This morning, Mr. Shi came to ask about punching 3mm holes in 2mm-thick 304 and 430 stainless steel. He’s currently using ASP23, but it chips easily—the punch typically breaks after about 10,000 punches. He asked me what tool steel he should use for punches designed for stainless steel.
ASP23 is a powder-metallurgy high-speed steel that costs several hundred yuan per kilogram. Yet, if the punch breaks after only about 10,000 punches, it’s not just a waste of money but also a waste of time. Constantly replacing and remaking punches wears the operator out. This is a classic case of one mistake leading to a chain of problems.
Punching 3mm holes in 2mm-thick 304 and 430 stainless steel falls under the category of thick-gauge, hard-material stamping, where punches are prone to breaking. However, since the hole diameter is larger than the sheet thickness, this isn’t a particularly difficult stamping operation. Given that you’re already using ASP23 powder-metallurgical high-speed steel—which costs several hundred yuan per kilogram—it shouldn’t break after just 10,000 punches. Its lifespan is even shorter than that of the cheaper 8566 anti-breakage steel. There is definitely an issue with the source of the material.
Mr. Wang was punching 8 large holes in 5mm 304 stainless steel. Each sheet required 6,000 holes. He tried using ASP23, ASP60/3V, and DC53 punches, but they all broke. He spent the entire day switching from one punch to another, making it impossible to maintain a steady production line. However, after switching to Yuhui 8566 anti-chipping steel, he was able to punch 36,000 holes without a single breakage.
Mr. Wang was punching 8 large mesh holes in 5mm-thick 304 stainless steel. Since the material is much thicker than 2mm-thick steel, it should be easier to punch. However, compared to the ASP23, which broke after just 10,000 punches, the 8566 anti-chipping steel increased the punch life by five times.
Using 8566 die steel for punch chipping is like night and day. If you choose the wrong die steel, you’ll be replacing punches every day.
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Wu Dejian’s tool steel, the chief of staff of the user, bought everything he had used.