Netizen Xiaolong in the live streaming room asked: What die steel should be used to make the punch and blade for stamping 0.2mm pure nickel strip?
Nickel material may seem soft, but it is actually very ductile. When punching and cutting, it is prone to breaking off in small pieces, which means your punch is prone to adhesive wear from sticking to the material, resulting in incomplete cutting and burrs on the cut product. The die steel you choose should be both non-stick to the material and highly wear-resistant.
Just as he was speaking, he commented, “We’re currently using SKH-9 high-speed steel, but it just won’t cut cleanly, and there are too many burrs.”.
Yes, when selecting die steel for stamping pure nickel strips, priority should be given to the performance of non-stick material. Secondly, die steel with high total alloy content, high carbon content, and high hardness is preferred. The most ideal material is powder metallurgy high-speed steel, because after powder metallurgy, ordinary cast high-speed steel is prone to forming microscopic cracks that are invisible to the naked eye. Eliminating these microscopic cracks will prevent adhesive wear of the stick material, which means that during stamping and cutting, there will be no continuous sticking or incomplete cutting.
For stamping nickel strips, I recommend PM23 powder high-speed steel, which has a hardness of 64-66HRC. It not only possesses the non-stick property of powder metallurgy but also boasts high hardness and excellent wear resistance. There have been successful cases of using it for stamping pure nickel strips.
Mr. He stamped 1.2-thick iron-nickel alloy, and the product had two narrow edges. Using SKH-9, it was prone to galling, while using ASP60, the cutting edge was prone to chipping. After he came to me, I suggested using Yuhui PM23 powder high-speed steel, which can stamp 100,000 products at a time. PM23 has a lower cost than ASP60, but its lifespan is longer, making it cost-effective.
Also, Mr. Song from Jiangsu, he is working with 304 stainless steel hard material that is 0.4mm thick and surface-plated with nickel. The material hardness is 3/4H. Currently, the punch is made of SKH-9 high-speed steel, but it is not durable for punching. After punching a small number of products, burrs appear. When punching 30,000 products at a time, the cutting edge must be sharpened, otherwise the punched products will have large burrs. The punch has to be repaired frequently, which affects efficiency. The punching speed is 180, and if you stop the machine for a short while, it will take an hour or two to resume. The production rate cannot be increased.
After he reached out to me, considering that his product had many narrow edges, I recommended using Yuhui PM23 powder high-speed steel for safety reasons. After using it, the mold life doubled. Mr. Song said, “With less mold repair, efficiency is high, and it’s cost-effective for me.”.
When stamping this 0.2mm pure nickel strip, if the cost is manageable, avoid using ordinary cast high-speed steel, as it tends to stick to the mold and is not effective. It would be better to spend a little more on powder metallurgy high-speed steel such as PM23 and PM30. Both the cutting edges and punches are very durable. The product is free of burrs, which customers appreciate. If the mold does not have issues, the stamping efficiency is high, making even the most expensive mold steel cost-effective.
*************************
I am Wu Dejian, the king of die steel, from Dongguan Yuhui Tool Steel. Yuhui Tool Steel is used by 3 Fortune 500 companies, and Kyocera has been purchasing Yuhui Tool Steel for 7 consecutive years. I have solved the difficult problems of mold material selection, production, and use for more than 4,000 enterprises. If you are hesitant when choosing die steel, or if the die steel you are currently using has a short service life, and you don’t know which material to use, welcome to come to me. I believe that in this regard, I can be your chief of staff and help you save money. Wu Dejian Tool Steel, the chief of staff of users, is well-received by those who have used it!
Leave a Reply