How do you calculate stamping press tonnage?

Multiply the cutting perimeter by the thickness and the shear strength, add the reserve, and convert: 500 mm × 1.5 mm × 300 MPa = 225,000 N, 258,750 N with 15% reserve, ÷ 8,896.443 = 29.1 US tons, the Cutting Press Tonnage calculator's own example.

What cutting perimeter should I use?

The total length of every edge that cuts at the same time: the outside of the blank plus every hole pierced in the same hit. Stations that cut at different points in the stroke, or punches stepped to different heights, count only the edges cutting together.

Can I use tensile strength instead of shear strength?

No. Shear strength is lower than tensile strength for most sheet metals, and the two are not interchangeable. Use the certified shear strength for the grade, temper and lot, or the value your material supplier gives.

How do I convert between kN, US tons and metric tonnes?

One US ton-force is 8.896 kN and one metric tonne-force is 9.807 kN. The workbook shows every die in all three and asks for press capacity in kN.

What if a die needs more than the press?

Move it to a larger press, or reduce the force: step or shear the punches so less perimeter cuts at once. The Longest cut column gives the perimeter the press can take in one go at that material, thickness and reserve.

Does the workbook use macros?

No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test dies and shows Self-check: PASS.

Production and Throughput

Stamping Press Tonnage Excel Template

Blanking and piercing force = cutting perimeter × stock thickness × shear strength, plus your reserve. Give every die a row and see the force it needs in kN, US tons and metric tonnes, the share of its press's available capacity it uses, and the longest cut the press can take at once.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This stamping press tonnage template is a working Excel workbook for tool and die engineers, stamping process engineers, press shop supervisors and estimators. Each blanking or piercing die is one row with the material, the total length of every edge that cuts at the same time, the stock thickness, the force reserve your tooling engineer sets and the press it runs on; the shear strength and the press's available capacity come from lists on Setup. The workbook gives the cutting force, the required force with the reserve in kN, US tons and metric tonnes, the share of the press it uses, the headroom left, and the longest cut that press can take at once. It ships with eight dies on three presses at a fictional stamping shop, so every tile and chart is filled in when you open it.

In the example a bracket blank cuts 500 mm of 1.5 mm mild steel at 300 MPa: 225 kN, 258.75 kN with a 15% reserve, 29.1 US tons and 86% of a 300 kN press, near its limit. A stainless sensor cover pierced and blanked in one hit cuts 950 mm of 1.5 mm at 450 MPa and needs 737 kN, 82.9 US tons, 117% of its 630 kN press. That press can take 812 mm at once, so stepping the pierce punches or moving the die to the 1,000 kN press brings it in. The shear strengths in the example are placeholders; the workbook asks for certified values.

It is the flat-edge cutting force only: bending, drawing, stripping and snap-through loads, press energy and off-centre loading are separate checks. The download is a plain .xlsx with no macros. A CSV with live formulas is also included for other tools; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx.

What this template includes

Setup sheet with your plant and near-capacity threshold, the materials with their shear strength, and the presses with their available capacity
Dies table, one row per blanking or piercing die: material, simultaneous cutting perimeter, thickness, reserve and press, with a Check column
Per die: cutting force, required force with reserve, US tons, metric tonnes, capacity used, headroom, a status in words and the longest cut at once
Dashboard with four tiles (dies, dies over capacity, highest capacity used, largest tonnage), required force against press capacity, capacity used by die, and the die and press tables
Method sheet with every formula, and a Verify sheet that re-checks the formulas against an independent reference and the Cutting Press Tonnage calculator (Self-check: PASS)
CSV with live formulas for the Dies table; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx

Suggested use case

Use it to check a new die against the press it is planned for, to see which dies can move to a smaller press, or to size a press for a quoted part.

How to use it

On Setup, type your plant and near-capacity threshold, your materials with their shear strength, and your presses with their available capacity.
On Dies, give each blanking or piercing die a row: material, simultaneous cutting perimeter, thickness, reserve and press.
Fix anything the Check column names.
Open the Dashboard: required force against capacity for every die, and the dies over their press.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate stamping press tonnage?: Multiply the cutting perimeter by the thickness and the shear strength, add the reserve, and convert: 500 mm × 1.5 mm × 300 MPa = 225,000 N, 258,750 N with 15% reserve, ÷ 8,896.443 = 29.1 US tons, the Cutting Press Tonnage calculator's own example.
What cutting perimeter should I use?: The total length of every edge that cuts at the same time: the outside of the blank plus every hole pierced in the same hit. Stations that cut at different points in the stroke, or punches stepped to different heights, count only the edges cutting together.
Can I use tensile strength instead of shear strength?: No. Shear strength is lower than tensile strength for most sheet metals, and the two are not interchangeable. Use the certified shear strength for the grade, temper and lot, or the value your material supplier gives.
How do I convert between kN, US tons and metric tonnes?: One US ton-force is 8.896 kN and one metric tonne-force is 9.807 kN. The workbook shows every die in all three and asks for press capacity in kN.
What if a die needs more than the press?: Move it to a larger press, or reduce the force: step or shear the punches so less perimeter cuts at once. The Longest cut column gives the perimeter the press can take in one go at that material, thickness and reserve.
Does the workbook use macros?: No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test dies and shows Self-check: PASS.