Metric Heavy Duty Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Tapered Tip

These heavy-duty metric ball lock pilot punches are used in progressive and transfer stamping die sets where repeatable part positioning is critical. The tapered tip helps guide the punch into the mating bushing or die opening, reducing the risk of initial misalignment during high-cycle press starts.

• Die locating for progressive stamping: The tapered nose improves center entry, supporting stable feed-to-feed alignment when locating features experience frequent load changes.
• Transfer tooling for automotive-style components: Suitable for locating robust workpieces because the heavy-duty design and wear-resistant steel options help maintain dimensional stability over production runs.
• General metric die assemblies: The metric configuration supports standard layout practices and consistent assembly performance when multiple cavities are indexed and synchronized.

With available M2 (and PS4) steel options, this variant is suited to environments that require good cutting-edge/pilot wear resistance while preserving the punch’s ability to guide parts accurately.

This line is offered in M2 and PS4 material options, selected to balance wear resistance with the toughness needed for repeated locating impacts. M2 is a high-speed steel (often referenced as AISI M2) known for strong hot/work wear resistance; it is typically supplied in a hardened condition for stable service life in tooling applications.

• Heat treatment (typical for hardened tool steels): M2 is generally quenched and tempered to reach a functional hardness for wear service, then ground to final form for dimensional consistency.
• Hardness & trade-offs: Higher hardness improves pilot/bushing wear resistance but can reduce toughness under severe shock; careful tempering is used to maintain acceptable toughness.
• PS4 comparison: PS4 is typically selected as an alternative tool steel option when a different hardness/toughness balance or availability is preferred.

Final performance depends on the exact supplied heat treatment state and polishing/finishing to maintain the tapered-tip geometry.

Select the pilot punch dimensions by matching the punch interface to the mating die/bushing locating features. Use the shank diameter (D) from 10 ~ 40 mm to ensure the punch fits into the corresponding guide or ball-lock mechanism without forcing or excessive clearance.

• Choose Tip Diameter (P): Select P = 1.45 ~ 30 mm to align with the mating opening profile so the tapered tip enters smoothly while maintaining guidance.
• Match Point Length (L1): Point length is available in ranges of 19 ~ 62, 19 ~ 92, 25 ~ 102, 30 ~ 102 mm. Ensure L1 provides enough engagement for stable alignment during press travel.
• Match Total Length (L): Total lengths are offered in 80 ~ 110, 80 ~ 140, 80 ~ 150 mm to suit the die stack height and knockout/retention arrangement.

Verify fit based on your bushing/guide hole tolerances: pilot locating systems generally require controlled clearance to avoid binding while preventing lateral play that can reduce alignment accuracy. Where configurations are fixed per size option, select the nearest available set that meets both engagement (L1) and stack clearance (L).