Hole
pierce or hole punch is a metal removal process that involves the use
of tooling and specialized presses. Tooling consists of a matched pair
called a punch (top) and die (bottom). The above illustration
demonstrates this combination in use.
Whitney fabricator
punch press operation; Tooling is selected and installed into specially
designed holders. Proper
setup dictates that the punch and die must be accurately aligned.
Stops are set on the material support table to position the sheet metal
blank between the punch and die. Force is exerted and a cam action
forces the punch downwards until it contacts the sheet metal surface,
at this point great pressure is exerted and a slug of sheet metal is
forced into the die thus creating a hole. The hole location is measured
and the stops are adjusted until the hole is positioned accurately to
within a few thousands of an inch or closer.
Round,
square, oval and rectangle are all considered standard shape tooling
and should be chosen if possible. Small size tooling can be used to
make larger cutouts. Different shapes can be used in combination to
achieve shaped cutouts as well.
