From inquiry to mass production, every step in-house.
At MD PRECISION, die design, plate machining to ±2 µm pitch accuracy, assembly, tryout, mass-production stamping and inspection are all performed under one roof at our Takahagi headquarters plant.
No step is subcontracted, so designers, toolmakers and press operators work side by side on the same floor and can go straight back to the die the moment an issue appears.
This page walks you through what happens from the time we receive your drawings until your parts are delivered, and explains, step by step, what we use, what we guarantee and which problems we prevent before they occur.
The 8 Steps
Click a step to jump to its details
Drawings
& Quotation
Machining
Adjustment
First Article
Stamping
After-Sales
* Lead time for each step depends on part geometry, material and volume. We advise delivery schedules individually when you contact us.
Inquiry & Drawing Receipt
We receive your part drawings, specifications, expected volumes and target delivery date, and discuss your requirements. A rough concept sketch, or simply an idea of the part you want to make, is enough to start. Drawings and data entrusted to us are handled under our Information Security Policy, and we sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before starting the review if you wish.
- What we need from you
- Part drawings (2D or 3D), material and thickness, expected volume, target delivery date
- What you receive
- Initial response, NDA (on request)
- What we prevent here
- Leakage of drawing information, rework caused by misaligned requirements
Design Review & Quotation
Our designers judge, from material, thickness, pitch, tolerances and geometry, whether the part can be produced stably in volume. Where a shape "can be made but will not run stably", we propose geometry changes or alternative tolerancing from a manufacturability standpoint at this stage. We then define the die structure, number of stations and press to be used, and present a quotation.
- What we assess
- Feasibility; risk of slug pulling, burrs and distortion; number of stations; expected die life
- What you receive
- Quotation, feasibility findings, and geometry change proposals where needed
- What we prevent here
- Dimensional instability, short die life and cost overruns discovered only after production starts
- Related pages
- Technology 01 "Manufacturability consulting from the design stage" / Specifications
Die Design
From the strip layout (sequence of forming stations) to the die structure, everything is designed in 2D CAD/CAM. (3D data supplied by customers is also handled in CAD/CAM.) Built into the design are slug-pulling prevention at the 1/1000 mm level, optimisation of the relief and fit that govern die life, and a highly rigid, highly concentric structure that leaves no room for carbide micro punches to buckle. We retain the design data in-house, so post-production modifications and spare parts can be handled without delay.
- Systems used
- 2D/3D integrated CAD/CAM EXCESS HYBRIDCam MagicW
- What you receive
- Strip layout and die concept for your review (on request)
- What we prevent here
- Slug pulling, punch buckling and chipping, short die life due to uneven wear
- Related pages
- Equipment 04 Design & Engineering
Plate & Die Component Machining
This is the step that determines the accuracy and life of the die. Our Mitsubishi Electric MP2400 ultra-high-precision wire EDM runs in a dedicated climate-controlled room, machining die plates and stripper plates to a pitch accuracy of ±2 µm. Punches, dies and other components are produced on profile grinders, form grinders, surface grinders and machining centres. Careful selection of materials and heat treatment keeps dimensional change over time to an absolute minimum.
- Main equipment
- Wire EDM MP2400 ultra-high-precision spec Digital profile grinder CNC form grinder Precision surface grinder Machining centre
- Proven accuracy
- Pitch accuracy ±0.002 mm / Surface roughness Ra 0.04–0.2 µm / Work size up to 600 × 400 mm
- What we prevent here
- Pitch error from thermal displacement, plate dimensional drift over time, accuracy variation between components
- Related pages
- Technology 02 "High-Accuracy Plate Machining" / Equipment
Assembly & Adjustment
The machined high-precision plates and components are assembled into the die. Because the plates are accurate to begin with, we reproduce the designed clearances and fits without relying on "fine-tuning by feel" during assembly. Carbide micro punches are installed with high rigidity and concentricity, eliminating the seeds of buckling and chipping during production. A die that returns to the same accuracy after disassembly and reassembly is what delivers long life and lower maintenance effort.
- What we verify
- Punch-to-die clearance, fits, stripper movement, effectiveness of slug-pulling countermeasures
- What we prevent here
- Uneven wear and galling that cause minor stoppages, loss of accuracy after overhaul
- Related pages
- Technology 01 "Precision Stamping Die Design & Fabrication"
Tryout & First-Article Inspection
The finished die is mounted on one of our own presses for tryout and sample parts are stamped. Dimensions, geometry and burrs are measured with image dimension measuring systems and a digital microscope, and the comparison against the drawing is compiled into an inspection report that is submitted together with the first articles. If corrections are needed, the die shop is in the same building, so countermeasures can be applied on the spot and the die tried out again.
- Main equipment
- Image dimension measuring systems LM-1000 / IM-7000 Digital microscope VHX-700F
- What you receive
- First-article samples, inspection report
- What we prevent here
- Dimensional defects found only after production start, rework in your incoming inspection
- Related pages
- Equipment 02 Inspection & Measurement / ISO 9001 Quality Management
Mass-Production Stamping
Once the first articles are approved, production begins on our 14 presses, centred on precision high-speed automatic presses. Tablets installed on every press collect production counts and stoppage data in real time, so early signs of minor stoppages are caught and fed back into die maintenance. Even with sheet under 0.1 mm thick or fine-pitch terminals, we believe that keeping the line running without interruption is what reduces total cost.
- Main equipment
- 11 precision high-speed automatic presses 3 servo presses Production data collection system MD SYSTEM for PD
- What we monitor
- Real-time output, utilisation and stoppage causes; die maintenance based on shot count
- What we prevent here
- Downtime, lot-to-lot dimensional variation, late deliveries
- Related pages
- DX Case 004 "Real-time production data collection from tablets on every press" (Japanese)
Shipment & After-Sales Support
Inspected parts are packed and shipped. Delivery is not the end: we continue to support you with scheduled die maintenance, modifications for design changes and production of spare wear parts. Because we hold both the design data and the machining data in-house, we can remake components to the same accuracy under the same conditions, keeping yield high right to the end of the die's life.
- What we offer
- Scheduled maintenance, modifications for design changes, spare and wear-part production, root-cause investigation when trouble occurs
- What we prevent here
- Falling yield late in die life, line stoppages while waiting for spare parts
- Related pages
- Contact
Start from the step that fits your needs
Besides full die-plus-production projects, we also take on the following types of work.
Die only
If you will run production at your own plant, we handle everything from design through tryout and first-article inspection and deliver the die. It is designed to suit your press specifications, stroke and feed conditions, and we support process set-up at start-up.
Production only (customer-supplied or transferred dies)
Bring us your existing die and we run production on our presses. On transfer we check the die's condition, propose any servicing or part replacement needed, and start from tryout and first-article inspection.
Die components and plates only
We also produce individual die components such as plates with ±2 µm pitch accuracy and carbide punches. Ask us about repairing or modifying existing dies and making spare wear parts.
A single drawing is all it takes to start.
Questions such as "Can this shape be mass-produced?" or "Is this tolerance realistic?" are welcome at any stage.
Our designers will review your drawing and respond with feasibility and a budgetary estimate.