Factors Affecting Mold Service Life

In the production of automotive metal parts, stamping is the most widely used process. Dies are the core components for part manufacturing, and improper operation can rapidly reduce die service life.

Common issue 1: Impact of stamping process and die design, and measures to extend die life

(1) Impact of raw material quality on cold stamping.

Examples: incorrect thickness tolerance, material property variation, poor surface quality, contamination, etc.

* Strict inspection of material grade, thickness and surface quality.

* Ensure surface cleanliness and protective coatings where required.

(2) Impact of nesting and edge distance.

Die wear is strongly influenced by nesting methods and edge clearances. Excessive wear and punch-die biting often result from unnecessary reciprocating feed patterns and insufficient edge clearance.

(3) Impact of guiding structure and guiding accuracy.

Reliable and precise guiding reduces wear of working parts and prevents punch biting.

(4) Influence of die geometry.

Common issue 2: Punch and die shape, clearance and fillet radii greatly affect both part forming and die wear.

(1) Material effects on dies.

Die material properties and heat treatment quality are major factors affecting die life.

(2) Effects of surface hardening and heat treatment.

(3) Effects of die machining processes.

Surface roughness after processing significantly impacts die life; choose machining processes appropriate for the part.

(4) Impact of press accuracy and rigidity.

(5) Die use, maintenance and storage.

Proper use, maintenance and storage are key to extending die life. This includes correct installation and adjustment, cleaning and lubrication, prevention of double-layer feeding, strict control of punch depth and bottom dead center position, timely polishing and repairs.

Common issue 3: Non-standard blanks entering the stamping process

(1) Overlapped double sheets entering the process.

* When the robot grips blanks, excessive surface tension may prevent normal separation.

* Use the Atonm double-sheet detector to accurately identify overlapped metal blanks and enable the robot to separate sheets automatically.