Tool and Die Manufacturing

To lower your production costs, increase repeatability, and produce the highest quality parts every time, you need a tool and die manufacturer that has extensive knowledge about tooling, technical skills, and the latest equipment. Here’s a closer look at what tool and die is, the difference between the two, and how you can benefit from working with a reputable company.

Tool and Die 101

Tool and die engineering is the process of creating various elements used in the manufacturing process, such as gauges, cutting tools, molds, machine tools, jigs, fixtures and dies. The specialized work is done on the production line and includes machine work, fitting, and assembly.

This highly specialized field is critical to manufacturing, as artisans skilled in tool and tool and die help create tools used to produce goods.

What Is “Tool”

A tool is generally any type of mechanical device that you use in the manufacturing process to cut, support, form or mold metals, including;

• Fixtures
• Cutting tools
• Forming tools
• Milling cutters
• Tool bits
• Whole machine tools
• Metal forming rolls
• Custom tools

What Is “Die”

A subset of tool making, dies refer only to those tools that change the shape of metal. When a die cuts or removes material, it’s called a cutting die. On the other hand, a forming die does not remove metal. Some of the tools include:

• Simple dies (these perform a single forming or cutting per stroke of the machine)
• Compound dies (in just one stroke, several forming or cutting actions take place)
• Progressive dies (multiple operations are performed at the same time, while modifications take place at various stations)
• Die sets
• Dies
• Steel rule dies
• Punches

Why Outsource?

Working with a vendor who can manufacture these essential parts offers multiple benefits. Instead of hiring internally for this specialized skill set, outsourcing the task to a machine parts supplier reduces your cost. It will also give you more time to focus on other aspects of your business, instead of having to devote time and resources to setting up and running a specialized manufacturing process. 

We Can Help

Arc and Gauge has extensive experience with tool and die across a variety of manufacturing companies. As a start-to-finish parts manufacturer specializing in welding and machining, we help companies in agriculture, construction, machine tool builders, transportation, and other industries. We have many decades of experience supplying companies with the welding and machining they need to achieve their business goals. 

Give us a call to talk about your tool and die needs or get a custom parts quote online today.