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The Problem:

Punches narrower than the material thickness are vulnerable to lateral forces that bend the tip. This often occurs when punching small diameter holes where the material thickness is close to the diameter of the punch. The tight punch-to-die clearance where the punch is bending causes punches to dull quickly. If severely misused, the punch bends far enough to shave the die, damaging both tools. Since this issue occurs frequently in nibbling operations, Mate recommends nibbling strips at least 2-1/2 times the material thickness. Yet the damage and poor hole quality can occur even in normal operations. 

The Mate Solution:

Fully Guided Explained
To eliminate this issue, narrow punches benefit from support at the punch tip. Mate recommends fully guided tooling to provide the support in close stripper-to-punch clearance situation. The stripper clamps material to the die during the entire working part of the stroke so that it can support the punch as near to the tip as physically possible.

The punch guide assembly holds the stripper rigidly. The fully guided stripper guides the tip of the punch to prevent lateral movement of the punch point to assure accurate hole punching and long tool life. The result is truly exceptional fully guided punching performance. Quality of production consistently improves and tools last three or more times longer than without guiding. Mate’s fully guided tooling allows narrow punch widths to be punched.

Mate’s Trumpf Style Size 0-A Fully Guided Assembly:

The Only Trumpf Style Fully Guided Solution!
Mate’s Trumpf Style Size 0-A fully guided assembly is the only Trumpf Style fully guided solution available today. It is equipped with five guided surfaces for punching thick material with a small diameter punch or diagonal.

Mate’s Trumpf Style Size 0-A fully guided assembly allows fabricators to obtain:

• Better punching accuracy and hole quality
• Better stripping
• Longer tool life
• Flatter piece parts
• Reduce punch breakage
• Uses standard Trumpf Style die

As an added benefit, the Trumpf Style Size 0-A punches are made from high speed M4PM™ tool steel, a powdered metal that provides superior wear resistance and increased toughness.