Page 32 - MetalForming November 2019

FABRICATION
Respect the Punch
Lance-and-form tooling enables these connective forms that eliminate welding, spot welding or other expensive fastening methods.
If you are among those who think that laser-cutting equip- ment and press brakes will one day make CNC punches obsolete, think again, cautions Susan Erler, product man- ager for Wilson Tool International, White Bear Lake, MN.
“There’s a misconception that a laser cutter and a press brake are always the better choice than a punch press, and that one day I will be out of a job,” she says half-jokingly. “What metal formers need to realize is that the precision stroke of a CNC punch press with the right tooling makes it the better choice for a range of forming operations. Take for example a perforated pattern; the punch press outperforms the laser. And when it comes to complex forms, pre- cisiontoolingandstrokecontrolenablesaturret presstofunctioneffectivelyasalesscost-
ly mini press brake.”
Erler continues: “The
most important CNC
punching innovations
are the value-added oper-
ations within the punch press:
scribing, making connectors, bend-
ing, etc. Anything normally done post-
punching reduces handling and production
costs. Metal formers must see their CNC machines as more than hole punchers and think out-
Expert encourages metal formers to think outside of the box when it comes to punch presses. Tooling options provide a world of possibilities.
BY JOE JANCSURAK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
side of the box. Don’t assume that secondary operations can’t be performed in a punch press, because they can.”
Erler offers the following examples of today’s punch- press tools, and their functions and benefits.
Coin
Function: Produces accurate, precise countersinks.
Benefits: Takes just seconds and little effort to produce countersinks. The old-fashioned method of carrying the parts from the punch to a machine to drill the countersink requires considerably more time and unnecessary effort.
Hemming
Function: Accomplishes handhold/rollover hems, with the first operation being a form-up extrusion. The second tool rolls the wall of the extrusion over to form a safe edge.
Benefits: No grommets or inserts required.
Zip Tech
Function: Provides innovative fastening solutions by cre- ating a series of interconnected snaps.
Benefits: Eliminates welding, spot welding or other expensive fastening methods and produces an unbreakable joint even when dissimilar materials
are joined.
Lance and Form
Function: Doubles as a connec- tor. Recent innovations create a series
of interconnected steps.
Benefits: Eliminates welding or other expen-
Clockwise from right: Half shear, scratch and louver tools provide unique sheet-forming solutions.
30 MetalForming/November 2019
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