If the thought of purposely pulling a tool and die set out of the stamping press to perform maintenance when it is still producing perfect parts sends shivers down your spine, you are not alone. After all, if the press isn’t stroking, you’re not making money. However, regularly scheduling preventive maintenance for your tool and die sets might mean the difference between maintenance and repair – or worse, replacement. There are two main reasons for scheduling preventive tool and die maintenance: First, when tooling gets dull or has buildup or galling on it, you increase the risk of running parts that are not to specification, resulting in scrapped parts. Second, the longer you run a punch that is dull or showing signs of galling or buildup, the worse the wear is going to get. If the wear becomes too deep or extensive, maintenance will no longer be a viable option. The tool will need to be replaced.
Read full article in Fabricating & Metalworking.
February 13, 2019