M2 Steel Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Round Tip, Heavy Duty, In

Where it’s used: These ball lock pilot punches are installed in progressive die and press tooling to locate upper and lower die sets with repeatable registration.

• Automotive and general stamping/progressive dies: Use the round-tip geometry to provide controlled entry and stable initial guidance, which helps maintain alignment through high-cycle blanking and forming operations.
• Heavy-duty inch tooling interfaces: The inch-coded point lengths (up to the provided 250–700 ranges) support standard press and die setup stacks where consistent positioning under load is critical.
• Die-to-die registration for long run production: The ball-lock feature helps preserve consistent alignment during repeated punch strokes, reducing risk of cumulative mis-registration.

Why this variant fits: M2 steel offers hard, wear-resistant performance suitable for heavy-duty pilot applications, and the round tip is engineered for accurate locating at the start of each cycle.

Steel options: This series is offered in M2 and PS4. M2 is a high-speed steel grade commonly selected for cutting and wear-resistant tooling because it can achieve high hardness while maintaining useful toughness.

• M2: Typical heat treatment for tooling applications is quench & temper to reach a hard, wear-focused condition (exact HRC is not provided in the supplied data). Expect strong wear resistance with a balance of toughness suitable for repeated pilot contact.
• PS4 (comparison): PS4 is provided as an alternative steel option; while specific hardness and heat treatment are not listed here, selection between M2 and PS4 is usually driven by your desired toughness/wear balance and compatibility with your press/die environment.

Manufacturing relevance: Ball lock pilot punches rely on precise machining of the locating tip and lock interface; the hardened condition improves resistance to surface wear and maintains fit consistency over production runs.

Select shank diameter (D): Choose the model with D (in) = 37 ~ 125 to match your guide/pilot bore sizing in the die set or support plate. Confirm that the shank dimension matches the counter-bore/pilot hole diameter before final assembly.

Match point length to mold stack-up: The standard point lengths and coded length options are provided as 250–600, 250–700, 275–700, and 300–700. Select the range that provides sufficient engagement for stable locating without bottoming out in the assembled press stack.

• When choosing B / C dimensions: Use the available ranges for B and L (250–600, 250–700, 275–700, 300–700) and for C and L (same ranges), ensuring your die geometry reserves clearance around the ball-lock mechanism.
• Dimension P (in): The P = 0.061 ~ 0.999 parameter should be matched to the designed pilot engagement depth/geometry for your interface.

Tolerance/fit note: Because ball-lock alignment depends on repeatable mechanical fit, verify tolerance compatibility between pilot punches and the mating die bushings/holes; use your die drawings to confirm allowable clearance.