A Punch Press is a computer programmable power press which can be programmed to punch and form shapes from sheet metal materials. In lighter gauge materials the use of a punch press can result in a cheaper alternative of product manufacturing when compared to “hard tooling” for standard power presses or laser profiling.
Stamping (also known as pressing) is the process of placing flat sheet metal in either blank or coil form into a stamping press where a tool and die surface forms the metal into a net shape. Stamping includes a variety of sheet-metal forming manufacturing processes, such as punching using a machine press or stamping press, blanking, embossing, bending, flanging, and coining. This could be a single stage operation where every stroke of the press produces the desired form on the sheet metal part, or could occur through a series of stages. The process is usually carried out on sheet metal, but can also be used on other materials, such as polystyrene.
Press machine tools vary in size and in the amount of force they can output. The energy from a press is often used to do work requiring a tremendous amount of force. The method and nature by which a press machine will deliver its energy will vary, dependent on its type.
A Press Brake is a special type of machine press that bends sheet metal into shape.
A good example of the type of work a Press brake can do is the back plate of a computer case or fireplace. Other examples include brackets, frame pieces and enclosures just to name a few. Some press brakes have CNC controls and can form parts with accuracy to a fraction of a millimetre. Bending forces can range up to 3,000 tons.
A Punch Press is used to form holes, whilst a Screw Press is also known as a Fly Press. A Stamping Press is a machine press used to shape or cut metal by deforming it with a die. It generally consists of a press frame, a bolster plate, and a ram. Capping Presses form caps from rolls of aluminium foil at up to 660 per minute.
