Why Is Punching With Punch And Die Tooling A Better Option Than Drilling For Hole Cutting?



Before judging which one is better, punch and die tool or drilling, you need to understand these punching terms separately.  
 

What is punch and die? 

Punches are simple tools that are forced by a punch press through a metal to create quick and precise holes by shearing. A die holds the metal, and determines the shape produced on it by the punch. It is located on the opposite side of the punch. 

What is drilling?   

The process of cutting a hole from a solid material using drill-bit is known as drilling. The circular holes are created by rotating the bit at a high speed against the work-piece. This forces the cutting edge against the work-piece, cutting off edges from the hole as it is drilled. 

Why is punching better than drilling? 

Punching with die and punch tooling is considered better due to numerous reasons, let’s discuss them in detail. 

1. More flexibility 

Punching ensures more flexibility in regards of size, dimensions and efficiency. Drilling on the other hand, has its limitations. 

Moreover,in case of drilling, larger diameter holes require greater motor drive which is not the scenario with die and punch tooling operations. They allow numerous shapes to be cut out. 

2. No swarf generation 

The punching through punch and die separates the metal pieces in a way that it leads to precise fracture of the material. On the other hand, during the process of drilling large amounts of swarf will be generated.

 It will cover the work area with sharp swarf and fillings which is not safe for workers that are working there. It can cause them severe injury. 

3. Ensures optimum level accuracy 

If accuracy, however, is your aim, then punching ought to be your game. The only reason to punch three, five or seven round hole patterns is if the job has to be dead-on accurate. 

On the other hand, drilling is prone to human errors. Thus, expecting optimum level accuracy in case of drilling is a bit too much. 

4. Preferable for plastic and vinyls hole cutting 

If we talk about plastic and vinyl, then drilling is not preferable. As during the drilling process, there are high chances of them melting within the drill bit, due to the generation of heat and friction. 

This doesn’t occur in case of punching with punch and die tools and thus, it is highly recommended in such cases.  

5. Ensures minimal wastage 

During the process of punching the punch often passes through the work into a die. A scrap slug from the hole is deposited into the die in the process. 

Depending on the material being punched this slug may be recycled and reused or discarded. This ensures minimal wastage and is one of the major reasons for choosing it over drilling. 

Summary 

Punching is often the cheapest method for creating holes in sheet materials in medium to high production volumes. That is why, many manufacturing companies opt for punching with punch and die for repetitive or massive hole cutting.

 

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