Slug Retention Groove Forming Machine And Method

A machine for modifying a die to provide slug retention comprising:

• a base;
• a carriage carried by the base, the carriage comprised of (a) a carriage mount carried by a first slide enabling movement of the carriage relative to a cavity in the die along a first axis that is generally parallel to a surface of the die, and (b) a machining head support carried by the carriage mount, the carriage mount extending outwardly beyond the base disposing the machining head support outwardly of the base;
• and
• a machining head carried by the machining head support and disposed outwardly of the base, the machining head comprised of (a) a machining tool having a rotary cutting bit with a cutting axis about which the rotary cutting bit rotates, and (b) a second slide enabling movement of the machining head and rotary cutting bit relative to the carriage along a second axis that is generally perpendicular to the first axis toward or away from a die cavity of the die in machining a slug retention groove in a portion of the die disposed in the die cavity;
• and
• wherein the machining tool is angularly adjustable relative to the second axis enabling the cutting axis of the rotary cutting bit of the machining tool to be oriented at an acute angle relative to the second axis.

A machine for modifying a die to provide slug retention comprising:

• a base;
• carriage comprised of (a) a generally horizontal slide enabling movement of the carriage relative to a cavity in the die along a generally horizontal axis, and (b) a carriage position measurement device enabling measurement of a change in position of the carriage during movement of the carriage along the first slide and having a manipulable actuator that is manipulable to change the position of the carriage by moving the carriage along the first slide;
• and
• a machining head comprised of an angularly adjustable rotary cutting bit and a generally vertical slide enabling movement of the machining head along a generally vertical axis relative to a die cavity of the die in machining a slug retention groove in a portion of the die disposed in the die cavity.