A turret punch or turret press is a type of punch press used for metal forming by punching.
A typical CNC turret punch has a choice of up to 60 tools in a "turret" that can be rotated to bring any tool to the punching position. A simple shape (e.g., a square, circle, or hexagon) is cut directly from the sheet. A complex shape can be cut out by making many square or rounded cuts around the perimeter. As a press tool requires a matching punch and die set, there are two corresponding turrets, above and below the bed, for punch and die. These two turrets must rotate in precise synchronisation and with their alignment carefully maintained. Several punches of identical shape may be used in the turret, each one turned to a different angle, as there is usually no feature to rotate the sheet work piece relative to the tool.
A punch is less flexible than a laser for cutting compound shapes, but faster for repetitive shapes
Most turret punches are CNC-controlled, with automatic positioning of the metal sheet beneath the tool and programmed selection of particular tools. A CAM process first converts the CAD design for the finished item into the number of individual punch operations needed, depending on the tools available in the turret.
Benefits:
The biggest advantage of a CNC turret punch press is the speed getting production-quality parts because of the extreme variety of standard punches used to make different shapes. This keeps the piece price down when you are looking to purchase a decent quantity of parts. The cost comes mostly from the programming time required to get the machine up and running. Once all the programming is done and proved out, the parts can usually be made with a “set it and forget it” mentality.
Another advantage of CNC press production is the extraordinary design flexibility in the configuration and size of features within the part. Newer machines make the nibbling of very large and complex features a practical reality. This works well for applications such as custom machine builds, enclosures, and low volume runs.
When it comes to high volume prototyping, CNC turret press technology is often a good choice.
