44

Piercing of Low-Carbon Steel

By the ASM Commtttee on Press Forming 01
PIERCINGt 1s the cuttlng of holes In
sheet metal. generally by removlng a
slug of metal. with a. punch and die.
Pierc1ng is llke blanklng. except that In
piercing. the work metal that surrounds
the plerclng puneh Is the workplece
and the punehed-out slug Is serap.
whereas in blanking it 18 the workplece
that Is punched out.
Plerced holes can be of almost any
size and shape; elongated holes usually
a.re called sIots.
Pierclng Is ordlnarily the fastest
method of maklng holes In steel sheet
or strip. and Is generally the most eco
nomicaI method for medlum to hlgh
productlon.
The accuracy of conventional tooI
sleeI or carbide dies provldes pierced
holes wlth a degree of quallty and ae
curacy that Is satlsfactory for a wlde
varlety of appllcatlons.
For further informatlon on plercing.
the render ls referred to the artlcles In
thls volume on Blnnklllg of Low-Cnrbon
Steel (page 31). Flne-Edgc Blnnklng
and Plerclng (page 56), Press Form
lng of Hlgh-Carbon SLeel (page 132).
and Blanking and Plercing of Magnetl
cally Soft MateriaIs (page 60L
Charaderistics of Pierced Holes
Pierced holes are dlfl'erent from
through-holes that are produced by
drilllng or other machlnlng methods. A
properly drllled or otherwise machined
through-hole has a sldewall that is
stralght for the fuH thickness of lhe
',
I'
,, work melai. with a hlgh degree of
accuracy in size. roundness and
stralghtness. The sldewall of a plerced
hole gencrally ls stralght and smooth
for only a portlon of the thlckness. be
ginnlng near the punch end of the
hole; the remainder of the wall ls bro
ken out in an irregular cone beyond the
stralght portion of the hole. producing
what ls caIled fracture, breakout, or die
break (see Flg. 1).
The operatlon of hole plerclng typi
cally beglns as a cut that produces a
burnlshed surface on the hole wall and
some rollover (curved surface caused by
deformatlon of the workplece before
cutting commenced) as illustrated in
Flg. 1. The punch completes Its stroke
by breaking and tearlng away the met
al that was not cut durlng the Inlt1al
part of the plerclng operatlon.
For commlttee IIst. see page 112.
tThe term "plerclng 18 used In thls artlcle.
and In related artlcles In thls volume. to denote
the productlon ar a hole by removlng a slug of
metal wlth a punch and dle. The reader should
note. however, that Bome authorltles prerer to
use the termB "punchlng" ar "perloratlng" to
denote thls method. IImltlng the term "plere
Ing to the use of a polnted puneh that tears
and extrudes a hole wlthout cuttlng a Idug ar
metal. The terro "perloratlng" 111 80metlmee
used alllO In the apeelal Bense or euttlng many
holes In a sheet metal workplece by removlng
aluga wlth DeveraI punches,
Rollova,' Penel,alion deplh Bu,nlsh
dSPlhl. -+_.... ___h ....__ ti

1 i ::
F'netul .
dpplh

Curvature and angles are exaggerated for em
phRSls. Compare wlth Flg. 8 on page 33 In the
artlcle 'BlalJklng of I..ow-Carbon Steel".
Fig. 1. Characterlatlcs 01 Cf plerced hole
The comblned depth of rollover and
burnish Is a measure af the penetratlon
depth of the stroke, also shQwn in Fig.
1. Thls Is the part of the stroke durlng
whlch the cutt.lng force 18 eX(:lrLed. be
fore t,l1(1 metal fractures or breaks away
(sre F'ig. 1) .
Thc amount of penetratlon before
fracturc 18 commonly expressed as a
percentage of the stock thlckness. In
general, lhe percentage of penetratlon
depends more on the material than on
other factors. such as punch-to-die
clearance. Table 1 on page 33 In
the art.kle "Blanklng of Low-Carbon
Stecl" shows Lhe average pcrcentage of
penetratlon (before fracture) In var
lous metais under typical plercing or
blanklng condlt.lons. Percentage of pen
etratlon aITects energy consumptlon
and cuttlng force In blanklng or plerc
Ing, as described on page 34 In the
artlcle on Blanklng.
Quality of Hole Wall
Ir the sidewall of a pierced hole 18
not smooth or straight enough for the
lntended appUcation. lt can be im
proved by shavlng In adie, or by
reamlng. Shavlng Is the least expenslve
method af improving the sldewall of a
piereed hole, when done in quantity.
Shaving in one or two operations gen
erally makes the sldewall of a hole
unlform and smooth through 75 to 90'10
of the stock thlckness.
Superior accuracy and smoothness of
hole walls can be obtained by fine-edge
. plerclng. WiLh th!8 method, one stroke
of a triple-action press plerces holes
with smooth and precise edges for the
entire thlckness of the material. For
further Information. see the artlcle
that begins on page 56.
Burr helght is an important element
in hole quallty. and a maximum burr
helght Is usual1y speclfted. 1<'or most ap
plicatlons. the lImlt on burr helght Is
between 5 and 10% of stock thlckness.
Burr height In plerclng a glven work
plece ls governed primari1y by punch
to-cl1e clearance and to01 sl1arpness.
Burr conditlon and l!mlts usually de
termine the length of run before tll! . '
punch and dle are resharpened. WiU ...
good practice. burr helght is <
in the range of 0,0005 to 0.003 in., bU!
may be much greater. depending at a.\;
workplece material and thieknest .. i
clearance. and tool candition. As an aj.
ternative to lImitlng the length of rUI
to control burr conditlon,
burrs may be removed by shaving, . .
by deburrlng as deseribed on pages ,
to 397 In Volume 2 of thls Handbool _
'IoI
Selection of Die Clearance .rT\
.,
Clearance. or space between th IN
punch and the sldewall of the die. aJ::
fects the rellabllity of operation e .
pierclng (and blanklng) equipment, th \
characteristics cf the cut edges. an lld
the life of the puneh and die. Publishe &m4
recommendatlons for clearances har-;
varied wldcly. with most suggestlng: b.
clcarance per slde somewhere In
range of 3 to 12.5% of the stock thJcl
ness for ateeI. ,.
Establlshment of the clearance to
used for a glven percing or blankiJ ""'i
operatlon Is inftuenced by the requlrl"'- .(U.... \{
characterlstics of the cut edge of f""' ''
hole or blank. and by the thckness a:
At11
the praperties ar the work metal. Lru; eoa'
er clearances prolong tool .$ lHe.
optimum clearance may be defined l-'
the largest clearance that will prOdGb)w
a hole ar blank having the requlr llN
characteristics of the cut edge in uh
glven material and thickness.
of dlfl'erences In cut-edge requlreme:
ure
,
and in the efl'ect of tool life on over..!!at
cost. clearance practices vary amu,...a:
plants and for dlfIerent
No single table or formula ean spe "!t:
fy accurately an optmum Clearance:
to
:;;
alI situations encountered in pracU ...
Starting wlth general guidelines. !rol t,
of several different clearances may . 71
needed to establish the most
clearance for a speclftc appllcatlon.7. m
following principIes are use=
In maklng adJustments: ! lhkll
1 RolJover (plastlc deformatlon) and i1nre
nlsh depth are greater 'In thlck matl Q'1<
than In thln material. and are greatapa,rt
80ft material than In hard material. Ty
2 Clearanee (ln decimal parts of an
to pl'oduce a glven type of edge sllcnaJl
vary directly wlth material thlckne,,,,, .nr. t
hardne8B. and lnversely wlth ductllltltO't ,
AlI clearance values given in thlS= ,
ticle are for clearance per slde, eXCUlkl1>
where Indlcated otherwise. 'l')l
,II_UU,

TypC's of Edges 'ltN!r.

More speclftc guldance in selec:'WUI \)
dle clearances Is provlded by
ing the types of edges produced IrOU()"
different clearances. ttolt
The acceptability of a punched ;";:;P
or a olank generally 18

CW'i'f,r
. ,
-------------------
--- -----
45 PIERCING OF LOW-CARBON STEEL
R
f'rocture .
onglo
F
F
i)r blonk
edIJ8
B
B
R
R
Type 2 Type 3 Type 4
Cleoronce, 11 .5 to 12.5% t Cleoronce, B lo 10% t Cleorance,5 to 7%1
..................... ............... 14" to 16" 8 to 11"
...... ...... ....... ........ ...... . . .... 10 to 20% t 8 to 10% t
....................................... 10 to 20% t(b)
70 to 80% t
LArge. tenslle Normal,
plua pRrt dlstortlon tens\le ollly
BtlnOYel' 1'1us burnlsh approxlmately equal8 punch penetratlon two separate porUona. alternatlng wlth fracture. (e) Wlth rough 8urfaee.
fluture. Ib) Bumlsh on edge af slug or bhmk may be emall (f) In two separato portlons, alternatlng wlth burnlsh. (g) Amount of
or oven absent. (c) Wlth epotty 86Condary shear. (d) In compresslve burr dependa on dle sharpnee'.
E8ect of punch-to-dle clearance per 3ide (as a percentage 01 atock thlckness, tJ on characteristfclI o/ edgell o/ holes an slug' (or
produced by pferc/ng or blanking low-carbon ateel sheet or Iltrfp at a maxtmum hardnes8 01 Rockwell B 75. Table 1 lists clearance.
prcducinl1 lhe flue types of edges In varIou, metaIs. See text for addltlonal df3cussfon and lor appltcabilitll of the ftVt' tllpel 01 edges.
of the cut edge and its suita
lhe appllcatlon. Usable holes
can be obtained over a
range of punch-to-dle clear
resulting In a dltferent edge
Flve types of edges that
the use of ditferent
In plercing or blanking
steel at Rockwell B 75 max
schematically In Flg. 2. The
accompanying Flg. 2 in
te ranges of fracture or
nngles, rollover, burnlsh and
depths, and burr characterls
the flve edge types. The clear
ranges that wl1l produce these
when plercIng or blanking var
are glven In Table 1.
eharacterlstlcs and appl!cabiUty
edge types are as follows:
'I'hls type of edge has a large roll
and a large burr that conslsts of
l.enslle burr plus bendlng or defor
the edge. Burnlsh depth 18 mnima!.
depth 1s about three-fourths of stock
and the fractured surface has a
Thls edge 18 satlsfactory for non
where edge qunUty and
are not Important
2.. Thla edge, whlch has a moderate
radlUB, normal tenslle burr, and a
angle, prov!des maxlmum d!e
hole or blank that 18 acceptable
work on wh!ch a large burnlah
requlred. Burn!sh depth plus
!5 about one-thlrd of stck
depth, about two-th!rds.
edge has a small rollover
tenslle burr and a smaU'
, It has low residual stress, and
UI partlcularly deslrable for use !n
made of work-hardena.ble material that
ID:\delito severe formlng. The clean stress
Mire reduces the posslbUlty of edge
dOr1ng fonnlng. Burnlsh depth plulI
depth 1s one-thlrd to one-hal! of
4. 'I'h! l.s a des!rable edge for stamp- .
for mechan!sms or parts that must
w,ge finlshlng such as shaving or
The edge has a very sme.l! roU
o..- li medlum tenlllle and compres
""'l. and a fmlSU fracture anglc.
7 to 11' 6' to 11'
6 to 8% t 4 to 7% t

Normal, Medlum, tensl1e
Table 1. Puneb-to-Dle Clearances for Plerclng or Blanklng Variou! Metais to Produee the
Flve Types or Edges Shown In Flg. 2
(Clea.rances tn thls table are based on data publlshed on p!erclng by Danly Maehine Corp.,
and on blanklng tn ASTME Paper MF64-151 by L. R. AllIngham)
--_.__._--- - -- --_.
WorJ[ melaI Edge type 1 per Et!ge type li
-"- - '
Low-carbon steel ................
Hlgh-carbon ateeI ...............
Stalnless steel .. '" ..............
Alumlnum alloys:
Up to 33,OOO-psl TS ...........
Over 33,00O-ps! Ta ...........
Brasa, annel\led io
Bras.'!, half hard " ..............
Phosphor bronze ...............
Copper annealed ................
Copper, half hard ...............
Lead ...........................
Magneslum alloY8 ...............
tenslle only plU8 compres8Ive(g) plua compresslve(g)
Type 5
Clearance, 1102% I.
2 5% t

Large, tensl1e
21 max 11.5 to 12.5 8 to 10 5 to 7 lto2
25max 17 to 19 14 to 16 11 to 13 2.5 to 5
23 max 12.5 to 13.5 9 to 11 3 to 5 lto2
17 max 8 to 10 6 to 8 2to4 0.5 to 1
20max 12.5 to 14 9 to 10 5 to 6 0.5 to 1
21 max 8 to 10 6 to 8 2to3 0.5 to 1
24max 9 to 11 6to8 3 to 5 0.5 to 1.5
25max 12.5 to 13.5 10 to 12 3.5 to 5 1.5 to 2.5
25max 8 to 9 5 to 7 2to4 0.5 to 1
25max 9 to 11 6 to 8 3 to 6 lto2
22max 8 to 10 6.6 to 7.5 4to6 1.5 to 2.5
16max 5 to 7 3.6 to 4.5 1.5 to 2.5 0.5 to 1
NOTE: For clearances that produce edges of typea 1, 2 and 3, lt 18 ordlnarlly necessary to use
eJector punches or other dev!cee to prevent the slug from adherlng to punch.
Burn1sh depth plus rollover depth la about
two-thlrds of stock- th!cknes8. Thls edge type
may be recognlzed by the spotty show!ng of
secondary IIhear on the fraetured 8urface.
Type 5. Th!s edge has a mln!mum rolIover
radlus e.nd a large tenslle and compress!ve
burr, and 111 recogn!zed by the complete sec
ondary shear on the cut surtace. It 111 uGeful
!n appl!cat!ons where edges must have a max
!mum of stra!ght-wall depth wlthout secon
dary operatlons. On steel and other hard
metaIs, dle IIfe !s extremely short. The edge
can be usefuI on some of the softer mete.ls,
whlch allow a reasonable dle I!!e.
The exact proflle of the edge varies
somewhat for dltferent work; metais,
depending on the properties of the
metal. Results may also be affected to a
minor degree by:
1 Face shear on punch or d!e .
2 Punch-to-dle al!gnment
3 Proxlmlty to adjacent holes
4 D!stance to adjacent blanked edges
I; Orlentatlon of the dlferent portlons 01
the cut edge w!th respect to the rolling
directlon of the Btock
6 Ratlo of hole s1ze to stock thlekneSB
7 InternaI constructton O{ the die eaVity
8 LubrlcaUn. .
The 11lustratlons of edge profiles in
Fig. 2, and the estimates of fracture
angIes and of the relative amounts of
rollover, burnIsh, fracture and burr giv
en in the table accompanylng FIg. 2,
are lntended to represent productlon
condltlons, allowlng for the normal
range of tooI sharpness encountered in
piercing and blanklng of Iow-carbon
steel sheet.
The clearance values glven in Table 1
for plercing and blanklng varlous met
aIs to produce the five types of edges
were obtalned in Iaboratory tests. The
cuttlng edges of the punches were
stoned to a radlus of 0.002 to 0.006 in. to
slmulate an amount of wear corre
spondlng to the a}Jproximate mldpoint
of a production run. No lubricant was
used on the work metal.
AS clearance 18 lncreased trom the
Iow values used for type 5 edges to
those used for type 1 edges, several ef
fects are evident. The edge profile de
vlates more and more from stralght
nesa and perpendlcular1ty, as rollover.
!
:\f
46 PlERCING OF LOW-CARBON STEEL
hoje proflle ls the same as that of the . to punch dulling proceed more rapldJ
StE TABU OfLOW tOR
IOfNtlr;.r,AT!ON Of METAi.S slug or blank. As the run progresses, than those related to die dulllng.
I'" WE. GRQUPS I'.j{HCAff.',)
- 8Y O: IRL(;:l NUMerRi
dulling of the punch increases the roll On the average, the following dlffel
over and the burnish depth on the ences between hole edge and bIa!.
.s: hole wall and lncreases the burr helght edge are observed in production wm
5 .-
--
on the slug or blank. Dulling of the die on sheet metal:
8

increo.ses burnish depth and burr
d ---
_'0_
1 Rollover 18 greater 00 hole edge than (
helght on the hole edge. The punch
u
.;
11
_._- slug or blank edge.
Ui
dulIs faster than the die; hence, the
2 Burnlsh depth 15 greater on hole edi
.
changes In hole characteristics relatcd than 00 slug or blank edge
o
..
tJ
'
3
C
Table %. Eflect of Clearance on Plerclng and Strlpplng Force Requlred for Plerdng
t:
O.257-In.-Diam Uoles In Cold Rolled Low-Carbon Skel(a)
..
o
Li
2

CleB.Tance Cleare.nce
IV
.{
lJer 51de, tf, per slde, % ,.--Force requ{red___ Punch pelJ
6
01 .toel< 01 "toek Plerclng, Strlpp1ng, tre.tton 11]1
thlckneR8 thlcknc&1 1000 psl(b) Ib (total) dl. ln.(o
Stock 0.025 In. Thlck, Rockwell B fl5
5.0 .. 58.6 215 0.020
12.5 ......... 57.0 112 0.020
6.0 .. ,...... 66.0 158 0.008
o
12.5 ......... 67.0 108 0.008 stock 0.050 In. 1.'btck, ll.ockwell B 61
O W W W 00 100
Btock 0.031 In. Tblck, Rockwell B .1 5.0 63.2 260 0.020
Wo,k-mnlol Ihickness. O 001 in
12.5 ......... 54.2 94 0.020
5.0 ......... 50.8 158 0.008
6.0 ......... 1i3.2 295 0.020
Ctearauce ver Blde
J
% ot 13.0 ......... 49.5 113 0.008
12.5 ......... 52.7 158 0.020
....-stock th'ckneSS\fl)--.
Oroup Averare Range Stock 0.034 In. Tblck, Rockwell B 81
stock 0.059 In. Tbtck, Rockwell B 74
1 Alumlnuffi alloya 1100 and 4.5 ......... M.5 130 0.008 5.0 ......... 53.5 112 0.0185
5052. 1\1\ tempera ........... 2.25 1.7 to 3.4 13.0 ......... 82.6 75 0.008 6.8 .... 52.0 136 0.0185
:a Alumlnu:n I\lIoys 2024 and
7.6 . 50.8 66 0.0185
Stock 0.042 In. Thlck, Rockwell D 85
6001. T4 and T6 \('mpers;
6.5 ......... 50.6 64 0.0185
brnss. al1 tempera: cold
5.0 ......... 79.0 0.007 9.8 ......... 50.2 45 0.0185
roJled ateei. dcad 80ft . 3.0 2.25 to 4.5
12.0 ......... 76.5 176 0.007 13.0 ......... 61.5 20 0.0185
3 Cold rolled steel. ha.lf hard .. 3.75 2.8 to 5.6
stock 0.047 In. Thlck, Rockwell D 47 stock 0.062 In. Thlck, ll.ockwell B 50
NOTE. Incorrect clearance values twlce as
large as those shown here have appenred 5.0 ......... 49.4 260 0.0165
5.0 ......... 53.8 130 0.0185
wlth charts oC thls type In some publlca
6.5 ......... 51.0 67 0.0185
6.5 ......... 53.8 102 0.0185
tlons. nppnrently becl\Use of confllslon be 7.3 ...... 52.6 73 0.0185
tween clearance per slde and total clenr 8.0 ......... 52.8 130 0.0185
6.5 .. 49.2 60 0.0165
9.5 ......... 51.2 37 0.G165
ance. Also. stalnless steel has erroneouely
9.0 ......... 52.4 120 0.0185
10.5 ......... 50.6 30 0.0165
been Included wlth the metais In groupa 2
12.5 ......... 52.6 56 0.0185
13.0 ......... 48.2 56 0.0185
and 3 In thosll publlcatlons.
stGck 0.050 In. Thlck, RoekweU B 71
(a) Data are results of testa by Day/ton Pro!
(a) Percentages of stock thlckness on whlch
ress Corp.; no lubrlcant WI\8 used. (b) Poun,
the ranges of acceptable clesrance In chart are
5.0 56.7 219 0.006 per square Inch of cross sectlon cut. (e) Peu
based. See text for clearances used In plerclng
12.5 ...... , .. 55.6 97 0.008 tratlon requlred for release of alugo
or blanklng of stalnless ateeI. (SOURCE: Sperry
Gyroscope Dtv. Sperry Rand Corp.)
Table 3. Eflect of Punch-to-Dle Clearance on Tool Life in Plerclng and BIanklng
Fig. 3. Ranges of punl'h-to-die clearance
of FerrOU8 and Non(errous Metais or Varlous Thlcknesses(a)
per side recommended by one manulacturer
- - - ..
lor piercing and blanklng 01 VaI'!ous metais
Tool-1l1
up to 0.125 in. thick lnctP.M
,----Inltlal ___ Increllxed c1eafance ----, wJth
Btock CleFl.ranco Tool llfe Clearance Toolure greate
thlckneas. Roekwell per grlnd. per .lde. % of per grlnd. cJear,
fracture angle and fracture depth ln In. Type hardneS8 holes thlciUl'l!>l boles ance, I
crease. while burnish depth decreases
Low-Carbon Steels, Cold Rolled
proportionately.
0.016 Zinc coated B 79 6.3 30,000 !2.0 140,OGO 360
Total burr helght at flrst decreases,
0.020 1018 C22 ... 2.5 115,000 5.0 230,000 100
as Its compresslve component decreases,
0.036 (b) r 2.6 67.000 12.6 204,000 205
leavlng only the essentlally constant
0.047 1010 5.0 10,000 12.5 68,000 580
tenslle burr on edges of types 3 and 2 0.060 B77 ... 4.5 130,000 12.5 400,000 208
(usually in the range of 0.0005 to 0.003
0.070 Galvanlzed B32 ... 5.0 100,000 11.0 300,000 200
in., depending on the work metal and Low-Carbon Steels. Hot RoUed
the tool condition).
0.053 B72 5.0 60,000 12.5 240.000 230
With further increase In clearance
0.127 N94 5.0 100,000 12.6 250,000 16G
(edge type 1), bending 01' deformatlon
HIBhCarbon stctll.
at and near the edge adds an additlon
ai burr component, lncreasing the total
0.060 1070 15.0 100,000
burr height. This part distortion lmme
0.078 1090 ... .... ... 10.0 ' 1135,000
0.060 4130 B73 ... 5.0 7.5 70,000
diately adjacent to the cut edge Is
0.125 C9 .... 2.5 30,000 8.5 240,000 700
usually accompanied by a more gradual
8talnless steels
curvature or "dishing" on blanks or
slugs; the correspondlng curvature Is
0.005 301 C45 ... 20.0 15,000 42.0 125,000 900
0.020 410 .. . .... 3.6 5,000 12.5 136,000 2600
much less pronounced on the stock
0.045 304 C 16 ... 6.5 12,000 11.0 30,000 150
around a hole, whlch Is usually re
0.063 B89 ... 5.0 175,000 ;).0 250,000 60
strained by a str!pper. (Curvature of
Co-Cr.NI-Base Heat-Reslstlng Alloy
blanks or stock strip is not shown in
Fig. 2.) 0.036 HS-25 (L-605) C22 2.8 1,500 9.5 5,000 230
At extremely large clearances (sub
Atumlnum Alloya
stantial1y above those shown for type 1
0.018 5086 16 to 20(c) 20,000 16 to 2C {d) 70,000 250
edges), double-shear characterlstics are
0.040 3003 5.0 12.5
(C)
(f)
sometimes observed on the cut edge. \ 0.052 (g) ., .. 5.0 8.5 50

Copper Alloys
Effect of Tool Dulling
0.007 Tin-plated brass B76 ... 7.0 14.0 (h) 50
0.045 Erass .... 3.5 15.000 7.0 110.000 (j)
The sharpne3S of punch and die
0.047 Paper-clad brass
13-8'1
.. , 5.0 20,000 10.0 25,000 ('1
),
edges ho.s o.n lmporto.nt effect on cut 0.003 Berylllum copper B 95(k) 8.5 300,000 25.0 600,000 100
edge characterlstlcs in pierclng and
(a) Productton data complled by Day/ton Progress Corpo (b) No. 4 tempero (c) Punch entert
blanking. At the beglnnlng of a run, dle ,0.060 In. (d) Ptlllch dtel not enter dle. (a) H12 tempero (f) Hlgher-quallty
parta. (g)
with punch and die equally sharp, the
(h) Ellmlnated dle breakage. (J) Run completed wlthout regrlnd. (k) HaU hard.