Quality dies, molds, fixtures, machine parts, and cutting and punching tools are at the very heart of manufacturing operations. Everyone who constructs, uses, and/or maintains these components must ensure that their quality is sufficient and cost-effective for meeting long-term production requirements. As such, the cheapest option isn’t always the best.
Take, for example, a company that has a punching tool punching out parts. The most important consideration isn’t upfront cost; it’s how many ‘hits’ the punch can make before it fails and needs to be replaced. In this case, a cheap punch that fails after 25,000 hits will be far less cost effective than a more costly punch that sustains 500,000 hits. Not only would the inferior punch need to be re-bought 20 times, but every failure will likely result in an interruption to their entire manufacturing process while the punch is being replaced.
The Cost and Impact of Material Choice in Production Machinery
The tooling or die investment begins with design and material selection, and moves on to encompass machining, heat treating, finish machining, tryout, production, maintenance and repair. In other words, quality literally comes first.
The out-of-pocket cost of quality Tool and Die steels is insignificant when compared to total costs of manufacturing finished tools, dies, molds, machine parts, punches, or fixtures. However, while the cost of the materials might seem small at first, the consequences of choosing a low-quality material to save up-front expense can be extremely costly in the long run. Production downtime due to premature tool failure will quickly cancel any possible savings from choosing an inferior steel as opposed to a wear resistant steel.
Quality Tools and Dies are at the very heart of manufacturing. Tool and Die engineers, Tool and Die makers, heat treaters, operators, and maintenance personnel must all work together as a team to maximize the quality and performance of the tooling they use and maintain.
Get Wear-Resistant Steel Today
Titus Steel provides a number of exclusive mold and die steels sourced from Japan, and a number of exceptional wear and impact resistant steel as well as dynamic armor plates, sourced from Europe. If you’d like to learn more about the variety of quality materials available, please feel free to contact us directly for a quote.