punchdie

A punchdie, commonly referred to as a punch and die, is a pair of tooling used in metalworking to cut or form sheet metal with a press. The set consists of a male punch and a corresponding female die that align the workpiece and define the resulting feature.

In operation, the punch and die are mounted in a stamping press. During a press cycle, the punch moves downward into the die, cutting or forming the material. The setup requires precise alignment, appropriate clearance between punch and die, and a stripper to eject the slug after punching.

Applications include punching holes (piercing), blanking, forming flanges, notching, and progressive stamping where several operations are performed in sequence as the workpiece advances through a series of dies.

Design considerations include the tonnage rating of the press, punch diameter, die opening, material thickness, and tooling clearance. Maintenance involves lubrication, checking for wear on edges, and replacing worn pins or bushings to maintain accuracy and safety.

Punchdies are used across manufacturing sectors such as automotive, electronics, and packaging, where consistent hole sizes and shapes are required. The concept emerged with 19th-century machine tools and modern punchdies often employ hardened steel or carbide components and interchangeable sets.