Uni-Hydro PRO 56, Owner'S Manual

Page: 16 / 73

PRO 56 Uni-Hydro Manual
Page -12-
THE PROPER CARE OF PUNCHES AND DIES
PLEASE NOTE: Too often the failure of a punch is attributed to poor material or workmanship, when in
reality the cause in most cases is due to the following:
LINING UP PUNCH AND DIE
It is of the utmost importance that the punch be aligned
correctly with the die. This is easy to accomplish; at
regular intervals during the day the punch can be
lowered by hand to check if it is centered with the hole
in the die. If this is not centered with the die, this needs
to be corrected. The constant jarring and vibration of
continuous punching is sufficient to cause a slight shift
in either the punch holder or die socket. This is the
MOST prevalent cause of all punch and die failure.
LUBRICATION
One of the main causes of punch flaking off is due to
dry stripping. Dry stripping is when dry particles of
punched material adhere or cling to the surface of the
punch. These particles build up on the surface of the
punch which then causes the punch to strip hard and
finally break.
It is necessary to lubricate or “swab” the punch. This
facilitates easy punching and stripping and prolongs the
life of the punch.
STRIPPING
Strippers that are rough and uneven on the bottom, or
cocked, so that the stripping surface is not parallel with
the plates, are the cause of a large percentage of
premature punch failure. Very often the stripper is set
too far back from the punch, which will cause the
material to cock and also result in the destruction of the
punch.
LOOSE NUTS AND STEMS
Special attention needs to be given to the fit of the
coupling nut. If it is too free on the plunger it will
not grip sufficiently and will work loose. In this
case the punch will also be loose and is liable to
strike the material in a cocked position. This is a
dangerous situation and may result in snapping
the punch. Punch plungers need to be given
periodic inspections.