Special Applications Overview
The use of forming applications provide fabricators with several competitive advantages allowing fabricators to:
- Expand operations
- Increase efficiency
- Eliminate of secondary operations
- Increase machine up time
- Reduce tool wear
Mate Special Assemblies are designed with high performance features for extended service life in the most extreme operating conditions. Most assemblies include fully interchangeable components to minimize machine downtime and maximize productivity.
Mate knows speed is important to our customers, so we make it easy with a large inventory of Thick Turret and Trumpf-style Special Assemblies in-stock and ready for immediate delivery. Our lightning fast quotation response rate – 99% same day – ensures that you receive your information quickly. Mate’s delivery times are fast and only getting faster.
If you have a particular sheet metal forming challenge, let Mate’s expert consultancy solve it for you. Our team of Applications Specialists has over 170 combined years of sheet metal experience to solve your application problems. View our innovative Special Applications Customer Gallery to see how we’ve helped others.
We’ve also developed our Technical Solutions Guide that’s filled with fabricating tips, techniques and special applications ideas. To request your copy of Mate’s Technical Solutions Guide, email us at: marketing@mate.com.
To send us the Special Assembly specifications to fit your needs, you can:
- E-mail details of your special assembly, including graphic or CAD files to: orders@mate.com
- Fax details of your special assembly to:763.421.0285 (800.541.0285)
- You can also use the Special Assembly Fill-In Drawings
Mate understands that customers want forming tools that work right out of the box. Mate guarantees all Special Assemblies are fully tested before leaving our facility to ensure your uptime.
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Card Guide
Use: As a retainer for printer circuit boards.
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.040(1.00) to 0.078(2.00).
- Maximum recommended top-to-top height 0.125(3.20).
Comments:
- Length of the card guide is dependent upon station size and machine tonnage.
- Also available as a continuous type form to increase productivity.
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Cluster
Use: To produce multiple holes with minimal hits.
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.020(0.50) to 0.157(4.00).
- Other constraints dependent upon station size, punch size and shape and press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- For greater hole uniformity and flatter sheets, spread the punches to avoid punching adjacent holes in the same hit.
- Complete the desired pattern with the technique known as bridge hitting.
- Do not re-punch through previously punched holes to complete a pattern, single hit tool may be necessary.
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Countersink
Use: Allows screw head to reside flush or below the surface of the material.
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.048(1.22) to 0.250(6.35), dependent upon press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- The shoulder style (dedicated) is generally ordered for one material thickness and screw size.
- The shoulder style coins the surrounding area producing a clean flat countersink with minimal burring.
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Emboss – Beaded
Use: As a stiffener to add rigidity to sheet metal panels
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.027(0.70) to 0.250(6.35), dependent upon press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- Increments between hits are determined by the cosmetic requirements for the finished part. Smaller increments result in better appearance.
- To minimize the sheet distortion that results from forming metal, the form height should be as low as possible.
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Emboss – Cold Forged
Use: To produce a logo or design on a part.
Typical Application:
- To minimize the sheet distortion that results from forming metal, the form height should be as low as possible.
- Best results in material thickness from 0.040(1.00) to 0.078(2.00).
- Maximum size dependent on the tooling style, station size and press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- An exact drawing, CAD file or sample of logo is required in order to produce this type of assembly.
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Emboss – Formed
Use: Provides a recess or a protrusion
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.027(0.70) to 0.250(6.35), dependent upon press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- Best results are attained when the side wall angle is 45° or less.
- Optimum form height is 3 times the material thickness or less.
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Extrusion – Tapping
Use: Threading for scews and increased bearing area for tubes, etc
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.031(0.80) to 0.106(2.70).
- Overall Height.2x to 2.5x material thickness.
- Diameter.0.374(9.50) (M-10).
Comments:
- Buy additional inverted dies to accommodate alternate material thicknesses.
- Maximum diameter can be increased by using an alternative design.
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Hinge
Use: To create hinge knucles as integral elements on sheet metal components
Typical Application:
- The range of this application is dependent on a combination of the material thickness, pin diameter and feed gap of the press.
Comments:
- An integral hinge knuckle on a component eliminates the costly process of purchasing and assembling separate hinges.
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Knockout
Use: Allows optional pathway for electrical cable
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.024(0.60) to 0.118(3.00).
- Maximum size dependent upon material type, thickness and press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- The tool can be used with other material thickness within a range of + or – 0.016(0.40) from design thickness.
- Maintain minimum of 0.236(6.00) difference between diameters used for knockout.
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Louver
Use: To provide air flow or ventilation
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.028(0.70) to 0.106(2.70).
- Maximum recommended top-to-top height is 0.255(6.50).
Comments:
- One tool cuts the sheet and produces the form in the same operation.
- The tool is designed for a specific material thickness.
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Rollerball™
Use: The Rollerball™ takes advantage of the extended programming capabilities of hydraulic and other punch presses capable of operating in the X and Y axis with the ram down. The Rollerball™ gives you the benefit of making forms not possible with single hit forming tools
Typical Application:
- Maximum workable material thickness is 0.105(2.70) mild steel.
Comments:
- The press must be capable of holding the ram down while the sheet is moved on the X or Y axis.
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SheetMarker™
Use: For markings or etchings on the surface of sheet metal. The tool uses a diamond pointed insert in a spring loaded holder to create the marking
Typical Application:
- The Sheetmarker™ Tool can be used on all material types and thickness.
Comments:
- A wide variety of results can be produced, ranging from very light etching to fairly deep grooves in the sheet.
- Variations are achieved with a combination of three spring pressures and insert point angles.
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Stamp – Alpha-Numeric
Use: To provide indelible marking of alpha-numeric characters on the top or bottom of the sheet. Example; for part numbers
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.032(0.80) up to machine capacity.
- Characters available in 4 popular sizes. See table.
Comments:
- Each individual character can be changed easily.
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Threadform
Use: To provide a form to accept a sheet metal screw (button head)
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.020(0.50) to 0.048(1.20).
- Size is dependent upon screw size selected.
- Thicker material requires a countersink operation or thinning prior to threadforming.
Comments:
- Tool can be designed to suit either cut thread or rolled thread. You will need to specify thread type when ordering.
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V-Line Inscription
Use: To produce logos, messages or symbols
Typical Application:
- Material thickness from 0.032(0.80) up to machine capacity.
- Maximum size is dependent on station size and size of symbols and characters and press tonnage capacity.
Comments:
- V-Line Stamping.renders the image with a thin, sharp line stamped into the surface.
- An exact drawing, CAD file or sample of logo is required in order to produce this type of assembly.
