Simulation on the Life Expectancy of Fine Blanking Tool Punch for High-Strength Automobile Start Motor Flange

Fine blanking is a press-working process that permits the production of precise, finished components which are cleanly sheared through the whole cutting surface. The manufacturing cost can be reduced because the secondary operations such as milling and broaching can be eliminated and the multistage combined stamping process can be added. The product cost can increase, however, while the precise fine blanking tool and high cost fine blanking press are required. Therefore it is important to design the fine blanking tool in view of the life expectancy of the punch. In this paper the fatigue simulation of fine blanking tool punch for automobile start motor flange was conducted using the commercial FEA software ANSYS. Initially, the material properties were tested and the fine blanking tool was designed for production experiments. The modelling of tool elements and the fatigue simulation according to repeated loads were conducted. As a result of fatigue simulation, the fine blanking tool punch for start motor flange had been fractured with 3,981 strokes. In the fine blanking production experiments, the fine blanking tool punch had to be regrinded after it was used with 3,425 strokes. It was also found that the fatigue simulation of fine blanking tool punch was conducted with an error of 14%.