Customer
Part
Manufacturing Issues
- Find a method to pierce the part’s four small holes without damaging either the progressive stamping die or the formed breather cover.
- Meet increasing production quantity demands year over year.
Customer’s Goals
- Minimize the risk of damaging the breather cover and the tooling die during metal stamping.
- Deliver the part to match its design print.
- Continuously meet production quantities that are predicted to increase from year to year.
Manufacturing Process
The four small pierced holes labeled in the image are smaller than the actual material thickness. This presents a problem because the continued force of the punch going through the material creates a higher probability of the punch breaking off or becoming off target. Three of these four holes are on non-flat surfaces which also makes the piercing operation more challenging.
Design and build a subtool for this piercing operation in the progressive stamping die. This design presents two key benefits.
- The subtool in the stamping die keeps the piercing operation separate, localizing the force of the punch to this specified area. Then the remaining stations on the tooling die strip aren’t at risk of damage during production. This also helps keep the entire die strip aligned in the correct position from operation to operation during production.
- This configuration enables efficient removal of the subtool for maintenance, adjustments, or repair. It can then be accurately repositioned within the progressive die to maintain proper alignment and performance.
Customer Outcome
Within the first month of production, we were meeting production demands at 2,000 parts per hour without removing the subtool for repairs or adjustments.
The holes of the breather cover are checked with a customized gauge to verify their placement and inside diameters.
