Ball Lock Regular Punch Blanks - Light Duty, Inch

This light-duty ball lock punch blank is used in punching stations where a stable punch retention design is required, such as progressive die tool builds for thin to moderate stock. The ball-lock style helps maintain secure punch positioning during repeated cycles, reducing the need for frequent rework of seating and alignment.

Typical use cases include:

• Automotive subcomponent punching: for forming brackets and covers where consistent feed and controlled wear are needed across high-volume runs.
• Appliance and housing stampings: suitable for punching light-duty features that demand repeatable geometry and reliable tool handling.
• General industrial sheet punching: an effective starting geometry for die makers assembling punch-and-die tooling with inch-based standards.

Choose the appropriate steel variant (A2, PS4, or M2) to match your expected wear and toughness balance while maintaining compatibility with inch tool dimensions.

These blanks are supplied in A2, PS4, or M2 steel grades to tailor performance for punching applications. In tool steels, A2 and M2 are commonly selected for wear resistance and durable cutting edge behavior, while PS4 is typically chosen when a different balance of hardness and toughness is required for production stability.

• M2: high wear resistance for longer edge life under demanding punching duty; generally offers strong hardness capability at the cost of toughness.
• A2: good toughness–wear balance suitable for many light-duty punching workflows.
• PS4: an alternative steel option for tailoring resistance versus toughness depending on your specific stock and cycle conditions.

Heat treatment is typically performed after machining blanks to reach the target hardness for tool life; production hardness and tempering schedules should follow your shop’s tooling procedure to match the chosen grade and duty cycle.

Select the blank by matching your tool design’s shank diameter and available punch length. This product is specified for inch applications with:

• D (Shank dia.): 25–100 in
• Length: 200–700 in

To size correctly for cavity/core requirements, confirm the punch shank diameter that mates with your tool’s ball-lock retention features and guide/bushing interfaces. Then choose a length that provides sufficient protrusion for the cutting interface while leaving room for retention geometry and any spacer stack-ups.

Use your mold shop’s standard tolerance approach for press-fit or retention seating: ensure the selected shank diameter supports secure locking without excessive clearance that could cause impact wear or punch drift. If you require a specific working length, verify that the available range (200–700 in) can accommodate your required clearance-to-stop dimensions.