1.Die clearance for blanking is typically what percentage of material thickness?
- A.1-2%
- B.5-10% per side (depending on material type and thickness)✓
- C.25%
- D.50%
Why: Blanking clearance = 5-10% of material thickness per side for mild steel. Harder materials need more clearance. Too little clearance = excess tonnage and edge chipping. Too much = burrs and poor edge.
2.Spring-back in bending operations is compensated by:
- A.Ignoring it
- B.Over-bending past the desired angle, or using a bottoming die✓
- C.Under-bending
- D.Using a softer material
Why: Material elastically recovers (springs back) after the punch withdraws. Compensate by: over-bending (empirically determined), bottoming (coining the bend), or using a spring-back compensation radius.
3.During die tryout, if the part shows excessive burr on the blanked edge, the likely cause is:
- A.Press too fast
- B.Insufficient cutting clearance, dull cutting edges, or misalignment between punch and die✓
- C.Material too thin
- D.Coolant issue
Why: Burr formation: dull edges (re-sharpen), too much clearance (rework die), punch/die misalignment (re-align), or material harder than expected. Inspect cutting edges first.
4.When fitting a die section with a clearance of 0.002" per side, what measuring tool verifies this?
- A.Ruler
- B.Feeler gauge or shim stock between punch and die✓
- C.Tape measure
- D.Protractor
Why: Feeler gauges are thin steel strips of known thickness. Insert between the punch and die at multiple points to verify uniform clearance. Optical comparators can also verify clearance.
5.Backing plates in a die are made from hardened steel to:
- A.Look professional
- B.Distribute punch force over the die shoe and prevent punches from driving into the softer shoe material✓
- C.Only add weight
- D.Only for colour
Why: Without backing plates, hardened punches under tonnage would embed into the softer die shoe. Backing plates (heat-treated to 58-62 HRC) distribute the force over a larger area.
6.When proving a draw die, wrinkles in the drawn part indicate:
- A.Correct blank holder pressure
- B.Insufficient blank holder force — material is buckling instead of flowing smoothly✓
- C.Too much lubricant
- D.Correct die clearance
Why: Wrinkling = material compressing rather than flowing into the die. Increase blank holder force, improve lubrication, adjust draw beads, or modify blank shape to control metal flow.
7.After prove-out, the die clearances are documented because:
- A.It's busywork
- B.They establish the baseline for future sharpening and maintenance — knowing original clearances enables accurate restoration✓
- C.Only for the inspector
- D.To calculate cost
Why: Baseline clearance records allow maintenance personnel to restore die clearances to original specs after sharpening. Without records, clearances drift and part quality degrades.
8.When a die guide bushing is worn beyond tolerance, it should be:
- A.Left alone
- B.Replaced with a new bushing of the same size, or rebored oversize and fitted with an oversize pin✓
- C.Lubricated more
- D.Shimmed
Why: Worn guide bushings cause upper/lower misalignment. Replace with same-size bushing, or if the bore is damaged, ream oversize and fit a matching oversize guide pin.
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