Mutlicyl Guide to Punching Basics

Welcome the Multicyl tooling tutorial. We hope the information here is helpful, for any questions or comments about the information please click here to send us an email.


Section 1: Anatomy of a tool


  • Punch: The punch is the male portion of the punching assembly that penetrates the work piece during the punching process
  • Die: The die is the female portion of the punching assembly provides the cutting edge and accepts the punch as it removes material from the work piece.
  • Stripper: The stripper is that part of the assembly that holds the work piece material in place and in some instances helps to keep the punch rigid during the punching process.
  • Holder: The holder is the body of the system. It holds the punch and die in place and provides the rigidity for the system. This can be a c-frame like in the picture shown here or may also be a traditional die set.


Now lets take a look at some of the important features of the tooling, how they relate to the punching process, and some information and tips to help you along

Die Clearance

Die clearance is the term used to describe the relationship between the size of the punch and the size of the die cavity.





Die clearance is important because it has a direct relationship with both hole condition and tooling life. Too much clearance and the material can draw an excessive burr at the bottom of the hole or become rounded at the top of the hole. Too little clearance and punching force and stress is increased causing premature punch wear and reducing tooling life. Proper balance is very important. Die clearance is often expressed as % of material thickness, and as a rough guide 10% per side is often used.

This chart shows correct die clearances for the materials and thickness listed.



*TIP*: Not only will correct die clearance prolong the life of your tooling, but can also help prolong the life of the seals in your Multicyl by reducing the pressure build up in the cylinder.

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