Example 1: Producing a Bracket in Large Quantities in a Progressive

Die and in Small Lots with Utility Tooling.

Figure 1 shows a bracket and the strip development for producing it in a five-station progressive die in a 670
kN (75 tonf) mechanical press that had a 102 mm (4 in.) stroke, an air-actuated stock feeder, and an
automatic oiler. Material for the bracket was coiled cold-rolled low-carbon steel strip, 2.41 mm (0.095 in.)
thick by 13 mm (5 in.) wide, in the No. 2 (half-hard) temper.

Fig. 1 Bracket that was produced more economically and more accurately in a progressive die (strip
layout shown) than by the separate-operation method used for small quantities. Dimensions given
in inches

The die was made of D2 tool steel and hardened to 59 to 60 HRC. Setup time was 1.5 h, and the press was
stopped for die maintenance at intervals of 15,000 pieces. Production rate was 1200 pieces per hour. A light
paraffin oil was the lubricant.

The tolerance on the dimensions of all of the pierced holes was +0.051, -0.025 mm (+0.002, -0.001 in.), and
the tolerance on the position of the square hole and the two rounded slots was 0.13 mm (0.005 in.).

Small quantities of the brackets were made from coil stock 29 mm (1 in.) wide in the following operations,
using utility tooling:

Cut stock into 13 mm (5 in.) lengths (3500 pieces per hour)

 Trim end in a single-operation die, two strokes per piece (1000 pieces per hour)
Pierce two holes 10.1 13.3 mm (0.398 0.523 in.), one at each end, in a single-operation
die, two strokes per piece (1000 pieces per hour)
Pierce a 4.88 mm (0.192 in.) wide slot and a 5.11 mm (0.201 in.) square hole, and lance and
form two ears, all in a compound die for accurate relative position (2000 pieces per hour)
Bend the ends down, locating on the ears (1000 pieces per hour)
Drill four holes 4.90 mm (0.193 in.) in diameter in a multiple-spindle drilling machine (500
pieces per hour)
Drill small hole next to square hole (500 pieces per hour)

The short-run method required eight times as many man-hours per 1000 pieces as the progressive-die
method, and the brackets produced were less accurate.

Example 2: Nesting of Workpieces to Minimize Stock Waste.

The bracket shown in the lower part of Fig. 2 was formed from hot-rolled 1010 steel strip in a progressive
die with three working and two idle stations. As shown in the upper part of Fig. 11, pieces were nested on the
strip to minimize scrap.

The operations in the three working stations were as follows: pierce one pilot hole and two flange holes and
notch the contour, bend two tabs upward, and flange and cut off from the center connecting tab.

Fig. 2 Layout for progressive-die production of a bracket, with blanks nested to save stock.
Dimensions given in inches.
The die was used in a 1330 kN (150 tonf) mechanical press that could make 50 strokes per minute. Allowing
for setup and downtime, production was 2800 pieces per hour. A light mineral oil was the lubricant.

The die was made of W1 tool steel hardened to 58 and 60 HRC. The punch-to-die clearance for cutting
elements was 6% of stock thickness per side. Annual production was 100,000 brackets.

Example 3: Swivel Washer With Flanged Holes.

Annealed 1070 spring steel 0.25 mm (0.010 in.) thick was used to make the swivel washer shown in Fig. 3.
After forming, the parts were heat treated to 46 to 48 HRC.

Fig. 3 Swivel washer, with flanged holes, that was made in a progressive die. Dimensions given in
inches.

The strip layout for the six-station progressive die is also shown in Fig. 8. In the first station, two rectangular
holes, one 6.35 mm (0.250 in.) diameter pilot hole, and two 18.0 mm (0.710 in.) diameter holes were pierced.
The larger round holes were flanged to 20.3 mm (0.798 in.) in diameter by 1.6 mm (1/16 in.) in depth in the
second station. The washer was lanced in the third station and formed in the fifth. The part was cut off in the
sixth station. Station 4 was idle.

The die was made of A2 tool steel and was hardened to 60 to 61 HRC. It ran in a 130 kN (15 tonf) open-back
inclinable press at 2000 strokes per hour. To maintain a minimum burr height, the die was sharpened after
making 60,000 pieces.

Total die life was more than 3 million pieces.