Miller Tool & Die does work on all types of dies. These being Progressive Dies, Forming Dies, and Draw Dies. Below are brief explanations of some of these and samples products.
Dies are placed into a stamping press. As the stamping press moves up, the die opens. As the stamping press moves down, the die closes. The raw material (metal) moves through the die while the die is open, being fed into the die a precise amount with each stroke of the press. When the die closes, the die performs its work on the metal and one or more finished parts are ejected (usually by gravity) from the die. The stamping die can modify the raw material in several ways, such as bending, coining, and punching. Holes that are cut into the raw material can be almost any shape.
In Metal forming-Drawing is the stretching/compressing of a sheet metal part in a die over a draw horn to create a three dimensional enclosed shape. (one side open)
Since additional work is done in each "station" of the die, it is important that the strip be advanced very precisely so that it aligns within a few thousandths of an inch as it moves from station to station. Bullet shaped or conical "pilots" enter previously pierced round holes in the strip to assure this alignment since the feeding mechanism usually cannot provide the necessary precision in feed length.
The key components of dies are made of tool steel to withstand the high shock loading involved, retain the necessary sharp cutting edge, and resist the abrasive forces involved.
An excellent example of the product of a progressive die is the lid of a beer or soft drink can. The pull tab is made in one progressive die and then automatically mated to the lid which is made in another progressive die.
