A flawless sheet metal indicates the quality of performance in sheet metal working. Many different factors play a role here: The handling with the sheet metal and the machine, the right tools for punching and forming as well as the transport of the finished part to the end customer.

There are "precautions" for all different areas to maintain the sheet quality. Among other things, high-quality sheets are coated with a surface protection foil in advance so that scratches "from the outside" can be contained as far as possible.

The quality of these protection foils differ in the adhesive strength levels and tear resistance for the different sheet qualities. For this reason, sheet metal working is often very tricky.

Very often, a defined area has to be freed from this foil for further processing without scratching the sheets. According to the request of the machine operator, PASS Stanztechnik AG has now developed a special tool: To be able to pre-cut this area on the punching machine in a defined and automated way. With the innovative

ps:^®foil-cut,

wishes for an automated, defined and especially low-scratch cutting will be fulfilled.

The decisive factor for the application is the precisely adjustable, defined overlap of the needle point, so that the needle (needle made of PM material) does not have a chance of getting onto the sheet, but the foil can still be cut clearly and specifically. In order to be able to definitely work without scratches, it is required to know the exact thickness of the used foil with the corresponding tolerances.

The overlap of the needle with 0,015 mm adjustment per click can be defined exactly by turning the cap. The cutting force can also be adjusted by the punching depth. If the cutting force is insufficient, a higher cutting force can be achieved by simply changing the spring.

Fluctuations in the sheet thickness or sheet unevenness are compensated by the spring-loaded needle holder.

Brush inserts are integrated in the lower part which create a brush rack. This ensures that the sheet moves smoothly and doesn´t leave marks and enables the foiled sheet to be cut with minimal scratching.

The innovative ps:^®foil-cut thus adapts to the individual requirements, solves the automated processing of the foil on the punching machine and can be used for the TRUMPF tool system.