6.1 INTRODUCTION

The first step in designing a die is to lay out 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 that will ensure nothing has been omitted or left to chance.

In illustrations to follow, we will consider the steps taken in designing a scrap strip for a pierced link, from the first tentative tries to the finished layout. These same steps, applied to the design of a scrap strip for any similar part, should assure successful results.

This section of the book further explains Step 1 in Chapter 5 Fourteen Steps to Design a Die.

6.2 STRIP MATERIAL ECONOMY

The major portion of the cost of stamping is material. Therefore, material economy is of the utmost importance from the standpoint of cost. Fifty to seventy percent of the cost of a stamping goes for material. 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 that a maximum area of the strip is utilized in production of the stamping. A blank layout is drawn before any work is done on the die design itself. In fact, the scrap strip layout will govern the shapes and sizes of many of the die members.