TABLE OF CONTENTS With every new part produced, a complete evaluation of the stamping method and parameters must be performed. Based on the part's flat layout, the sequence of tooling must be designed, which in turn dictates the size of the die. The economies of the strip must be assessed before the rest of the design is finalized. Seemingly small details such as the availability of strip material, the predetermined width, and its thickness and tolerance ranges may turn out to be of tremendous importance when it comes to production.
For selection of the proper press, tonnage requirements must be calculated. Further, the amount of stroke, shut height, mounting arrangement, and other press and production-related data must be compared to the capacities of the selected press equipment.
Only then may the actual design be started, which always begins with the strip layout and its projection into the cross section of a die. Such a sequence of work process is intentional, as the cross-sectional view provides control of the placement of punches within the assembly. Where punch bodies or heads may be too large to fit the predetermined sequence of operations, or where an additional station may need to be added later on, one of the stations must be skipped with subsequent enlargement of the die. This can be readily assessed by comparing the cross-sectional view with the layout of the strip, whereas by looking only at the strip this may pass undetected.
Both strip layout and cross-sectional...
