Faced with increasing costs and lower demand for high-volume parts, companies need to be able to quickly adapt to the changing manufacturing world or risk falling behind. Understanding this reality, it’s worthwhile to reconsider using those one-trick pony production methods and instead to begin investigating methods that make manufacturing more versatile and agile.
One multi-purpose technology with the potential to streamline modern production is the punching machine. Punching can be used to facilitate the creative design of parts that are more cost-effective to produce in smaller lot sizes and with increased variability.
The capabilities of modern punching machines – and their potential to change production for the better – may be surprising. New applications for punching technology are finding homes in the manufacturing of industrial kitchens, electrical cabinets, automobiles, furniture and more.
Today, punching machines are used to flexibly process a diverse range of parts. With the right tools, some parts can be entirely produced on the punching machine, which can save a lot of time because there is no coordinating of different machines or transporting parts from one machine to the other. Let’s take a closer look at five capabilities that users might not know they could do with a punching machine.
1. Tapping
One of the best superpowers of the punching machine lies in the tapping tool. This little-known capability saves costs, reduces storage needs and shortens lead times by enabling the complete processing of sheet metal parts on the punching machine. A tapping tool can cleanly and quickly add threads to a part – before it leaves the punching machine. In tapping, a thread is produced in a pre-processed or punched hole. Unlike thread cutting done as a secondary operation, creating threads on the punching machine does not create chips because the material is displaced during the forming, not cutting, process.
The tapping tool also enhances quality because formed threads are stronger than cut threads. Formed threads have higher fit precision and meet the standards for screw connections. The process is also faster as significantly higher speeds are possible in soft materials with thread forming than thread cutting. Replacing welding nuts with formed threads yields a price advantage, too. And, in some cases, the sheet thickness can be reduced if threads are formed in extrusions.
2. Clean edges
A commonly held misconception about punching is that unwanted nibble marks are inevitable. It used to be that a part that required clean cosmetic edges could not be punched. That part would have to be laser cut or processed another way. TRUMPF’s MultiShear tool, however, is a superpower that changes that paradigm.
The MultiShear tool creates excellent quality and mark-free cut edges on the part, which means no secondary operations after punching. Brush inserts in the tool die guarantee low-scratch processing. During the movement process, the sheet glides on brushes so that there is no direct contact between the sheet and the die. The brush inserts also reduce the punching noise.
The tool can be used for outer and inner contours as well as for common cuts, and a stepped stripper is available for cutting processes that take place close to formed sections. Speed is also improved; the high cutting speed – 12 m per min., which can be achieved by using the MultiShear tool – results in lower part costs.
3. Knockouts
The third capability of a punching machine is a true beauty. Knockouts are the perfect example of a technology that formerly required high-tonnage stamping machinery, but can now be done more cost effectively on a combination punch-laser machine. This technology holds the power to facilitate electrical cabinet work – a fast-growing industry segment.
For instance, take one of those big green or gray outdoor electrical cabinets. To accommodate different conduits and pipes, these cabinets often feature large concentric circle shapes with connection points and must be able to withstand the elements until the opening needs to be used.
Using a knockout tool, a combination punch-laser machine can create an opening that is held firmly in place (and seals out weather and insects) but can be easily removed when needed. The secret is in the two-step process. The combination machine’s laser cuts the circular shape and a roller tool in the punch head reconnects the edges, creating an interlocking connection that can be popped out when needed.
Knockout features are no longer solely in the domain of thousand-ton stamping presses. Without material thickness restrictions, the roller tool can produce tab positions and knockouts with bi-directional removal. Because the shape and size are not limited, the tool opens up new possibilities for creating different option ports to connect a diverse range of utilities. The tool can also create larger knockouts without being limited by high tonnage or tool size. Knockouts made with roller tools meet the same lock requirements as secondary operations and follow strict UL-specification light-tight guidelines.
4. Pivot bending
Modern manufacturing is all about shortening the process chain. Naturally, the capability to create bends during punching is another one of the technology’s superpowers, and the pivot tool extends that power even further. TRUMPF’s pivot forming tool enhances the bending capabilities of the punching machine. The patent-pending tool allows for the creation of direct bend line support and a unique “pivot” forming design that increases the bending angle range up to 120 degrees.
During punching, the pivot tool can create bends of up to 120 degrees with built-in flattening. The tool can be used to produce single, and even double, hems in the part. Moreover, it can even punch or tap through the hemmed material to increase threads. The pivot tool can also be used to produce a variable-step form radius in the punched part or to create short flanges (at least 4 mm tall).
5. Non-metal punching
The capability to punch parts out of sheet metal may not be news, but how about sheet coated in plastic, rubber or other non-metals? This punch superpower makes it easier to process material for medical technology. Unique tools and a special technique enable punching machines to process aluminum and plastic composite material. This capability is particularly useful for architectural and electronic work. Thanks to special clamps, punching machines are now able to process architectural panels coated in plastic. Even more surprisingly, with the right tools, they can punch PCB material for computers.
The success of a punched part starts with the design. Fortunately, it’s not rocket science with the right tools. The fabrication machinery experts at TRUMPF are available to share their unique knowledge and create customized tools for personalized solutions. Special custom-designed punching tools are created at TRUMPF’s North American headquarters in Farmington, Conn., and are rigorously tested before they are sent into the field for use. Before a special tool for forming or embossing is dispatched, TRUMPF puts it through the paces, testing it on its machines to ensure fabricators can achieve the best results with their new tool.
Modern punching technology gives creative fabricators the potential to rethink their production and to manufacture parts with greater efficiency and flexibility. Punching machines can flexibly process a diverse range of parts and open up an incredible range of possibilities. Thanks to new capabilities, tools for punching machines also provide some of the advantages needed to capitalize on new business opportunities.
