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How To Prevent Tooling Failures in High-Volume Electrical Manufacturing
Issue 050
Everything’s running fine — until it’s not. Your press is humming, parts are flowing, and then someone flags you down: “We’ve got a problem with the die.”
That one hiccup? It can throw off your entire shift.
Whether you’re stamping contact terminals, EMI shields, or busbars, a failed die can cost thousands per hour in lost output, rushed overtime, and rescheduled shipments. And it almost always happens at the worst time.
But here’s the thing — most tooling failures don’t come out of nowhere. You can see them coming… if you know where to look.
The Real Cost of Ignoring the Warning Signs
Progressive dies wear slowly — until they don’t.
What starts as a dull edge or slight misalignment can escalate quickly. Here are the subtle cues that a die might be on its way out:
– Small burrs or inconsistent edge finish
– Slight tolerance drift in critical dimensions
– Tool marks where there shouldn’t be any
– Shimming adjustments happening more frequently
Too often, these signs get ignored because the line is still running. Then one day, it’s not.
And the downtime? It adds up. Industry benchmarks estimate tooling-related stoppages can cost $1,000–$5,000 per hour, depending on volume and labor costs. Multiply that across shifts, and the cost is no longer hidden.
You’re the Hero — Plan, Don’t React
As a production leader, your team depends on you to keep things moving. But the best teams don’t just hustle harder — they plan smarter.
That’s why preventative maintenance is your best insurance. It’s the difference between controlling your schedule and reacting to it.
Think of it like changing brake pads. You wouldn’t wait for grinding noises to start — and the same logic applies to your dies.
The Plan: Build a Simple, Sustainable Tooling Lifecycle
You don’t need a team of engineers to build a great PM system. Here’s how smart teams are doing it in 2025:
📅 Schedule Based on Volume + Material: High-volume runs or tough materials (like stainless or beryllium copper) wear tools faster. Adjust intervals accordingly.
🔍 Track Die Performance: Use a die log or SPC dashboard to track shim counts, punch replacements, and part inspection flags over time.
🛠️ Keep Strategic Spares on Hand: Inserts, springs, and punches for your most-used dies should never be on backorder.
📏 Use In-Process Checks: Catch issues early by inspecting key features every shift (or every few thousand hits).
📈 Analyze, Don’t Just Repair: If a die keeps failing in the same way, look upstream. Press alignment? Material spec? Operator handling?
The best plants treat their dies like performance equipment — maintained, tuned, and respected.
What Success Looks Like
When you take die health seriously, everything else improves:
✅ Fewer mid-shift surprises
⏱️ Better schedule adherence
📉 Less scrap and rework
📦 More predictable throughput
And your operators? They’ll thank you for it.
Let's Talk
Got a die that keeps acting up? Or want to build a PM plan that actually works? Message me — I’m happy to swap ideas or share what’s working for other teams in 2025.
Gromax Precision Die & Mfg., Inc. specializes in designing and manufacturing precision metal stamped parts and tooling, including progressive stamping dies and custom equipment. With an on-time delivery rate of 99.68% and a defect rate of just 0.066%, the company ensures exceptional reliability and quality.
Gromax is ISO 9001:2015 certified and ITAR registered, serving industries such as medical, defense, aerospace, industrial automation, and automotive with high-quality, innovative solutions.