UniPunch tooling is available off the shelf so you can be in production quickly, the components are easily repositioned to accommodates design changes, and unitized tooling is reusable. The concept of Unitized Tooling, or as it is also known “C-Frame Tooling” or “Unit Tooling” or “UniPunches,” was originally developed as a system of reusable components to be used instead of custom made, single purpose, hard tooling in die sets. Its early advantages remain applicable today.
Predictable Productivity. UniPunch unitized tooling delivers the higher and predictable productivity of making many holes at once instead of making holes one-at-a-time. Using reusable unitized press tooling along with other methods like CNC turret presses and lasers can optimize production. Dedicated setups of UniPunch tooling make the predictable high productivity of stamping immediately available for even small batches of recurring parts because changeover takes just a few minutes. By offloading recurring parts from your turrets or lasers, you will make those recurring parts more quickly for more throughput, and you’ll relieve bottlenecks at the turrets and lasers so more time is available for the parts for which they are uniquely capable.
Supporting Lean Manufacturing. Today’s lean factories operate efficiently with just-in-time production of components. Today’s lot sizes are smaller. To minimize set up time, fabricators keep modular unitized tooling assembled in dedicated setups that are immediately available to make a part. Changeover takes just a few minutes.
Versatility. Reusable UniPunch unitized press tooling is a system of modular bump dies. Each unit provides the alignment of the punch with the die and a self-contained system for stripping the punch from the work piece. Several series are available. Heavy duty units can punch up to 3/4” plate. Light duty units are all you need for 24 gauge material. The units within a series – whether standard units or custom units – have a common shut height and a common die height so they can be used next to similar units. Standardizing on one shut height means faster changeover because there is no need to adjust the ram height on your press when changing parts.
More Advantages. Today’s users of reusable UniPunch unitized press tooling enjoy the predictably high productivity of stamping with a minimal tooling investment that will be reused for years to come.
- Components for the UniPunch system are immediately available off the shelf so users can be in production with short lead times.
- Standard components are relatively inexpensive compared to custom built tooling.
- Standard components are reusable and will be for years to come.
- Custom components are also available for use along side standard components.
- Plus, dedicated setups make consistent parts, part after part and batch after batch. The hole locations and dimension data are hard programmed in the tool assembly. Hole-to-hole locations are as accurate as the template and do not change.
- The common shut height means no adjustment of the ram height of the press so you can changeover jobs quickly for a shorter set up time. Some users report installing dedicated UniPunch tooling in less than a minute.
- The components are easily repositioned for fast and easy response to design changes.
- Punches and dies are readily accessible for sharpening for consistent hole quality.
- Less capital is required compared to CNC machinery or die sets.
- No programming is required, and learning how to use unitized tooling is quick and easy.
These advantages make reusable UniPunch unitized press tooling an important capability for a manufacturer to have.
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