Ball Lock Pilot Punches - Tapered Tip, Heavy Duty, Inch

Ball-lock pilot punches with a tapered tip are used in injection mold and die sets where repeatable alignment is critical, particularly during high-frequency clamp cycles and multi-cavity molding.

• Automotive connector and housing molds: The tapered pilot entry improves initial positioning and reduces mis-lock risk when starting the cavity closure, helping maintain consistent gate and slide alignment.
• Consumer electronics housings and inserts: Stable lock-in at each cycle supports tight downstream fit for snap features and threaded inserts, especially when tooling sees long production runs.
• Medical device and precision assembly fixtures: The heavy-duty inch format supports robust locating in tight assemblies where consistent starts reduce cumulative variation.

The M2 steel variant provides durable hardness for dimensional stability under wear, while the XNM coating supports reduced friction and longer locating life, making these punches well suited for production environments that demand reliable pilot performance.

This series is offered in M2 and PS4. M2 (high-speed steel, commonly treated as an AISI M2 equivalent) is selected for its ability to maintain hardness at elevated local temperatures created by repeated impacts and sliding during pilot entry.

• Coating: XNM coating is provided to improve surface wear resistance and reduce wear-related dimensional drift.
• Heat treatment (typical for locating punches): M2 is generally supplied in a hardened, quenched-and-tempered condition to achieve stable hardness for long service intervals. Exact HRC is not specified in the provided data.
• Trade-off: Higher hardness improves wear life and dimensional stability, while excessive hardness can reduce toughness; therefore, proper tempering is important for impact-prone locating.

PS4 is a viable alternative material option for engineers who need an alternate balance of machining response and wear behavior; compare based on your expected wear rate and cycle impact conditions.

Selection is driven by matching the shank diameter D (in) = 37 ~ 125 and the required point length / overall length options to your mold cavity/core locating geometry.

• Choose diameter D: Select a shank diameter within 37 ~ 125 in that matches the mating pilot hole/bushing bore size to avoid excessive clearance (which increases lock variability) or interference (which can cause galling or binding).
• Choose length L / point length: Available coded inch lengths include 250 ~ 600, 250 ~ 700, 275 ~ 700, and 300 ~ 700. Use the point length range that reaches the lock-in zone without bottoming against the opposite member.
• Check P dimension: The P = 0.083 ~ 0.999 range must align with your required pilot engagement depth/profile for reliable ball-lock engagement.

These punches are offered with multiple selectable dimensions (D, L/point length ranges, and P), so configure the exact variant that fits the cavity/core locating distance and desired engagement travel. Tolerance is not provided in the input data, so confirm shop drawings for your press-fit/clearance requirements with the mating bore.