10 design laws for tool designers By: Tom Vacca, Contributing WriterOctober 27, 2009 Tool design shortcuts, oversights, and errors can be costly. Following some fundamental design laws can help you anticipate an d prevent possible problems, simplify operation and maintenance, and improve production and quality. Designing tools, like most tasks, goes more smoothly when you follow gu idelines to achieve the desired result. Implementing these 10 design laws can help you produce the best tools for yourstamping application. 1.Have no other goal except your personal best . The results are a reflection of the design. Think beyond the traditional "design the tool"; think "design the process." Design is not about creating 120 AutoCAD® drawings that all fit together to produce a die that will stamp a part to printed specifications.It is more about creating a die that maximizes tool life, yields minimal variation relative to the part tolerances, and reduces the skill level and time required to service the tool quickly and cost-effectively. 2.Minimize strip lift and die stroke . The shorter the lift, the faster the production and the more dimensionally stable the parts are. The less you need to move the strip, the more stable it will be. A shorter stroke reduces vibration and increases tool life. Vibration to tooling is like sand in yourtransmission—poison! 3.Design lifters so that they keep the strip level during progression and as the die closes . Strips must be level at all times. Do not have large gaps between the lifter that will allow the strip to sag, and always set the lifter to keep the strip level throughout the entire progression.
