Mounting of Dies

In the die-making education section, we introduced dies in our previous article and looked at how to calculate die dimensions. In this article, we’ll examine how dies are mounted.

Dies are made either as a single piece or in multiple pieces. Single-piece dies can be mounted directly onto the die base plate, or mounted into a recess machined into the die base plate.

The figure above shows a die mounted directly onto a die set with a center post.

A sufficient number of mounting bolts and at least two dowel pins are used when mounting dies.

When the die base plate is thick, the die base plate is relieved to the die’s dimensions, and the die is mounted within this recess.

The figure above shows a round die, and the figure below shows the die mounted into the recess in the die base plate.

Mounting Split Dies

Due to machining difficulty, small dies are generally made round and in multiple pieces. As shown in the figure above, these split dies are mounted into a recess machined into the die base plate. This way, the die base plate not only carries the die, but also acts as a frame for it.

In some cases, as shown in the figure above, split dies are made in multiple pieces and in a rectangular shape. This type of multi-piece die is mounted directly onto the die base plate with the help of clamping shoes.

Mounting a die directly onto the die base plate (above)

Again, due to machining difficulty, dies with an additional insert piece are used for molding some parts. The insert piece is placed into a slot machined into the die and secured with pins and bolts.

Die with an additional insert piece and its mounting