Slug Hugger® 2 Solves Slug Pulling for Stampers

Innovative die design from Impax Tooling Solutions® eliminates costly problem

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINN. (February 16, 2004) – As the stamping industry becomes increasingly more competitive, Impax Tooling Solutions recognizes that our customers require every advantage they can get in order to stay a step ahead of the competition. The Impax Slug Hugger® 2 die design provides stampers with the means to maximize press time and improve productivity.

Slug Hugger 2 dies prevent costly setbacks caused by slug pulling, such as scrapped sheets, damage to tooling and machinery, and downtime problems. Slug Hugger 2 is the next generation of the original Slug Hugger die, a highly successful slug pulling solution for turret punch press tooling from Wilson Tool, parent company of Impax Tooling Solutions.

According to Paul Johnson, Vice President of Manufacturing for Impax Tooling Solutions, Slug Hugger 2 dies can help a stamping operation reach new levels of productivity. “There’s no better way to increase productivity than to keep presses running smoothly. With Slug Hugger 2, stampers have an effective and easy way to be more productive than ever before.”

How it Works
Slug Hugger 2 dies “hug” the slug just below the cutting surface, preventing it from returning or springing back with the punch. This unique die design features interior protrusions or “precision nips” that extend the entire die height, helping to guide the slugs through the relief and ensuring that no marks or burrs appear on the finished part. The “nip” design minimizes slug grabbing which reduces galling and slug packing when stamping materials such as aluminum or galvanized steel.

Applications
The Slug Hugger 2 design works on all material types and thicknesses, including aluminum to stainless steel and foil to plate. It is available on all types of dies: taper relief, stepped relief, headed or headless. Slug Huggers are offered with clearances as little as .004 (0.1mm) and hole sizes down to .050 (1.27mm). Ordering Slug Hugger 2 dies does not effect lead times.

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.