Die Science: Losing the art of diemaking and metal stamping

Good diemakers need to stop considering diemaking to be an art form and start looking at the trade as a science, making decisions based on data and facts. Getty Images

If you have ever attended one of my conferences, no doubt you have heard me get on my soapbox and give my entire spiel about reclassifying the trade of die building and troubleshooting from an art form to a science. It’s my passion. As a professional consultant, I have absolutely no use for art in the building, designing, and troubleshooting of a stamping die or process.

The Diemaker’s Mindset

I love talking to diemakers, designers, and tooling engineers. On occasion I will walk into a die shop or stamping plant, approach a person working on a die, and—assuming he or she does not recognize me—ask what that person does for a living. The worker often responds, “I’m a diemaker.”

Pretending to know nothing about dies or metal stamping, I typically ask what a diemaker does. More often than not, somewhere in the lengthy explanation, I will hear these words: “Diemaking is an art form. One must be an artist to be a good diemaker.” That’s followed by a description of all the trial and error required for success. Then I thank the worker for spending the time to talk with me, and I walk away somewhat disappointed.

Art Versus Science

For those who firmly believe that diemaking is an art form, may I respectfully pose the following question? Have you ever shimmed, ground, or polished a tool steel section based on an inspiration you had earlier that morning? Have you ever made a press shut height adjustment based on the way it made you feel? After all, at least as I understand it, art is a craft intended to inspire emotion. Art can make you feel good, bad, depressed, and a plethora of emotions. It often is a thing of beauty. It often is a product of a combination of creativity and emotion.

So that being stated, would you rather build a die that is cosmetically beautiful and incapable of making a satisfactory part, or an ugly die that runs flawlessly? Keep in mind that the function of a die is to produce parts that can be sold for profit. A chrome-plated die that doesn’t work is nothing more than an expensive boat anchor.

Diemaker Versus Dieologist

More than 20 years ago I named my company Dieology for an important reason. I was retaught later in my career that to be a good diemaker, I would have to lose the notion that it is an art form and begin looking at the trade as a science. I had to stop finding solutions based on my experience and start making decisions based on data and facts that I learned during my experience.

My mentor once told me this: “Experience alone is not evidence of true knowledge. I know a lot of toolmakers with 30 years of experience who are still making the same poor decisions and doing the same dumb stuff today as they did 29 years ago. Experience plus a comprehensive understanding of die physics is what makes a good diemaker.”

I believe this to be true. I’ve even coined a new trade name for a diemaker with experience and comprehensive knowledge: dieologist.

The Difference

I don’t mean to stereotype or categorize individuals, but based on my observations over the last 40 years of my career, here are a few main differences between diemakers and dieologists.

Diemakers choose actions because they worked last time, often not truly understanding the physics behind the actions. They make decisions based on what more experienced toolmakers taught them (“I learned the trade from an old German diemaker and he said ….”) and because things have “always been done that way.” Out of desperation, diemakers rely on trial and error based on little evidence.

Dieologists make decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of sheet metal physics and mechanical knowledge. They understand why it works. They realize they were taught to do things in a given way for a reason and take the time to understand the physics behind the theory. Through this process they often discover that one rule rarely applies to all situations, and they offer new and improved methods based on data to support change. Dieologists collect and study the data to form a hypothesis. Whenever practical, they conduct experiments carefully to determine corrective action or the most efficient process. They carefully record all data and study their failures to learn from them.

I certainly don’t mean to pick on diemakers. After all, I am one. But when my mentor told me that I didn’t know what I didn’t know, he was dead on. Those individuals who spend a great deal of time studying the physics behind dies and sheet metal stamping know without a doubt that it is a highly complex and everchanging career path. It is a professional career path, equivalent to many careers requiring a master’s or doctorate degree.

If you’re a diemaker, be proud. But remember, pride works best alongside humility. Elevate your trade – become a dieologist.