What’s a punch press?

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A punch press is a machine used to change the shape of metal, specifically to form and cut it. Usually, a piece of metal is passed through the press. The machine clamps the metal and cuts or shapes it into a predetermined shape.

In some cases, the punch press can cut and eject the metal piece in one station. Other pieces may require multiple stations to fully form or cut. In this case, the process is called progressive molding, because each station advances the part one step toward completion. A punch press can be a simple, small machine operated manually, or it can be very large, complex, and operated by a computer numerical control (CNC). In this case, a computer is programmed to operate the printer.

With both small and large punch presses, a die set is used to help complete the task, although the die set used in a large machine can be a bit more complex. A die set consists of male punches and female dies. When these are pressed together, the piece of metal is shaped or cut into the desired shape. Both large and small press projects require a craftsman to design the die set and prepare the machine for operation.

Setting up the punch press can take some time. However, it is used for high-volume manufacturing, with cycle times measured in the number of parts created per second. After the machine is set up, a low-skilled operator can easily monitor its progress and continued operation. Indeed, a trader can usually monitor several trades at a time. Therefore, this is a convenient method for metal forming.

The capabilities of the punch press are described according to its tonnage. A ten ton press is considered a small unit, while a 60 ton press is commonly used in metalworking industries. Determining the tonnage required for specific jobs is generally straightforward, as some materials require a specific tonnage to process.

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