Punch Terminology

Head The punch holder applies an upward force to the head to strip (extract) the punch from the stock after a hole has been punched.

Fillet A small amount of tool steel which "fills in" the sharp corner between the shank and the head. Produced by the normal breakdown of a grinding wheel during the punch manufacturing process.

Shank Round body of the punch. Precisely machined to insure the proper fit into a punch holder.

Radius Blend Between the shank and the point. An important structural feature which transfers punching and stripping forces between the shank and point.

Point Determines the size and shape of the pierced hole. Precisely machined to maintain proper alignment relative to the matrix.

Face The punch cutting edge is formed by the right angle between the face and point.

Jektole Pin A spring-loaded pin which retracts into the punch while piercing and then, while stripping, applies a force to eject the slug off the punch face.

Slug Material removed from the stock and pressed into the land.

Land The matrix cutting edge is formed by the right angle between the land and the top of the matrix. Precisely machined to insure proper clearance between the point and the land. The land length determines the number of slugs held in the matrix.

Relief A tapered or counter-bored area below the land which controls the passage of slugs out the bottom of the matrix.