STRIP LAYOUT
INTRODUCTION
• A variety of parts are manufactured using sheet metal operations.
• Basic operation of shearing of metal sheet is blanking, wherein the
component is blanked out of stock strip of metal.
• It’s very necessary to design layout of parts for blanking in such a way
that maximum possible stock utilization or yield is obtained.
• A proper nesting of the parts for blanking operation is must to
produce maximum yield.
• Though maximum utilization of the stock is necessary, shape & size of
part is prime importance.
• Layout must be designed in such a way that the part obtained is
given priority to the yield percentage of the stock.
• This layout is known “STRIP LAYOUT”
INTRODUCTION
Most important step in designing progressive stamping die is
developing the strip layout.
Strip layouts directly impact die size and initial die cost, as well as
costs for die maintenance & repair.
Strip layout affects press selection & costs for press maintenance
and repair, as well as initial stamping cost, in-process reliability,
dimensional accuracy of finished part and cost of poor quality.
The strip layout serves as a master plan that determines—and
restricts—nearly every decision made during die design.
STRIP LAYOUT FLOW DIAGRAM
STRIP LAYOUT NOMENCLATURE
The various terminologies associated with stock & scrap strip layout as shown in figure 1
are as below—
1. Feed Direction: It is the direction in which stock strip is fed in to the die.
2. Lead End: It is the end of the stock strip heading towards the die.
3. Tail End: It is the end of the stock strip opposite to the lead end.
4. Advance: It is the distance moved by the stock strip in blanking operation between two
consecutive strokes of the machine.
STRIP LAYOUT
5. Scrap Bridge: Scrap Bridge is the distance between the peripheries of two
consecutive blanks. It is very necessary as it joins & separates the boundaries
of two consecutive parts.
6. Stock Width: It is the width of the strip in vertical direction from which
blanks are blanked out.
7. Front & Back Scrap: It is the scrap width in front & back of the blank.
The scrap or stock web to be left on the scrap strip for effective blanking operation
depends on the type of blanking, thickness of the sheet, width of the strip,
dimension or size of the component & contour of the blanked shape.
The table below shows the values of scrap web allowance for various sizes of the
parallel edged component
STRIP LAYOUT
STRIP LAYOUT
Choice of strip layout method.
• Blanking tools produce blanks out of the strip or unit stock.
• None of the edges of the strip or unit stock forms an edge of the
blank.
•Blanking is the most efficient and popular way of producing
intricate and closely tolerated blanks.
•The profile and accuracy built into the tool will be reproduced on
the blank.
•In the strip layout, blanks can be positioned in different ways in the
strip.
WHAT IS STRIP LAYOUT?
A strip layout represents the sequence of the logical, workable
operations, which is to say a sequence of ideas.
If this sequence of operations has error, the error will be surely
emerge in a try out press.
Factors to be considered while designing the layout are :-
1. Shape of the blank.
2. Production requirement.
3. Grain direction.
4. Burr side.
5. Stock material.
Strip Layout
Blanking tools produce blanks entirely from the strip or unit stock.
Blanking is a most efficient and popular way of producing intricate
and closely tolerated blanks.
Shape of the blank:
The contour of the blank, decides the position of the strip.
Some of the blanks are laid at an angle.
Production Requirement:
If production requirement is less, then material conservation is
necessary.
This must not increase the tool cost.
Gang die may be suitable for the mass production.
Grain Direction:
The grains are found in the sheets when they are rolled.
Bending the strip along the grain direction results in crack and
fracture.
Burr Side:
It is a decisive factor in laying the strip.
In blanking, burr is found on the punch side.
In piercing ,burr is found on the die side.
Stock Material:
Every means is to be seen to conserve the stock material.
A double pass layout would justify the cost of stock material
conserved.
ECONOMY FACTOR:
The designer should try out every possible means to attain a min
60% usage of any strip, without sacrificing the accuracy of the
piece part.
Economy Factor = Area of the blank x No of rows x 100
Width of the strip x Pitch
TERMS USED IN STRIP LAYOUT
Scrap bridge
This is the portion of the material remaining after blanking
operation between one edge of the strip and the cutout portion.
The portion. of material remaining between the two
adjacent openings after blanking is also called as the scrap bridge.
Front Scrap:
This is the scrap bridge on that edge of the strip which is
towards the operator.
Back Scrap:
This is the scrap bridge on that edge of the strip which is
away from the operator
EXAMPLE:
Calculate the economy factor to punch the mild steel washer in
single row feeding. Outside diameter is 30mm, Inside diameter is
18mm and Thickness is 2mm.
Calculate the economy factor to punch the same washer in
double row feeding
Strip layout - Types
Types of layouts
Narrow run
Wide run
Angular pass
Single row two pass
Double row two pass
Gang dies
Single row one pass layout
This is the most popular way of laying out the strip.
The blanks are arranged in a single row.
The strip is passed through the tool only once to punch out
the blanks from it.
There are two possible ways of laying out this strip.
P
Narrow run.
W
WIDE RUN
Wide run is more desirable due to the following reasons.
Shorter advance distance of the strip feeding promotes easy
More" blanks could be produced from a given length of strip
compared to narrow run.
Fewer number of strips are to be handled to produce a given
number of blanks.
Narrow run is used when the grain direction of the piece part
has importance.
P
W
Narrow run / Wide run
S
X B Y D
E E
E, initial land
S – [ X + Y + 2E ] X, Blank start point to blank center
A = ------------------------- + 1 Y, Blank center to Blank end point
B
B, Pitch of the blank
S, Length of the strip
A – Blanks per strip
D= S – [ B (A-1) + X + Y + 2E ] D – Waste end strip
ANGULAR LAYOUT
Some of the piece parts will be require to be laid out
to an angular position to make the layout more
economical.
W
P
Angular pass
S
X B Y D
E, initial land
S – [ X + Y + 2E ] X, Blank start point to blank center
= ------------------------- + 1 Y, Blank center to Blank end point
B
B, Pitch of the blank
S, Length of the strip
A – Blanks per strip
= S – [ B (A-1) + X + Y + 2E ] D – Waste end strip
Calculation of number of Blanks
Calculate number of blanks and width of the end strip
S
Number of blanks per strip (A)
S – [ X + Y + 2E ]
A = ------------------------- + 1
B
1250 – [ 50 + 60 + 2*3 ]
X B Y D = ---------------------------------- + 1
80
= 14.125 + 1
Given :
= 14 + 1 = 15 blanks per strip
1. E, initial and end land - 3 mm
2. X, Blank start point to blank center - 50 mm
3. Y, Blank center to Blank end point - 60 mm
4. B, Pitch of the blank - 80 mm Width of the end strip (D)
5. S, Length of the strip - 1250 mm
D = S – [ B (A-1) + X + Y + 2E ]
To find :
= 1250 – [ 80 (15-1) + 50 + 60 + 2*3 ]
1. A – Blanks per strip
2. D – Waste end strip = 14 mm
SINGLE ROW TWO PASS METHOD
• This strip layout demands the strip to be fed twice through the tool.
• This is to achieve greater economy in stock material utilization.
• A two pass tool requires two stops.
• The stop used for the first pass should be removed or made to
retract (spring loaded stoppers) from the working surface so as not to
interfere with the second pass.
• The front and back scrap as well as the scrap bridge should be wider
than those for the single pass (about 50 to 100%).
• Two pass layouts are justified only when the wastage is considerable
and the stock material is costly.
DOUBLE ROW LAYOUT.
Higher economy can be attained by positioning the blanks in
double rows.
Calculation of number of Blanks
Double row, two pass Single row, two pass
S S
X B Y D X B Y D
E E E E
Blanks per strip (A) E, initial land
S – [ X + Y + 2E ] X, Blank start point to blank center
= ------------------------- + 1 Y, Blank center to Blank end point
0.5 x B
B, Pitch of the blank
End strip (D) S, Length of the strip
A – Blanks per strip
= S – [ 0.5 B (A-1) + X + Y + 2E ] D – Waste end strip
Calculation of number of Blanks
Calculate number of blanks and width of the end strip
S
Number of blanks per strip (A)
S – [ X + Y + 2E ]
A = ------------------------- + 1
0.5 B
X B Y D 1250 – [ 50 + 50 + 2*2 ]
= ---------------------------------- + 1
E E
0.5 x 170
= 13.48 + 1
Given :
= 13 + 1 = 14 blanks per strip
1. E, initial and end land - 2 mm
2. X, Blank start point to blank center - 50 mm
3. Y, Blank center to Blank end point - 50 mm
4. B, Pitch of the blank - 170 mm Width of the end strip (D)
5. S, Length of the strip - 1250 mm
D = S – [ 0.5B (A-1) + X + Y + 2E ]
To find :
= 1250 – [ 0.5*170 (14-1) + 50 + 50 + 2*2 ]
1. A – Blanks per strip
2. D – Waste end strip = 41 mm
GANG DIES
• A gang die consists of two or more similar sets of tool members so
as to produce 2 or more number of components during a single
stroke of the press ram.
• A gang die eliminates the cumbersome process of double pass.
• The higher tool cost will be off set by higher rate of production.
• Gang dies are not recommended for very complex work.
