Excessive fluid on finished parts, which required secondary cleaning operations, and additional cleaning of floors, aisles, and racks in the areas where parts were moved and stored were remedied by installing a roller system with a programmable controller.

Numerous factors contribute to the premature failure of piercing and cutting punches. In addition to problems with the punches, such as tool steel or problems caused by EDM and grinding, the press can cause problems through deflection, and bridge strippers also can cause punch breakage.

One of the most difficult problems to overcome in any die protection application is protecting the components from the environment in which they must function. In a typical stamping application, oils, coolants, and other liquids and lubricants often are present that can wreak havoc on components.

Setting the processing variables is different between the net shape and non-net shape processes. While non-net shape variables have to be programmed constantly to change the tool's position in space to follow the unique shape of the part being made, the shape of the part for the draw forming net shape process is built into the die.

As the Big Three try to return to profitability, most of their suppliers, many with a negative cash flow, are starting to crack under the pressure. Declining OEM unit volume and mix issues, pricing pressures, and high sustained raw material costs continue to constrain cash flows and limit balance sheet improvements that, in some cases suffered significant deterioration in 2006.

To accurately model the hot-stamping process, FE simulation needs to account for the mechanical, thermal, and microstructural changes in the workpiece.