Precision Steel Parallels
Among many applications, steel parallels and riser blocks are used to adjust the height of a die set within a press assembly. The height between the pair of die shoes or bolsters may need to be adjusted in order to produce smaller parts, thicker or taller parts, or simply to bring the workpieces closer to eye level.
Parallels allow presses to be versatile manufacturing machines among an array of industrial machinery that produce tool and die cut parts.
Typically, the steel parallels and riser blocks are cut from A36 or 1020 hot rolled steel and ground to the required height. PGI Steel can provide the material, stress relieving and grinding for these steel parallels or riser blocks. We can also finish machine the clamping slots and drill and tap the required holes for mounting the parallel risers.
Risers, Pins, Columns
Similar to steel parallel risers, steel pins and columns are precision ground to a specific height for controlling the accuracy of the shunt height of a press. Whereas, the risers are squared or t-shaped and set at or near the sides of the press assembly to support a plate or a part, steel pins are set nearer to the middle of the plates or the parts, acting much like supporting pillars or columns so that the part being worked upon doesn’t buckle.
Often times, these steel pins are ground to + 0.001 – 0.002″ taller than the riser blocks so that when the press plunges downward, these steel columns bear the load, absorbing the minute shocks that occur.
