Inch Standard Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Tapered Tip

These inch standard ball lock pilot punches with a tapered tip are used in stamping and progressive die tooling where die alignment must be stable from setup through high-cycle production.

• Automotive and heavy-duty stamping progressive dies: The tapered locating profile improves initial engagement accuracy during start-up, while the ball lock geometry supports consistent repeat positioning under load.
• Die set and tooling-plate alignment stations: Use them to locate upper/lower tooling plates and eliminate misregistration across repeated press cycles, especially when precise start alignment is critical.
• Manufacturing of precision brackets and housings: The XCD-coated surface helps reduce wear at the pilot interface, supporting longer service life and more uniform locating performance.

This variant is suited to these applications because the tapered tip increases locating reliability at cycle start, and the heavy-duty configuration with XCD coating is intended to maintain tight alignment under stamping conditions.

Two steel options are available: M2 and PS4. Both are used for pilot punch components that experience sliding contact and repeated loading during die alignment.

• M2 (High-Speed Steel concept): Typically selected for strong wear resistance and elevated hardness after heat treatment, with good toughness for tooling applications.
• PS4: Selected when a balance between hardness, surface durability, and tool life is required for stamping alignment.

The product’s heavy-duty intent and XCD coating work together with the selected steel to reduce wear at the locating interface. Because exact hardness and heat-treatment condition are not provided in the specification data, final hardness targets should be confirmed with the manufacturer’s material certificate for the chosen grade and coating system.

To select the correct pilot punch, match the shank diameter (D) and point length/overall length to your die set’s locating requirements.

• Choose D (in): Select a shank diameter in the range 37 ~ 125 (inch units as listed). Ensure the hole/bushing ID and fit in your die plate match the intended clearance for pilot entry.
• Select coded length (L/B/C): Standard point length and length options are listed as 250 ~ 600, 250 ~ 700, 275 ~ 700, and 300 ~ 700 (coded inch). Use the appropriate range that corresponds to your cavity/core plate thickness and required engagement length.
• Verify P dimension (in): The P value is 0.083 ~ 0.999, which should be checked against your locating step geometry for consistent seating.

Lengths are provided as coded ranges rather than fixed single values, so confirm the exact code-to-length mapping for your tooling stack-up. Tolerance/fit must be validated against your pilot hole/bushing tolerances to ensure stable initial engagement without binding.