Lubrication Extends Tooling Life

Click to Enlarge

Lubricating the punches, dies and shear blades on a punching machine can play an influential role in extending tooling life. Understanding the forces that occur in the minuscule space between the punch and the material being punched may help explain why lubrication should be used.

As the punch passes through the material, tiny amounts of the material are fused to the punch surface, this is called galling. As the punching cycle continues, galling increases, causing the punching diameter to actually “grow.” The clearance between the punch and die becomes so small that eventually the punch may become pressed into the die.

From the pork grease that the early fabricators used to the synthetic lubricants available to the modern fabricator, the most frequently asked question is always “What kind of lubricant works best?”

Through extensive testing, we have found the higher the viscosity of the lubricant, the greater the protection, especially for slowly retracting punches.

However, on fast-cycling punching machines, the protective barrier on the sides of the punch can become a sticky, air-displacing vacuum generator on the face of the punch. During the fast retraction of the punch, the slug may pull out of the die and actually adhere to the punch face resulting in tool failure.

A punching lubricant that is too thin may offer an insignificant protection barrier for thick material. However, it may offer adequate protection for gauge stock.

What does the Green Team recommend? Our patented lubrication called Punch-Easy ®. It’s designed for all punching and shearing applications and has been proven to significantly reduce the amount of galling, scoring and friction, which prolongs tooling life. Thick or thin material, mild or stainless steel, Punch-Easy® protects against all!

Click to Enlarge

Punches, dies, shears receive less scoring and galling.
Utilize more press time by decreased tool changes.
New tool life making better holes for a longer time.
Cleans easy with any standard cleaner if required.
Holds lubrication to tools for rust prevention during storage.
Ease of application with brush or swab
Approved and tested for the toughest punching and shear jobs
Smooth increased production with more parts per tool.
Your best bet is to use Punch-Easy

Clearance is Crucial

Correct punch and die clearance is critical during the punching operation. Proper clearance will produce a hole with approximately the top one third measuring the size of the punch and the bottom two thirds flaring to the approximate inside diameter of the die.

Insufficient clearance will usually generate a secondary shear on the material, resulting in additional wear on the punch. Additionally, punching without Punch Easy® lubricant, can contribute to reduced die clearance, as the punch will grow during the punching application.

On the other hand, excessive clearance may result in a large flare as well as a burr on the bottom side of the material. Material “roll-over” may also occur along the top edge of the hole, and may cause the punch’s sharp edge to break down rapidly. The picture below shows an example of the effects of excessive and insufficient clearances. 

Click for Detail

No exact science exists for determining the proper clearance between the punch and die. What may work for one particular type of material may be different for another.

Follow the clearance chart below for the best results when punching mild steel.

Material Thickness                                                          Die Clearance
¼” up to ½”                                                                               1/32”
½” up to ¾”                                                                               1/16”
¾” up to 1”                                                                                3/32”
Over 1”                                                                                     1/8”
Gauge Stock                                                                10% of material thickness

When punching material other than mild steel, this chart may be helpful for determining clearances.

Click to Enlarge

Be Your Best, By Partnering with The Best

Do what you love, or love what you do? We don’t have to make that decision at The Cleveland Punch & Die Company. We love our work and love to do it! In our 137-year history, we have accomplished so much to be proud of; from the products we manufacture, to our team culture and everything in between. Our core business values, established in 1880, have enabled us to continually evolve with technology, improve the products we manufacture, develop everlasting relationships with our customers, attract friendly, knowledgeable staff and provide a durable, dependable product. We take pride in our brand, our customers, our staff and the results our product brings to them.

Some of the products that our tools are used to fabricate include:

When you think of punches and dies, you probably aren’t imagining a life changing product. In reality, these seemingly small tools have such a large impact on our lives. The bridges we drive over, the appliances we use, even the milk we drink can all be traced back to a hole punching machine. It is this big picture concept that drives The Cleveland Punch and Die Company to engineer products of unmatched excellence and provide our customers with unparalleled knowledge and customer service each and every day.

Established in 1880, we are the oldest tooling manufacturer in the industry. 137 years ago, we set a goal to be the industry’s leading supplier of punches, dies, shear blades and related tooling. Today we have the industry’s largest inventory of stock tooling, enabling us to ship product to our customers faster than ever before. We also recognize that not every application calls for a standard tool, that is why we pride ourselves on having the industry’s fastest delivery on custom made tooling. If you have a custom application, give one of our engineers a call to discuss it!

We realize that bigger is not always better. This is why we have made it our mission to provide the utmost superior quality and service one customer at a time. We have accomplished both our goal and mission by pushing the envelope of technological advancement while staying true to our old-fashioned values.

Stick to the Fundamentals

At The Cleveland Punch & Die Company, we treat customers the way we want to be treated. We provide products that we believe in, stand behind and are proud to represent. We open early and stay late to guarantee that your order will ship when promised! At The Cleveland Punch and Die Company, you will always speak to a live representative - customer service agents are available 7am until 6pm EST for your convenience. Our shipping department stays open even later, enabling us to ship product until 7pm EST and help customers that are in a pinch.

Build a Tradition

Based in the heart of America, our products are made in the U.S.A. with only the highest quality tool steel. From turning to grinding, milling, and heat-treat; all manufacturing operations are performed in-house to guarantee the highest quality and most consistent product. We also partner with the industry’s O.E.M.’s and their dealers to ensure that our tooling exceeds customer’s expectations and allows them to increase their productivity.

Spread the Wealth

We have been fortunate to work with customers from across the world in our 137-year history. These experiences have helped us to gain the knowledge and expertise to help our customers with the most complicated applications. We take pride in sharing this knowledge with our customers to help solve problems and add value to their operations. Our team of engineers work hard to design custom solutions to help solve your special applications, deliver on promises and find new ways to help you increase your profits.

We believe that investing in our staff is an investment in our customer’s future success. We provide our employees, and their families, the opportunity to further their education in the field of their choosing by offering scholarship assistance through the Eugene & Arlene True Memorial Scholarship. More information regarding this scholarship opportunity can be found by visiting the Akron Community Foundation website.

Stay True

At The Cleveland Punch and Die Company, we strive to provide our customers with “More Holes per Dollar”. However, this is more than just a motto, it is a promise to our customers. We remain committed to the same values of service, quality and the pursuit of excellence that has become our trademark and tradition.

We thank you for being a part of our 137-year history and look forward to serving you in the years to come. We sincerely appreciate your business and the products you manufacture that make our lives safer, easier, and more convenient. 

We invite you to put our word to the test! Please reach out to our customer service team to let us know how we can help you. We are available to take your call from 7am to 6pm EST or by email at sales@clevelandpunch.com.

Interested in seeing what we do every day? Follow us on social media to stay up to date on The Cleveland Punch & Die Company news, get a behind the scenes look at our operations, and learn tips and tricks of the trade.

Tonnage Calculation

A common question.. Does my machine have enough tonnage to punch the hole my job requires?

Lucky for you, we have a tonnage calculation to answer that question!

Let’s say your machine has a 50-ton capacity and you need to punch a 5/8” round hole through ½” A-36 mild Steel. Using the formula LTS/2000 we can calculate the tonnage.

L= Length of cut in inches (use circumference [π x diameter] for rounds and perimeter for other shapes)

T= Thickness of material in inches

S= Ultimate shear strength in pounds per square inch (PSI)

1.963 X .500 X 60,000	=	29.45 tons
2000

This means to punch a 5/8” hole in ½” thick material it will take 29.45 tons, since you have a 50-ton machine there’s enough tonnage to punch the hole.

Punching different materials means there are different shear strengths. To keep it simple we have come up with multipliers to calculate tonnage when punching different types of material.

If you’re punching the same application but with a different material type, a quick way to calculate the tonnage is by multiplying the tonnage by the multiplier in the chart below.

Example with stainless steel: the shear strength would be 70,000 PSI and from the chart below we see the multiplier is 1.17. Therefore, we take the tonnage from before times 1.17:

29.45 tons X 1.17 = 34.46 tons required to punch stainless

If you need assistance, please contact our Green Team 7 am to 6 pm☺

Punching Angle

Punching holes in angle can be quite challenging if the die block on your machine is nonadjustable. Luckily for you, we have the solution!

Click to Enlarge

Offset punches with matching offset dies solve this problem and allow you to punch closer to the inside leg of angle iron. The punch is machined offset based on the body diameter of the punch and size of the hole. For example, if you're using a F-16 punch (1-1/16 body) and punching a 1/2" offset hole, the offset will be .281". (See drawing). The die will be offset .281" as well to match the punch. The tooling is inserted in the machine the same as a standard punch and die.

We manufacture offset punches and dies for every ironworker to make your job easier. Have questions? Contact us anytime to see how offset punches and dies can help your production! We can be reached at sales@clevelandpunch.com or by phone at 

800-451-4342.

Click to Enlarge