Influence of die guidance systems on the angular deflection of press slide and die under eccentric loading

In sheet metal working of large automobile parts, for the alignment of the upper and lower dies two types of guidance systems are used, namely the pillar guides and the heel block guides. The objective of the project is the determination of the angular deflection, the lateral offset and the angular spring constant of the die guidance systems with regard to the performance of the press slide under central and eccentric loading. The results of the experiments reveal that the heel blocks with brass plates produce optimal improvement with regard to die and slide tilting and lateral offset. The use of a combination of heel block guides and pillar guides produces only a small increase of angular stiffness.