Die design is the preliminary stage in stamping die manufacturing once the product design is completed. Die design stage is very critical. A good die design can produce accurate components which can run for long time with less maintenance. Die design involves deciding the required stamping operations, basic layout, machining processes, type of stamping presses to be used etc. A die designer should have thorough knowledge about these elements to create a good die design. Computer aided design technology has developed really well during last decade to help die designers. Below we will discuss about the various stages involved in precision metal stamping die design.
Die Design Stages
Metal stamping die design is a step by step process which includes careful evaluation of the product characteristics and operations involved. The designer then proceed to identify different stamping operations which are required to produce the final stamped component. An economical strip layout is made considering the technical aspects. Let’s discuss the stages involved in die design in detail.
Evaluate the Part design:
At this stage of die design the designer does a through study of the blue print of the stamping component to understand its characteristics. The die designer has to study the product drawing carefully to understand the material composition of the stamped product, thickness of the material and complexity of the product design. This is important in identifying the material behavior against various stamping operations.
Strip Layout:
This is probably the most important stage of die design. A good strip layout decides the types of stamping operations involved, size of the die, tonnage required and complexity of the stamping die design. While designing a strip layout the die designer has to think of least number of operations without making it complicated for manufacturing and maintenance of the die. Number of factors affects the strip layout design of die including but not limited to, the accuracy of the final product, operations involved, available stamping presses, easiness in manufacturing and maintenance and cost involved in manufacturing the die.
Die Sets and Die Size
Choosing the right die sets depends a lot upon the strip layout. The die design should make use of standard die sets readily available in the market to reduce the die set manufacturing cost. Most of die sets manufacturers supply catalogs with standard die set design specifications. They provide the details such as the thickness of top and bottom bolsters, size of pillar and bush, effective working area and shut height.