Product category:
CNC punching and profiling
News Release from: Mate Precision Tooling | Subject: Thin turret tooling for Strippit CNC punch presses
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 17 March 2006
Tools punch galvanised and SS with no
resharpening
Punching holes in galvanised and stainless steel lighting products required that tools had to be sharpened weekly - since replaced with tools that operate for months with no sharpening.
Times Square Lighting punches up to 1000 components/h used in its broad line of architectural and theatrical light fixtures With complete in-house manufacturing facilities, the company recently upgraded its punch press tooling and more than doubled its tool life by replacing worn out tools with Mate Precision Tooling's latest thin turret tooling for Strippit CNC punch presses
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 3 May 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Punch press tooling facilitates quick setups
Quick setup, easy installation, faster maintenance, and interchangeability with other suppliers' tools and tooling systems are the main benefits of tool technology for CNC punch presses.
Useful tips and techniques given for punching
Information on complete punch press tooling systems is published in a catalogue that includes specification detail and application criteria to make the selection process easy.
For over 70 years, Times Square Lighting has been a leading manufacturer of high quality theatrical lighting.
10 years ago the company added lighting products for the architectural and display industries.
All are high end products requiring accurately punched components fabricated from stainless and galvanised steel.
Further reading
High stripping power expands turret punch forming
A die, that features up to five times greater stripping power increases thick turret punch press forming capabilities, produces extrusions and other punched forms not previously possible.
Make joints in sheet metal without welding
For fabricating connecting joints in sheet metal without welding, a lance and form application produces self-locking, spring loaded tabs that snap securely into pre-punched holes.
CNC punch press tooling forms hinge knuckles
Punch press tooling forms hinge knuckles on fabricated metal enclosures and similar products with CNC precision and eliminates the need for separate hinge components and their assembly.
These hard materials can have an abrasive effect on ordinary punch press tooling causing premature dulling which also creates burrs and flawed edges to the punched components.
In addition to compromised part quality, frequent sharpening requires tool removal from the press causing expensive machine and operator downtime.
* Tools requiring weekly sharpening replaced with Mate tools that operate for months with no sharpening - "We were sharpening tools for our Strippit presses every week," reported Dany Figueroa, programmer and tooling engineer for Times Square Lighting.
"We punch over 6 tons of sheet metal a month so that tool sharpening became a regular part of the fabricating process until we talked to David Kerbaugh, Mate sales engineer.
To reduce machine downtime for tool sharpening and to improve part quality, he suggested we try Mate's new thin turret tooling designed for Strippit presses.
The difference was amazing.
We went from sharpening every week to over six months with no sharpening at all with Mate." Times Square Lighting's goal is to manufacture unique products that enable lighting designers to transform even their most creative ideas into effective visual presentations.
To do this, the company continually searches for new breakthroughs in technology to create an even more extraordinary line of lighting than it does today.
With 40 employees operating in modern 35,000ft2.
facilities, the company has steadily improved its punching, welding, powder coat painting and assembly facilities, most recently with the addition of Mate tooling.
* Mate punches run at high and low press speeds with equivalent high quality results - Mate Precision Tooling introduced its new thin turret tooling line for Strippit presses in 2003 with the idea of providing Strippit machine users with a better tooling option for achieving longer tooling life.
With that in mind, David Kerbaugh, Mate sales engineer, suggested trying a series of basic square, oval, and rectangle tools and see how they did versus the tools they had been using in its two presses, a Strippit 1000/20 and a 1000/20XP.
Both machines produced a wide variety of components punched from .020 to .062 inch thick stainless and galvanised steel with runs varying from 200 to 1000 parts/h.
"We started using the new Mate tools in January," reported Figueroa.
"What we noticed right away was that the new Mate tools punched components more cleanly so edges were smoother without burrs.
The tools gave us better finished parts so we did not have to sand the edges.
Over a period of weeks, the Mate tools consistently produced burr-free parts so we eliminated the secondary sanding operation altogether.
And we did not have to sharpen the tools at all to maintain this high level of part quality." The new Mate tools are run at both slow and fast speeds," according to Figueroa.
Both Strippit punch presses have a 330/min hit rate on 1in centers so at top speeds, the tools are getting a good workout.
Rated at 23 tonf (230kN), these are high performance machines with 20 station turrets capable of holding many different Mate thin turret tool shapes.
The machines can handle sheets up to 51 x 51in square without repositioning.
Figueroa reported that at all press speeds, "The Mate tools make both machine and operator more efficient with far fewer tool sharpenings and by not having to move parts over to an adjacent machine for sanding." * Mate DuraSteel punches with Maxima coating ensure top tool performance - four important design features influenced Times Square tooling performance.
First, Mate's Strippit punches are made of DuraSteel, a new material formulated just for the high performance requirements of thin turret punching.
DuraSteel resists the abrasive effects of punching stainless and galvanised steel while reducing heat build-up in the punch.
Second, the stronger DuraSteel punch material is coupled with punch points machined with a 1/4 degree back taper to further reduced friction during stripping.
The third reason for improved tool performance is the coating called Maxima used to coat the punches.
This coating bonds with the DuraSteel and adds both durability and lubricity.
Fourth, the stripper guides have superior strength with exceptional accuracy and concentricity.
All four features complement each other to extend tool life.
* New Mate tool system eliminates slug pulling - a significant feature of Mate's thin turret tooling that Times Square Lighting press operators liked for its punching operations is the Slug Free dies.
With every tool system, consideration needs to be given to the problem of slug pulling, a problem experienced with Times Square previous tooling.
Mate's Slug Free die is designed with a slight hourglass shape and has a 1/2 degree taper coming into and a two degree taper coming out of the die.
When punching, that dimension becomes a pressure point that acts like a one-way door to keep the slug from pulling back out of the die.
Once the slug is squeezed through the pressure point, it is free to fall away from the punching zone where it will not cause problems.
According to Figueora, "The Slug Free feature eliminated slug pulling and chipped corners on the punches." As for its future tooling usage, Figueora said his operators are pleased with the new Mate tooling, even asking: "Why did it take so long to get started with Mate." While he has not quantified the savings, Figueroa reported, "I know we're experiencing a large cost savings now on tooling because of Mate's durability and high quality.
We have not had any problems with the tools and do not expect any. Request a free brochure from Mate Precision Tooling ...
We have operated the tools for nearly six months and still have not had to sharpen them.".
• Mate Precision Tooling: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
