Progressive Dies — High-Volume Parts at ₹3–15 Lakh
When your monthly volume crosses 50,000 parts and the geometry stays relatively flat, progressive tooling pays for itself in weeks. Here is how to know if it is right for you.
What Is a Progressive Die?
A progressive die is a multi-station stamping tool that sits inside a single press. A metal strip (usually from a coil) feeds through the die one pitch at a time. Each press stroke advances the strip and performs a different operation at each station — piercing, bending, drawing, trimming. The finished part is cut free at the last station. Every stroke produces a completed part.
Unlike transfer dies, the part stays connected to the strip throughout the entire forming process. This means progressive dies work best for small-to-medium parts that are relatively flat — the part cannot be rotated, flipped, or deeply drawn while attached to the strip.
Production flow: Coil → Uncoiler → ASRF Servo Roll Feeder → Progressive Die on Press → Finished Parts + Scrap Skeleton
Progressive Die vs Transfer Die — Which Do You Need?
| Factor | Progressive Die | Transfer Die |
|---|---|---|
| Best part size | Small to medium | Medium to large |
| Part depth | Shallow (flat, mild bends) | Deep draws OK |
| Rotation between stations | Not possible | Yes |
| Strip attached during forming | Yes, until final cutoff | No — blank cut early |
| Volume sweet spot | >50,000 parts/month | 10,000–50,000 parts/month |
| Tooling cost | ₹3–15 Lakh | ₹5–25 Lakh |
| Positioning tolerance | ±0.02 mm | ±0.01 mm |
| Design life | 1,500,000+ strokes | 1,000,000+ strokes |
| Press tonnage | 30–400 Ton | 80–600 Ton |
| Material utilization | Lower (strip skeleton waste) | Higher (optimized blank nesting) |
Not sure which you need? Send us your part drawing and monthly volume — we will recommend the better fit within 48 hours.
Progressive Die Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Die Material | Premium tool steel, 58–62 HRC |
| Surface Finish | Ra 0.4 μm |
| Positioning Tolerance | ±0.02 mm |
| Max Sheet Thickness | Up to 4 mm |
| Design Life | 1,500,000+ strokes |
| Press Tonnage | 30–400 Ton |
| Price Range | ₹3–15 Lakh |
| Lead Time | 8–12 weeks |
Pair It With Our Servo Roll Feeder
Progressive dies need consistent, precise strip feeding — every pitch must be exact or the parts drift out of tolerance. Our ASRF servo roll feeder delivers repeatable feed accuracy across millions of cycles.
Heavy Series (HS): For 1–6 mm thick stock. Widths from 200 to 1000 mm. 7 width options.
Medium Series (MS): For 0.3–3.5 mm thick stock. Widths from 200 to 1000 mm. 7 width options.
Max velocity: 40 meters/minute.
Price: ₹3–5 Lakh
Buy the die and feeder together. We match-calibrate them as a pair at our Rajkot plant — testing feed pitch accuracy and strip progression before shipping both to your facility.
Parts Made on Progressive Dies
Automotive
Cable clamps, seat rail clips, brake lever brackets, wiper arm links, parking mechanism pawls, sunroof track components, bonnet latch springs.
Electrical
Terminal strips, grounding lugs, busbar connectors, socket contact plates, relay contact arms, circuit breaker trip mechanisms.
Hardware
Drawer slides, cabinet hinges, shelf brackets, lock mechanism levers, latch components, door closer arms, curtain rail clips.
Our Design Process
Strip Layout Optimization
We design the strip layout to minimize material waste and scrap skeleton. Part nesting is optimized to maximize the number of parts per coil length.
FEA Formability Simulation
Before cutting any steel, we simulate forming forces, predict thinning zones, wrinkling risks, and springback angles using finite element analysis.
CNC Machining + Wire EDM + Heat Treatment
Precision machining of die components with wire-cut EDM for complex profiles. Heat treatment to 58–62 HRC. Tungsten carbide inserts at high-wear cutting stations.
Trial Run + ASRF Calibration
Full trial run on our presses with our ASRF servo roll feeder. We verify feed pitch accuracy, strip progression, pilot alignment, and part quality before shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a Part Drawing?
Send it over. We will tell you whether progressive or transfer is the better fit — and give you a budgetary estimate within 48 hours.