Venest Industries, an automotive parts supplier based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, needed an automated transfer system that could be parked away from the machine bed during progressive operations and die changes, so that new dies could be delivered to the press via an overhead crane.

All automotive suppliers, regardless of size, find themselves facing a business environment more challenging than any they have previously experienced. Size with the economies of scale it brings is just one of numerous strategies that can be used to cope with the demanding nature of today's automotive industry.

Achieving typical goals in stamping, such as zero development and fewer labor requirements, is made easier when the progressive die strip is kept level through the entire progression. Keeping the strip level can eliminate wave problems caused by incorrect pilot/lifter use occurring in punch forming.

In deep drawing of complex, asymmetrical parts such as stainless steel kitchen sinks, blank holder force (BHF) needs to be controlled locally to regulate the flow of the sheet metal. An MPC blank holder system allows this control by placing individually programmable cushion pins around the blank perimeter, with an appropriate BHF selected at each pin location.

Proper feeding, scrap removal, and shut height calibration are essential for good die setup.