M2 Steel Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Round Tip, Light Duty, Me

These M2 steel ball lock pilot punches with a round tip are used to establish accurate part-to-die positioning in light-duty inch progressive dies and stamping tooling. The ball-lock mechanism helps maintain repeatable alignment between stations, reducing cumulative indexing error across press cycles.

• Automotive and appliance feeder tooling: suitable for locating thin sheet components where stable pilot contact is needed during high-rate feed and repeated press strokes.
• Medical device component stamping (light-duty housings/covers): the round tip promotes consistent alignment when tooling tolerances are tight but loads are moderate.
• Die alignment fixtures and inch die tooling: ideal for setup and requalification scenarios because the pilot point geometry supports dependable mating alignment.

The variant’s M2 steel base and CRN coating are selected to improve wear resistance, helping sustain positioning performance as pilot contact points experience frequent rubbing and impact.

This product is offered in M2 and PS4 materials. M2 tool steel is commonly used for cutting and forming tooling; in mold and die applications, it provides a balance of hardness, wear resistance, and toughness for repeatedly loaded pilot surfaces.

The CRN coating referenced in the description is intended to increase wear resistance at the pilot point, supporting stable alignment over repeated press cycles. With M2, the typical manufacturing approach is to heat treat to a controlled hardness (often high-HRC in tooling practice) and then apply finishing/coating processes to protect the contact area.

• M2 (default): stronger wear performance with good toughness trade-offs for light-duty locating.
• PS4 (alternative): selected when a different baseline material response is preferred; compare tool-life behavior under your specific pilot contact loads and media.

Exact hardness and heat-treatment state (e.g., quenched & tempered vs. nitrided) are dependent on the selected material option and coating process, so confirm with the part’s supplied specification sheet for your configuration.

To select the correct ball lock pilot punch dimensions, match the shank diameter D and the point length options to the die cavity/core clearance and stripper/ejector stack-up in your progressive tooling.

• Shank diameter (D, in): choose within 25 ~ 100 (inch-coded series as provided).
• Point length / total length L (coded inch): options include 200 ~ 500, 200 ~ 600, 200 ~ 700, and 225 ~ 700.
• B dimension / point length (coded inch): options include 225 ~ 500, 225 ~ 600, and 225 ~ 700, with additional ranges for C such as 225 ~ 600 and 225 ~ 700.
• Fixed range constraint: 250 ~ 700 is listed for the fixed point length / B&L coded inch parameter.

Use the P dimension range of 0.05 ~ 0.749 to ensure the ball-lock engagement depth and pilot contact timing suit your die spacing. Verify tolerances for your inch die tooling: a mismatch in D or point length can cause poor seating, increased wear, or repeatability loss.