What a Progressive Die Is
A progressive die performs a sequence of operations — piercing, notching, forming, blanking — at separate stations inside one die set, while the strip itself carries the part from station to station. Each press stroke completes one finished part at the final station and advances every other part by one pitch. The part stays attached to the strip by carriers until the last station cuts it free. One press and one coil produce a finished part at every stroke. This manufacturer's crank range is documented for exactly this work — the C1N page lists progressive die operation, the C2N exists for dies needing a longer bed, and the S2N/T2N straight side presses run the largest progressive dies — while the supply boundary is the same as everywhere on this site: the factory supplies the press and the feeding line — the complete stamping line around the die — while the progressive die itself is designed and built around your part by your toolmaker.
Anatomy: Stations, Pitch, Pilots, Carriers
- Stations — each stroke-length step does one job: pierce the pilot holes first, then pierce and notch the profile, then form, then blank off. How the part's operations divide across stations is the toolmaker's layout, worked out from the part drawing; long parts mean long dies, which is a press-bed question (C2N bolsters to 2,700 mm; S2N bolsters to 6,000 x 1,800 mm on the 1,600-ton model).
- Pitch — the exact distance the strip advances per stroke, equal to the station spacing. The feeder's job is to repeat it thousands of times: the documented 3-in-1 feeding accuracy is ±0.15 mm under a 500 mm feeding length, and pilot pins in the die register the strip at each station.
- Pilots — tapered pins that enter the pierced pilot holes as the die closes, registering the strip at the station before any cutting edge lands. The pilot holes are pierced at the first stations of the die for this purpose.
- Carriers — the strip material left around the part to carry it. Carrier design (single, double, or centre carrier) is one of the layout choices behind the scrap rate — nesting and pitch are the others — and the carrier is what supports the part through the forming stations.
Press Requirements Behind a Progressive Line
A progressive die makes three demands of the press behind it: slide guidance over the full die length, shut-height consistency from station to station, and tonnage at the working height. In this catalogue, long dies are documented on straight side presses — the D2N two-point series is published with six-point full-length box gibs, and the T2N two-point and S2N four-point series with eight-side long guide rails — and each series publishes its own rated tonnage point in its table. Speed is the feeder's problem as much as the press's: roll and NC servo feeders are catalogued alongside the presses, and at the top end the GP/GPH/GT high-speed families run progressive dies at 60-2,000 SPM (the top figure is the GT-15H's) for laminations, terminals and lead frames.
Strip Layout Economics
Progressive stamping trades die cost for part cost. The die is the expensive element — many stations, precision-ground, built by a toolmaker around your part. Nesting, carrier width and pitch are the layout variables the toolmaker works with, and the part itself can be redesigned for the strip (tab placement, bend order) as part of the same layout work. The press side of the economics is uptime: overload protection that stops before a crash, lubrication monitoring, and feed accuracy of ±0.15 mm under a 500 mm feeding length (the documented 3-in-1 figure) — the documented features on the mechanical press page are the insurance policy on the toolmaker's die.
When Progressive Is the Wrong Choice
One boundary is set by the strip itself: a part whose draw depth and geometry mean it cannot stay attached to a carrier strip through the forming stations cannot be carried by the strip in that form. That statement covers only parts that cannot stay attached; it does not rule on any other part. Whether a given part is read as progressive, transfer or single-station work is settled part by part in the enquiry. Where a part's draw cannot be carried on the strip, the layout is read in the enquiry as transfer stamping — covered in the transfer vs progressive comparison — or as single-station work on hydraulic and servo presses. Volume is one of the enquiry inputs the line proposal is written around, alongside the part and the material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this factory sell progressive dies?
No. It manufactures the presses and feeding lines that run them — the complete stamping line. Progressive dies are designed and built around your part by your toolmaker; the press is configured for your die's height and footprint.
Which series in this catalogue are documented for long progressive dies?
Long progressive dies are documented on two-point series — C2N (bolster to 2,700 mm) in a gap frame and the D2N and T2N straight side series. The S2N is listed separately as a four-point eccentric series, documented for large-dimension dies and for progressive or transfer dies.
How accurate must the feeder be?
The feeder repeats the pitch, and pilots in the die register the strip at each station as the die closes. The documented 3-in-1 feeding accuracy is ±0.15 mm under a 500 mm feeding length. The manufacturer's catalogue lists NC servo feeders, roll feeders and gripper feeders; one gripper feeder listing is itself described for high-speed stamping, at up to 1,200 feeds per minute. See the feeding line page.
What information starts a progressive line quotation?
Part drawing, material and thickness, monthly volume, and — if it exists — the die design or its overall dimensions. The line proposal is written around the part, the material and the volume.
Send an Enquiry
Tell us the machine, your material and thickness, and the part you are forming. Tonnage, configuration and price are confirmed in the written quotation.