripper is usually made from cold-rolled steel, and its openings are
clearance openings for the shapes of punches.
7. Punch
 It’s a tool which perform the operation and it varies according to the operation
to be performed on the sheet metal.
 if the size of the punch is smaller it should have a shouldered structure, either if
the punch is very large it can be anchored directly to the back plate using screws.
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 A sample of a typical punch, its dimensioning and tolerances is shown in the
following figure
 Notice the diameter of the cutting portion P is quite precise. This dimension is
always that of the opening to be pierced.

The cutting tolerance is

applied to the die opening for
pricing operation and if the
operation is blanking the
tolerance will be applied on the
punch.

 Mounting of punches is evaluated in the following figure with respect to the

two mounting techniques, i.e. press fit on the shank or press fit on the head.
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11
  Shear of the punch face

8. Die buttons
 they are inserted in the die block. The have to be perfectly aligned to the
punches.
 typical die buttons are indicated on the following figure.

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9. Pilots
 In construction, pilots are similar to punches, with the only difference being in
their smooth, radiused end.
 In the die, pilots provide for a guidance of the strip by sliding into at least two
pierced openings, located at the extreme edges of the sheet-metal strip, and
positioning, or fine-adjusting the surrounding material around their bodies.
 Pilots are always longer than any punches, to assure their contact with the
strip prior to the occurrence of any cutting.
 Their diameter may be −0.003 in. (−0.08 mm) smaller than the diameter of the
punch used for piercing pilot holes.
 The opening in the die block, which the pilot punch enters on its way down,
does not have to be provided with a bushing.
The size of the opening should be the pilot diameter plus a maximum of 0.25t
per side.
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10. Knockouts, or Knockout Pins
 Knockout pins, knockout pads, or similar arrangements, can be used to remove
the sheet metal parts off the face of the die, to remove the parts trapped inside
their tooling, or to lift up the sheet while it is being forwarded through the die.

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11. Strippers
 Stripping of parts off the face of the tooling is a complex problem, influenced
by the thickness of material and its type, by the surface finish of the strip, and by
the surface condition of the tooling as well.
a. stationary stripper it is attached to the die block and it can be use the same
screws and dowel pins necessary for attaching the die block to the die shoe.

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b. Spring strippers : they are attached to the punch plate, which makes them slide
along with the movements of the ram.

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Note: its expected from you to know the detail design, construction and mounting
of each die components which are discussed above.

2.1.2: basic sheet metal working operations

The three major categories of sheet-metal processes:
(1) cutting
(2) bending
(3) drawing.
Cutting is used to separate large sheets into smaller pieces, to cut out a part
perimeter, or to make holes in a part.
Bending and drawing are used to form sheet metal parts into their required
shapes.

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 Piercing and Blanking Cut off Lancing

scrap

blank scrap Final shape required

blanking piercing

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2.1.3: DIE CLASSIFICATIONS
1. Combination die
 A die in which cutting operation and non-cutting operations on a part is
accomplished in one stroke of the press.
2. Compound die
 two cutting operations can be performed simultaneously at the same time on
a single station.
3. Progressive die
 Progressive tool performs two or more operations at different stages in each
stroke.
 The stock strip is advanced through a series of stations that form one or more
distinct press working operations on the strip to get the component.

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 2.1.4: Major designing procedures of stamping dies

Design of a press tool involves certain steps and has procedures

to follow

is necessary to follow this steps and procedures since it requires

investing a large amount of money in the tool material and in the
machines which are involved in the production process of this
tool.

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Design of any press tool involves the following fundamental steps :

 Determination of force (press tonnage) required for the operation.

 Selection of press for requisite force, work piece size and shape.
 Drawing strip layouts and computing material utilization.
 Determination of shut height of the tool.
 Computing punch size and die thickness and margins (minimum cross-
section).
 Design of locating elements.
 Selection of hardware.
 Drawing dies plan and selection of pillar die-set.
 Deciding punch length and mounting.
 Finding center of pressure and checking scrap disposal.
 Drawing details. 25
Reading assignments
Read about different types of forming processes
both sheet metal and bulk deformation processes
Read about stamping die components and their
respective functions.

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 1. Press tonnage calculation for shearing operation
 Forces that develop in the shearing operation can be represented by a triangle
as depicted in figure 3-3.

 The vertical shearing force is represented by V while the horizontal lateral

force is designated H.

 The resultant force is represented by R. This triangle is similar with the

triangle formed by the die clearance and material thickness.

Figure 3-3: Decomposition of forces in shearing

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Vertical Force

 The value of the vertical component V depends upon

the shear strength of the material to be cut and the area
to be sheared.

 Shear area is the product of the length of the cut and the
sheet thickness.

Shear cut area, Sa = Cut length cL xSheetthickness [T]

Sa = cL xT
V = Sa x fs

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Horizontal Force

The value of the horizontal or lateral force H depends upon the

die clearance: the gap between the punch and die cutting edges.

The die clearance depends upon the work material and ranges
from 2.5 to 5 percent of worksheet thickness for steel.

Consequently, the horizontal force can be stated in terms of the

vertical force percentage.

This percentage is the same as the die clearance percentage per

each side.

So the horizontal force H is given by;

H = clerance % with thickness x V
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 Die Clearance

 The gap between the punch and die cavity edge depends on the
physical property of the material to be sheared.

 Generally ductile materials should have lesser die clearance to

prevent the drawn up event of soft materials in the gap.

 On the other hand, harder materials need more die clearance for
good shearing action.

 The graph below shows the relation between clearance and sheet
strength.

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relation between clearance and sheet strength.

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Example
• Find the shearing force required to blank the profile
shown below shear strength of the sheet in which
380N/mm2 and thickness of the sheet is 1.5mm

Sa = cL xT

Sa =107.727mm x 1.5mm = 171.591mm2

V = Sa x fs
V = 171.591mm2 x380 N/mm2
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V = 61404.2 N = 6.26 tonnes (1tone = 9808.97N)
 Cont..
Material Steel sheet Aluminum Brass

Clearance % of sheet thickness 2.5-5 % 1.5-3 % 1.5-3 %

• For this particular blade of C40 carbon steel of thickness 1.5mm, the die
clearance will have maximum and minimum values as follows.

Minimum die clearance = 2.5 100 x1.5mm = 0.0375mm

Maximum die clearance = 5 100 x1.5mm = 0.075mm

• Since excessive clearance cause more burr and reduced clearance cause frequent
reshaping and short tool life, we can chooses to take the intermediate clearance value
between the maximum and minimum clearances.

• This corresponds to the clearance percentage of thickness of 3.73%. Using this

percentage the optimum clearance will be as follows;

0.075 + 0.0375 33
optemum clerance = = 0.05625mm
2
 Cont..

• Finally using this clearance percentage the horizontal force

can be computed from the vertical force as follows;
H = clerance % with thickness x V
3.75
= x 61404.2 N = 2302.66N = 0.25 tonnes
100
The resultant blanking forceR blank is given by;
R blank = V 2 + H2 = (6.26 tonne)2 +(0.25tonnes)2
= 6.27tonnes

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Press tonnage calculation for bending operation

• Several formulas are utilized for calculation of bending and

forming pressures.
• They may vary with the type of bending utilized.

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• 1. Bending in a V-die, with rectangular cross-section:

where
– Kv = die opening factor, 0.75 to 2.5 (larger values are for smaller R/t ratios and
vice versa). 𝐊𝐯 = 𝟏. 𝟑𝟑 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰 = 𝟖𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏. 𝟐 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰 = 𝟏𝟔𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝑽 − 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝
– W = width of the bent-up portion
– L = distance between material supports (see Fig. 8-52)
– S = ultimate tensile strength
– t= thickness

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 2. Bending in a U-die, equipped with a spring-loaded pressure pad:

where
kU = die opening factor, 0.4 to 10 𝐊 = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟔 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰 = 𝟖𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐. 𝟒 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰 =
𝟏𝟔𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝑼 − 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝
RE = radius, die edge (see Fig. 8-53)
RD = radius, bottom of U channel
Ppad = pressure of spring-loaded support
S = ultimate tensile strength
t= thickness

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 3. Bending with bottoming (coining):

• Pbottom = (2 to 4)P = Ap
where
P = bending pressure of the particular process
A = area of part, subjected to coining
p = bending pressure (see Table 8-11)

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 4. Wipe bending dies’ pressure calculation:

where
L = distance between supports of the material
(see Fig. 8-54)
W = width of the bent-up portion
S = ultimate tensile strength (Table 8-10)
• Subsequently, each of the three forces acting
upon the appropriate point in the assembly is
one-third of the total force. These forces are:
– (1) force of blank holder;
– (2) bending force of the punch;
– (3) final bottoming force of the punch (see Fig.
8-54).

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 5. Calculation of the pressure involved in rotary
bending is as follows:

where
ST = Tensile strength
PL = WIDTH
L = PR + PT + B
all other values per Fig. 8-55.

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 BEND RADIUS
• All bending and forming of sheet metal is considerably affected by two
important factors:
1. Bend radius
2. Size of bend angle
• Bend radius affects the success of the bending operation profoundly.
• Also the bend radius is variable depending on the relation existing
between bending direction and material grain line.
• The minimum radius of bend without cracking along the grain
direction is about four times larger than the minimum value of bend
radius across the grain direction.
• So sheet metal is more subjected to cracking in bends along the grain
direction
• The size of it depends on the material thickness and material
hardness, aside from other small, but not negligible influences.
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Radi…
• The smallest attainable bend radii for various materials are
listed in Tables 8-1 through 8-4. (refer hand book of die design
IVANA SUCHY )
• alternatively European method of the minimum bend radius
assessment utilizes a formula below

where t is the thickness of material and

k is the coefficient from Table 8-5. (refer hand book of die design
IVANA SUCHY )

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CONT..
• The forming radius of punches and dies determines the size of
the plasticized area created by the bending process.
• Additionally, it influences the quality and cosmetic appearance
of the bend.
• For example, in wipe-bending or U-die bending, sharper radius of
the forming edge will be used, the more severely it will force the
material to flow, creating marks on its surface.
• The basic dimensional requirements for various types of bending
tools are given in Fig. 8-8.
• These numbers are generally used for bending of material across
the grain; where bending along the grain line is unavoidable, an
increase of approximately 20 to 25 percent in die radius is
needed.

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basic dimensional requirements for various types of bending
tools….

FIGURE 8-8 Generally recommended dimensioning of bending tools. 44

 EXAMPLE
• Consider the previous example in which a 90o wipe bend operation to be
performed after the profile is blanked on C40 steel (1.5mm thick) at hot
rolled 1/4 hard condition. (ultimate tensile strength which is 480N/mm2)

• We need to find the optimum bend radii prior to calculating the bending
force so for c40 steel we have to find the radii as follows
Minimum inside bend radius
Condition Aluminum Brass Copper Steel

Dead soft 0.25t 0.55t t 0.50t

¼ hard 0.50t t 1.50t t

½ hard 0.80t 1.50t 2.00t 2.00t

¾ hard 1.50t 3.00t 3.00t 4.00t 45

 Cont..
• From the above table the minimum inside bend radius to be
used is ‘t’, because the C40 steel sheet is to be bent at hot
rolled 1/4 hard condition.
– So R is equal to ‘t’(1.5mm).
bend

• The external bend radius for 900 bend for carbon steel sheet
can be computed by adding the thickness to internal radius

R bend out = R bend in + t)

= 1.5mm + 1.5mm = 3mm

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• Now the bending force can be computed using equation for
wipe bending for 900 bend and 1.5mm thickness as follows
using the equation for wipe bending

L=R + R2 + C
1

L = 1.5mm + 1.5mm + 1.5mm = 4.5mm

0.33 x 30mm x 480N/mm2x 1.5mm 2

P(bending force of punch ) = 4.5mm

P(bending force of punch ) = 2376N = 0.3tonnes

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 Drawing force determination
• Press Tonnage calculation for drawing operation depends on the
shape of the drawn part .
• Drawing force for circular cup can be found using the following
equation
𝐷
𝑉𝐷𝑟 = 𝜋𝑑𝑇 − 0.6 𝑓𝑦
𝑑
Where
VD = drawing force for circular cup
D = diameter of the cup before drawing (mm)
d = diameter of the cup after drawing (mm)
T = thickness of the cup
Fy = yield strength of the material (N/mm2)

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Cont…
• Drawing force for rectangular shape can be found using the
following equation
𝑉𝐷𝑟 = 𝑓t𝑇 2𝜋𝑅𝐶1 + 0. 25𝐿
Where
VDr = drawing force for rectangle
C1 = constant depending on h/R ratio
T = thickness of the cup
L = length of the box
Ft = ultimate tensile strength of the material (N/mm2)
R =corner radius between sides

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Eg.
• Find the force required for drawing 50mm dia.
cup from 70 mm dia. 2mm thick blank if the
yield strength of the material is 300 N/mm2

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Eg.2
• Find the force required for drawing a box made from 2mm
thick M.S. sheet having 250mm length and 150 mm width.
The radius between the sides R is 25mm whereas the radius
joining sides to bottom is 8mm. The box is 50mm deep. The
tensile strength of the blank is 420N/mm2.

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 2. Press machine selection
• After the tonnage requirement is calculated the next step is to select the
press machine which can deliver the required force.
• The capacity of the press is the ability to deliver enough force necessary to
perform the metal working operation. And the press machine should be
capable of delivering about 33% more force than the required for
consistent performance.
• Press machines are rated using the following major parameters
– Working mechanism (mechanical, hydraulic …)
– Tonnage (amount of pressure that can be delivered)
– Shut height
– Ram adjustment
– Stroke length
– Bed size
• So the die designer need to select the appropriate press tool which can
suite the specific die to be designed by considering the listed parameters.

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 3. scrap strip layout:
• The next step in designing a die is to layout the material strip
exactly as it will appear after all operations have been performed.
• It is then called a scrap strip.
• To be successful, scrap strip designing must follow a definite
procedure which will ensure nothing has been omitted or left to
chance.
• 50 – 70% of the cost of the stamping is for the raw material.
• Therefore, the method employed for laying-out the scrap strip
directly influences the financial success or failure of any press
operation.
• The blank must be positioned so a maximum area of the strip is
utilized in production of the stamping and the goal should be at
least 75% material utilization.
• The scrap strip layout will govern the shapes and sizes of many 53of
the die members.
Cont…
• A strip layout with insufficient stock between the blank and
strip edge, and between blanks, will result weakened strip
subjected to breakage and misdeeds.
• Such troubles will cause unnecessary die maintenance owning
to partial cuts which deflects the punch.
• Also too much stock will increase the cost of material so as
cost of the production process.

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Cont..
• The following picture shows simple strip layout

 The following formulae are used in calculating scrap strip dimensions for all strips over 2
mm thickness. where:

L= Length of part, w = width of stock strip, c = the progression of the press tool

H = Width of part, t = Thickness of the material

B = distance between the parts and between the parts and the edge of the stock

B = 1.25 t when c is less than 63.5mm

B = 1.5 t when c is 63.5mm or longer

C=L+B

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Example
• A rectangular part to be blanked from 1.524 mm mild steel
plate with a dimension of 9.525mm X 26.98 mm.

• If the progression is designed to look like the above picture

the solution will be as follows.
B = 1.25 x 1.524 = 1.905mm
C = 9.53 + 1.905 = 11.435 mm
W = H + 2B = 26.98 + 2(1.905)= 30.97 mm

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Cont.. .

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58
 Percentage utilization of a strip
• If the area of the part (a) is divided by the area of the scrap (A)
used for a single part the result will be percentage of the stock
used.
A=CxW
a=LxH
• Consider the previous example:
A = C x W = 11.435 x 30. 97 = 354.142
a = L x H = 9.525 x 26.98 = 256.98
Percentage of stock used = α/A *100% = 256.98 / 354.142 x 100% = 72.56 %

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Bend allowance for bending operation
• This depends on the type of bend to be performed
• For v-bending

• where
BA= bend allowance
Rin= inside radius of the bend
t = material thickness
C = constant, depending on the angle of the bend. For 90° bends,
this value is 1.5708. For bends of different angularity, see Table 8-7 from hand
book of die design IVANA SUCHY
• The bend allowance would be further used to calculate the total length of
the part, L (see Fig. below), as follows:

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61
Cont.. Bend allowance
• The bend allowance formula for formed or bent in a U die (Fig. 8-18), or
for a condition where the metal is drawn over the edge of either punch or
die:

• The bend allowance is further used to calculate the total length of the
part, using the altered formula

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 Cont.. Bend allowance
Allowance in wipe bending
• In the wipe-bending method of producing bends, the blank is retained in a
fixed position by the spring-loaded pressure pad.
• The forming punch comes down toward the exposed flange and bends it
during its further descent.
• The formula to use for this type of bend allowance is as follows:

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 Cont… bend allowance
Allowance for rotary bend
• Rotary bending has several advantages over traditional types of bending.
• Not only does it utilize 50 to 80 percent less bending force than wipe
bending process, it generally does not need a pressure pad for retention of
the material, as the rocker provides for it automatically.
• Ready Benders® regulate the spring-back of the material by over bending,
rather than coining.
• As a result, a lesser amount of material from the radius area becomes
relocated, which is the reason for a greater bend allowance than that of
wipe bending.
• The general formula for the bender’s bend allowance is

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 Blank size for drawn parts
• The displacement of metal in drawing operations varies along the shape of a
shell.
• The flange is subject to the greatest alterations, while the bottom remains
almost unchanged.
• Two methods of blank calculation, both applicable only to symmetrical shells,
• The first method is based on a theory that the area of any shape is given by the
length of its profile, multiplied by the length of travel of its center of gravity.
• The second method of blank computation calculates each section of the drawn
shell separately. (refer from hand book of die design IVANA SUCHY)
• The first method would be further discussed as follows

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 First Method of Blank Calculation.
• Lengths of line segments L1, L2, and L3, as shown in Fig. below , should be
assessed along their neutral axis.
• Distances of their centers of gravity along X axis, X1, X2, X3 should be
established.
• The formula to calculate the linear distance of the center of gravity (CG)
of the shape is

66
 Cont..
• The total length of the shape can be obtained by adding all
segment lengths together.
• Multiplying this value by the length of the circular path of the CG
can be done by using the formula

• From the result, a blank diameter may be acquired:

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 4. Determination of shut height of the tool.

• Shut height of a press is the space reserved for the accommodation

of the die.
• It is measured off the top of the bed to the bottom of the ram slide,
with the stroke down and screw adjustment up.
• Or it is simply the height of the press tool in a closed condition, at
the end of the down stock position.

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 Rules to be followed to decide on shut height
1. Press Tool shut height should be kept 5-10mm less than
press machine shut height to provide a little height
adjustment during press setting.
2. When the cutting edge of punches become blunt due to
repeated use, the cutting faces are ground on a surface
grinder to reshaping the cutting edges. This reduces the
height/ length of the punch/ die and results in decrease of
tool shut height.
3. Sometimes the tool shut height is kept much lesser than the
press shut height to efficient material economy.
4. Under such conditions the screw adjustment for the ram
should be available to take advantage of reducing tool shut
height either for effective material utilization or reshaping
allowance. For this purpose it is customary to keep 10-20mm
of screw adjustment. 69
• The following example explains explicitly method of finding optimum tool
shut height for a given specification of a press machine
• Given press machine shut height = 305mm, ram adjustment = 80mm and
stroke length = 70mm
Max. tool shut height = 305mm – 10mm (for press setting adj.) = 295mm
ram screw adjustment – regrinding allowance = 80mm – 20mm = 60 mm
min. tool shut height = 295mm – 80mm = 215 mm
optimum tool height = 215mm + 20mm (regrinding allowance ) = 235mm
• This optimum tool shut height will give advantage in both perspective. i.e. effective
material utilization, enough reshaping allowance.
• This result shows that it would not be possible to use a combined tool on
this machine unless the tool shut height is kept in the range of 295mm -
215mm.
• It is possible to have a tool having a shut height below the minimum value
(215mm) by using parallel blocks between the press table and tool bolster.
• But it is not a good practice as it leaves the lower tool member as well as
press table to high bending stress.
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 5. Computing punch and die size

• Punches and dies are the most basic components of every die. Their bodies and
shapes can be Electro Discharge Machined (EDM’d) from a block or blank, or
from a bar stock or other materials.
• The material these tooling elements are made from is of a great importance,
not only for its hardness and ductility, but for its behavior in production,
resistance to galling, resistance to changes in material structure due to heat,
frequency of sharpening, and the like.
• Every punch and die, when assembled together, must fit exactly; there is no
allowance for a slight shift here or there.
• With a small misalignment, great differences in punch and die clearances can be
generated, which, given the time, will certainly exert a detrimental effect on the
whole die, not talking about quantities of less-than-perfect parts such a tool can
produce.
• We should bear in mind that dies are but small, automated production systems.
• As such, dies are capable of producing numerous perfect parts per hour. But at
the same rate, they can produce rejects, should something within their design,
construction, or assembly go wrong.
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 5.1. punch size determination
• The design of punches largely depends up on the area to be
blanked or formed and the pressure required penetrating or
deforming the work piece material.
• While designing the punch the following procedures should be
followed
– Deciding on mounting technique
– Finding the over all punch length
– Finding the critical length of the punch(maximum length that
can the punch have with out buckling) and checking that the
length of punch is below the maximum length.
– Checking for maximum compressive stress subjected on the
punch
– If the punch is subjected to one sided load bending should
also be checked if it is in the acceptable limit 72
 Deciding on mounting technique
• Mounting of punches is evaluated on our previous discussion with respect
to the two mounting techniques already described: Either the shank is
press-fit within the block while the head is loosely contained in the
counter bore , or the head is press fit and the shank is loose .
• The second method of mounting is reserved for special instances, whereas
the first method is commonly used for mounting of majority punches.

73
 Checking for maximum compressive stress subjected on the punch
• Let us consider the condition as the compressive force of punch is equal to the shear
force (cutting force) of sheet metal cutting.
• The mean compressive strength SMc is the expressed as a ratio of the cutting pressure and
the area of the punch face (this is by considering that the compressive force of the punch
is equal to shearing stress or cutting pressure to shear the metal).

Where,
SMc = mean compressive strength of the punch on the material,
P = cutting pressure
A = area of single punch
SSH = shear strength of the material Adjusted to
d = punch diameter
t = thickness of the material
• From the above equation it’s seen that, to blank a hole equal to the thickness of the
sheet, the compressive strength of the punch material should be at least 4 times greater
than the shear stress required to shear the metal.

74
Cont..
• Further Critical-buckling pressure and critical length may be
figured using Euler’s formula:
• where E = modulus of elasticity
• I = moment of inertia (minimal)
• L = length of the punch (see Fig. 6-10)
• Further the critical pressure should fulfill the following equation

• where C = safety factor;

C = 2 to 3 for heat-treated steel;
C = 4 to 5 for non-heat-treated steel.
• Subsequently the critical length of
an unguided round punch can be
calculated:

This is the maximum length allowed

75
for a round punch.
• The other thing to check is, when punches are subjected to one sided
operation, deflection due to wipe bending force or due to sided
shearing edges
• . The punch will be checked for possible deflection as follows by
considering one end is fixed and the other is free;

Fb L3
δp = ,
3EI
Fb = force causing bending
Imin = minimal moment of inertia
L = Unguided length of the punch

76
 Over all punch length
• The overall punch length depends on the shut height of the
press tool, thickness of the die bolsters, thickness of back
plates and thickness of the die block.

𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 = 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 − 𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 − 𝐒𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

−𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 + 𝟑

77
 5.2. die size determination
• The design of the die block basically depends up on the work
piece size and thickness, the contour of the work piece and
the die material.
• Dies used for shearing blanks are subjected to bending and
compressive stress.
• The compressive stress depends up on the vertical force,
inside and outside perimeters of the die and thickness of the
die.
• And the shear stress developed by bending depends up on
the vertical force, the margin provided and the die thickness.

78
 5.2. die size determination
• In the design of die block the parameters that are to be computed are, margin
size (M), the die thickness (TD), die length (LD) and the die width (WD) and also
check if the shear stress applied on the die is in the acceptable limit.
• The tensile stress depends up on the vertical shearing force, inside and out side
diameter and thickness of the die. Hardened shearing dies can be safely stressed
up to 160 N/mm2 in tensile and 240 N/mm2 in shear

79
Cont.. .
• Also the minimal section of the die need to be checked for
shear stress by computing the shear stress applied in the shear
area
(shear area of die ) DSa = (𝐷 − 𝑑) x Tc.

V = Sa length of cut ∗ tickness of sheet x fs (shear strength of the sheet )

vertical force V
Shear stress on the die =
(shear area of die )DSa
• Note that the shear stress on the die should be in the acceptable
limit of 240 N/mm2

80
 For rectangular die
• Rectangular dies are more convenient for
rectangular piercing/ blanking.

81
 • The margin is usually taken to be
M (margin) = (1-2) x Tr (Calculated die thickness)
• The width of the die block Wb can be found using the margin (M) value,
the width of the slot (B) and the diameter of the holes (d) to be drilled for
the die fixing screw.
WD = B + 2 M + 3d
• The length of the die block (LD) can be computed using the margin length
of the slot 𝐴
LD = A + 2M
• Now the die can be checked for shear stress as follows by calculating the
die shear area first.
Die shear area = 2M x t D
Vertical force
shear stress =
Die shear area
Note that the shear stress on the
die should be in the acceptable
limit of 240 N/mm2

82
 6. Selection of locating elements
• Most of the elements of press tool are assembled with socket
head cup screws (Allen screws) and dowel pins
• The screws used for fastening the die and punch plate must
withstand the stripping force generated during the operation.
• The strip force can be assumed 10% of the vertical shearing
force
• And the design stress for SHCS ranges from 80-120 N/mm2.
• The root diameter of screw is considered under direct tensile
load resulted from stripping force.
• Dowels are subjected to shear stress due to the horizontal
force from die clearance.
• Design stress for dowel pins is 50-80 N/mm2

83
• First the root diameter of screw should be found

We can use four M16 x 2 to handle

46120 N force

84
For the dowels

And A= 0.7854 D2

85
 Selection of stripper plate
• The purpose of stripper is to remove the stock from the punch after blanking
or piercing operation is completed.
• Strippers are classified as fixed or spring loaded strippers
• Fixed strippers are not adequate where the height of the part is increased
during die operations such as, height of drawn, formed, embossed or
flanged parts.
• While spring strippers are used in an increased height of part is
encountered. They also provide much firmer stripping action
• The thickness of the work material and the corresponding stripping force
requirement governs the thickness of the stripper plate.
• The minimum thickness of the stripper plate can be estimated by using the
following formula.
1
hst = Ws + 2t………………………….. (3.7)
30
• Where,Ws = width of stock for single strock and t = thickness of stock

86
 Backup plate
• The punch is backed by hardened back plates to eliminate the digging of
hard punch material on the surface of top bolster.
• The backup plate also distributes the cutting thrust to wider area of the
top bolster.
• Backup plates must be screwed to the top bolster and usually two dowels
of suitable size are used in combination of 2 SHCS.
• When the pressure on the mounting face of the punch is less than 80
N/mm2 no back plate is required.
• Backup plates are made of hardened steel. They are made 3/8 in (9.5 mm)
thick for general work, 1/2 in (12.5 mm) thick for heavy-duty jobs.

87
 Design of Punch Holder
• The punch plate is designed, dimensioned and manufactured
similarly to the die block.
• There is one difference though, when considering the view
location: the die block is always viewed of its top surface,
where as the punch plate is seen from below.
• The punch plate provides support for all punch shanks.
• So it must be adequately thick but not in excess of what
necessary, in order to prevent increase the weight and cast of
the die.
• To calculate the thickness and margin of the punch holding
plate, equations used in the die block design can be used

88
Cont..
B 2
3V
• t PH = A
2
ft 1+ B
A

• Where,
t PH = thicness of punch holder,
ft = permissible tensile stress,
B = width of the slot,
A = length of slot and
V = the vertical force.

89
 Design and selection of other parts
• Other elements need to be selected and
designed
– Guiding elements
– Feeding mechanism
– Stripper spring
– Stripper bolts
– Ejectors
– Set blocks and stop blocks
– Die buttons (inserts) etc..
Reading assignments
90
 Selection of pillar die set
• A production die is mainly constructed up on a die-set that consists
of upper and Lower bolster plates that are kept in permanent
alignment by using two or more vertical leaders or assembly guides.
• Die-sets are manufactured in 3 accuracy group; commercial,
precision and ball-bearing die-sets.
1. Commercial die-sets should be used where no piercing, blanking or
cutting is performed.
2. Precision die-sets are used where very tight accuracy of products is
required. Also this precision die-set is used where the excellent
alignment of the press tool is required.
3. Ball-bearing die-sets are equipped with ball-bearing arrangement in
place of plain sleeve bushings. These types of die-sets completely
eliminate the possible development of trust stress.
• The choice between these types of die-sets depends on the
functional requirement, type of operation, market availability and
requirement in case of assembly.

91
 Cont..
• Die shoes are manufactured from various types of material, the choice of
which depends on the demands for strength.
• The three choices of die-shoe materials are:
– Semi-steel die sets, are actually made of cast iron, with some 7 percent of
steel added. Semi-steel die sets cannot be used where large openings in the
lower shoe are required, since they may crack under the press-induced
operational stresses on the die.
– All-steel die sets are used where large openings such as those for blank
removal or tooling insertion are to be provided in the shoe, or where milling
of pockets is involved.
– Combination die sets with an all-steel lower shoe (die holder) and semi-steel
upper shoe (punch holder).

92
Die-Shoe Size and the Forces Affecting its Choice
• Dimensions of the blocks as well as dimensions of the whole die
are governed not only by the size of the press opening, but by
the requirements for strength and stability of the tool as well.
• Ideally, the overall size of the die should accommodate for the
distribution of the utilized press force in such a way that the
center of all piercing, bending, forming, embossing, and other
operations is located under the shank in the center of the tool.
• The die shoe area should be at least 6.5mm larger all around
the die block for stability

93
• The appropriate size of lower die shoe with regard to the press force,
allowable deflection limit of 0.08mm and available distance between parallels
can be found using equation by considering the shoe as a simply supported
beam loaded with uniform distribution load.
5𝑃𝐿4
𝑑𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
384𝐸𝐼
Where, P = press force
L = Distance between parallels
E = modulous of elasticity
bt3
I = moment of inertia = ,‘b’ is width and ‘t’ is
12
thickness of the block.
• The upper bolster can be designed by considering it as simply supported
beam loaded at the center using the following equation.
PL3
dup bolster =
48EI
L = Distance between supports (successive bolts)
I = moment of inertia 94
 Die shoe guiding arrangement (guide pillar)
• Guide posts provide a perfect alignment between the two halves of the
die.
• The guide post arrangement is usually two in number. But where greater
accuracy is required or for heavier gage stripes or larger size of dies, four
posts are better choice.
• The pins should be fully contained in the opposite opening (upper and
lower bolsters) at the time the thrust forces are being generated by a
particular operation.
• Basically, guiding arrangements are of two kinds:
– the first is that where the pin slides over a ball-bearing-lined guide bushing
(Fig. 3-7a);
– in the second, the pin is sliding in a plain-surface-bearing (Fig. 3-7b).

95
Cont…
• Guide posts’ length should be sufficient so that they never come out of their
bushings during the press operation.
• The pins should always be ordered 1/4 in. (6.5 mm) shorter than the shut
height of the die.
• The shut height of the die is the distance between the outer surfaces of the
upper and lower die shoe with the die in its lowest position. This dimension
does not include the length of the shank.
• From strength of material for column construction of one end is fixed and
other end is free type, crippling load as is given by Euler’s formula can be
used to check for failure.
π2 EI
Wcr =
L2
πD4
I = moment of inertia =
64
𝐿 = Length of the column (L= 2l), is equal to 2 times the length of the
Column at free condition for one end fixed and the other is free.
• the calculated load should be grater than the load applied on the pillar to
have a safe design.

96
 Finding center of pressure
• If the blank contour to be blanked is irregularly shaped, the summation of
shearing force on one side of the center of the ram may exceed the force on
the other side.
• Such irregularity will result, in bending moment on the press ram and
undesirable deflection and misalignment.
• In order to avoid such problems the designer need to find the position of
center of pressure and locate the axis of press shank in this position as well
as align the shank center with the axis of the ram.
• When only one shape is being sheared out of the blank, vertical shear force
should act at the centroid of the area of the shape. So the shank should be
placed at this centroid.
• When more than one punch is used it’s necessary to find out the position of
the resultant force. The shank position should coincide with the position of
resultant force.

97
 Cont..
• The center of pressure can be found by center of gravity
method, moment method.
• For example the following profiles are to be blanked, but
initially the center of pressure was found using center of
gravity method by taking the block edge as reference axis as
follows and using the length and center of each line segments.
L1 X1 + L2 X2 + ⋯ + Ln Xn
X=
L1 + L2 + ⋯ + Ln
= 114.76mm
L1 Y1 + L2 Y2 + ⋯ + Ln Yn
Y=
L1 + L2 + ⋯ + Ln
= 79mm

So the ram center line (center of the

shank) should coincide with centroid
(114.76𝑚𝑚 , 51mm) point which is
calculated with respect to die block
98
edge.
• The second method utilizes the moment method which uses
moment about the die edges to calculate the position of the
center of the pressure.

The following
picture shows three
holes are going to
priced out of 2mm
tick plate having
shear strength of
400 N/mm2. find
the center of
pressure to locate
the shank using
moment method.

99
• First the shear forces are determined for each profile

• Then the moment will be calculated about y-axis to get the x

coordinate of the center and moment about x-axis is calculated
to get the y coordinate of the center.

100
Cont..

101
 Drawing details.
• The final step press tool design is detail
drawing in 3D or 2D space and making sure
that all the necessary information is included
in the drawing.
• It should include size, material, tolerance,
surface finish, heat treatment, quantity etc…

102