Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Round Tip, Light Duty, Inch, XNP C

These light-duty ball lock pilot punches are used to establish repeatable part-to-die alignment in progressive dies and other press tooling where stable centering is critical. The round tip geometry helps the pilot self-center during engagement, supporting clean cycling over repeated strokes.

• Progressive stamping/forming: Use the pilot to locate blanks between successive stations, reducing positional drift and improving transfer accuracy during light-duty operations.
• Automotive/industrial connectors: In housings and bracket sub-assemblies produced in transfer or progressive presses, the consistent pilot engagement supports reliable feature registration.
• General press tool locating: Select inch-based shank diameters and coded point lengths to match existing tool layouts, enabling quick adoption in standard press toolsets.

The M2 variant with the XNP coating is suited for these applications because it balances wear resistance for cycling with dependable pilot location performance.

This series uses M2 high-speed steel (also referred to as AISI M2). M2 is commonly chosen for punch components because it provides strong wear resistance for repeated contact while maintaining useful toughness under load.

• Heat treatment state: Typically supplied in a hardened condition for cutting/punching wear performance (quenched and tempered for dimensional stability).
• Hardness: M2 is generally specified in the hardened range (often around ~60–64 HRC depending on the manufacturer’s temper and target wear behavior).
• Coating effect (XNP): The XNP coating is intended to reduce friction and improve surface wear during cycling, which can extend service life in light-duty press applications.

The optional PS4 material offers an alternative formulation within the same family of punch steels; when wear is dominant you can remain with M2, while PS4 may be selected where a different base property balance is required by the application.

Select dimensions by matching the pilot’s shank diameter and coded point lengths to the mating guide/bushing geometry in your mold or press tool. This series is available with D (shank dia.) = 25 ~ 100 in and coded point length options for Standard point length L: 200 ~ 500, 200 ~ 600, 200 ~ 700, or 225 ~ 700 (in coded inch).

• Choose D first: Ensure the shank diameter fits the corresponding ball-lock or guide pocket without excessive clearance; too much clearance can degrade centering, while interference can cause binding.
• Match tip reach: Use the fixed option for B & L = 250 ~ 700 or variable options such as B & L = 225 ~ 500, 225 ~ 600, 225 ~ 700, and/or C = 225 ~ 600, 225 ~ 700 to set engagement depth.
• Check functional clearance: Dimension P = 0.05 ~ 0.749 should be aligned with the required pilot play and cycling behavior so the ball-lock mechanism engages reliably.

If your tool uses a fixed locating depth, prefer the fixed B & L range (250 ~ 700); otherwise, choose the closest coded length band that fits your station stack-up.