Impax Tooling Solutions Introduces HP Accu-Lock Retainer Inserts

New retainer inserts provide the power to control lead times and costs

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINN. (April 6, 2004) – Ball lock stampers now have the ability to create special and standard retainer plates with new HP Accu-Lock Retainer Inserts™ from Impax Tooling Solutions®. HP Accu-Lock greatly simplifies the customization of special and standard punch retainers, allowing them to be manufactured and modified in-house.

Previously, the only way to manufacture special and standard ball lock retainers required complicated jigs, inspection fixtures as well as the know- how to machine the ball-holes in the punch plate. With Accu-Lock inserts, no ball-hole in the punch plate is needed-the punch is held in place securely and accurately with a simple straight line machined hole to accept the insert.

Accu-Lock inserts provide stampers with the means to virtually eliminate lead times on their new special and standard retainers. Existing retainers can also be modified through the addition of new holes, as needed, and the inserts could be reused for multiple stamping jobs.

"HP Accu-Lock inserts allow stampers to re-think how they produce and use their special and standard retainers," said Paul Johnson, Vice President of Manufacturing for Impax Tooling Solutions. "This revolutionary product is engineered to provide stampers with the convenience and control to reduce their costs and lead times on special and standard retainers."

The Accu-Lock system is compatible with all ball lock punches, including HP Ball Lock™ punches from Impax Tooling Solutions. The inserts will be available to ship on May 3, 2004.

About Impax Tooling Solutions
Impax Tooling Solutions® (www.impaxtoolingsolutions.com) is a leading manufacturer of premium quality punch and die components for the stamping industry. Impax Tooling Solutions is a division of Wilson Tool International® (www.wilsontool.com), a leading provider of tooling solutions that enhance the performance of sheet metal fabricating machinery worldwide. In addition to Impax Tooling Solutions, Wilson Tool International is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of tooling systems for punch presses and press brakes. Products are manufactured at their world headquarters in White Bear Lake, Minn., USA, and their European facility in Swindon, England. Wilson Tool’s network of sales engineers and international distributors operate in virtually every industrialized nation around the globe.