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Chapter 7 - Designing for Stamping Production
The diverse range of metalforming operations--including blanking, piercing,
forming and drawing, as well as variations and combinations of these processes--is
frequently carried out with dedicated or "hard" tooling. Such tooling is used in
stamping presses and slide forming machines and is developed specifically for (i.e.,
dedicated to) producing one particular part configuration.
Figure 1. Examples of typical
mechanical stamping presses; gap frame (left); straight side (right).
In contrast, "soft" or universal tooling is used
and re-used in various combinations to produce a wide range of part shapes with very short
lead times. Soft tooling generally applies to CNC fabrication techniques that utilize
numerical control equipment, such as CNC turret presses, laser profilers and press brakes.
Dedicated tooling involves both upper and lower die
components. In operation, the upper die is attached to the press slide (or
"ram") which moves vertically, and the lower die is secured to the stationary
bolster. As the slide descends the workpiece is shaped between the dies.
Go to the Glossary
Excerpt taken from Design Guidelines for Metal Stampings and Fabrications -- 2nd Edition copyright © 1995 Precision Metalforming Association
Purchase the new Third Edition of Design Guidelines for Metal Stampings and Fabrications copyright © 2004 Precision Metalforming Association at Marketplace today!
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Precision
Metalforming Association, 6363 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence, OH 44131-2500