Forming Die For Steel Bracket Parts in Appliance Frames

The blank is placed into a locating nest at the first station. The die then forms the main body shape with a downward bending punch while the side cams move inward to form the flanges. Because all the bending happens at one time, the bracket keeps its shape without spring-back distortion.

Mounting holes are punched before the bending operation, but the die has extra pilots that check hole position during forming. If the blank shifts slightly, the pilots correct it before the punch touches the metal. This keeps hole spacing accurate even when the blank comes from a separate blanking tool.

The finished bracket is lifted out by ejector pins and can be blown off the die with an air jet. The die includes hardened wear plates on all sliding surfaces, so the cams do not wear the shoe. For appliance factories, this die lowers the rejection rate on brackets that must fit into plastic outer panels.

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