Stamping press

A stamping press ("press") is a manufacturing device that is designed and built to operate progressive stamping dies ("dies"). A press has a bolster plate and a ram. The bolster plate is a large piece of metal designed to be clamped to the bottom portion of a die. The bolster plate is stationary. The ram is also a large piece of metal that is clamped to the top portion of a progressive stamping die. Rams move up and down and thus cause the die to open and close. Typically, presses are electronically linked (with a PLC) to an automatic feeder which feeds metal raw material through the die. The raw material is fed into the automatic feeder after it has been unrolled from a coil and put through a straightener.