Dayton Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Round Tip, Light Duty, Inch

These ball lock pilot punches are used to establish repeatable part-to-die positioning in light-duty inch die tooling, where stable alignment is more critical than high-wear extremes. The round tip supports smooth entry into matching bushings and helps maintain concentric guidance during repeated press strokes.

• Progressive stamping lines: Use the pilot function to lock strip position between stations. The ball-lock design helps reduce pilot wander, while the CRN coating supports consistent wear resistance across cycles.
• Die alignment fixtures: They serve as reference pilots when building or re-machining die sets. The light-duty configuration and inch-coded point lengths (e.g., 200–700) make it easier to match existing die drawings.
• Automotive or appliance bracket housings (dimensioned features): In tooling that produces smaller, non-extreme-load components, the round tip improves alignment reliability with minimal additional clearance management.

Choose this variant for its M2 steel base with CRN coating, balancing toughness for handling and improved wear resistance for locating surfaces.

The standard option is M2 high-speed steel, a tool-steel grade commonly used for cutting and wear-resisting components. Depending on the selected variant, the material may also be PS4.

• M2 steel (with CRN coating): Typically heat treated to a hard condition (often in the ~HRC range suitable for tool service) to improve wear resistance at the pilot ball and round-tip contact area. In general, higher hardness improves abrasion resistance but can reduce toughness if pushed too far.
• CRN coating (Dayton): Adds surface wear resistance to maintain locating accuracy over repeated press cycles.
• PS4 comparison: If PS4 is specified for your application, it should be selected to match your internal material standards and expected wear/toughness needs versus M2.

For best results, match coating and heat-treated hardness to the contact pressure and strip/stock abrasiveness in your stamping environment.

Select the pilot punch dimensions based on the die bushing or receiver geometry used in your tooling, then confirm the coded inch lengths match your stack-up. This family supports shank diameter D from 25 to 100 (inches as coded) and a point length/overall length L in coded inch ranges such as 200–500, 200–600, 200–700, or 225–700. Point-length variants also include B & L ranges (e.g., 225–500, 225–600, 225–700) and C ranges (e.g., 225–600, 225–700), with a fixed option noted as 250–700.

• Match D first: Ensure your pilot shank diameter aligns with the die’s locating hole/bushing bore size and guide clearance.
• Match length second: Verify the coded point length places the ball-lock engagement within the intended depth, accounting for die wear and press deflection.
• Check fit: Use your standard pilot clearance/tolerance practice for inch die sets; the P dimension is 0.05–0.749, so confirm your receiver geometry is compatible.

When choosing among coded length options, prioritize the length that achieves full engagement without bottoming out.