First pickup cover pressing

[Maplehead]

Hi All
With funds being extremely low for me these days I decided to go the DIY route in making my die set for my metal pickup covers. For those that recommended plunging my XY combos for my curved cuts, thank you. Without CNC, that worked, albeit painfully.
Anyways, can anybody shed some light onto why I am getting these two “crimps” at the top ends of the cover?

 

[Cadillac]

Was it done in one process? Would think you would do the indents first then do the perimeter? The metal needs to be pushed spread out.

 

[Maplehead]

Yes, one pressing. I looked into draw pressing and it looked favorable for a one pressing operation. I have a blank holder plate above my blank sheet with springs adding downward pressure and a pressure plate inside the die with springs adding upward pressure below the blank sheet. All this is supposed to assist in holding the sheet as the punch presses down on the blank so as to avoid wrinkles and tears.

 

[derf]

You haven't bottomed the die out. The form punch needs to press all the way down to the bottom of the cavity, minus the thickness of the material.
You will probably still have a small wrinkle, but it could be polished out. I had mentioned before about those corners giving you trouble.
Other than that, it looks good.

 

[Maplehead]

Hi Derf, so possibly a thicker pressure plate or stronger pressure plate springs may resolve the issue? I will try that out.

 

[dulltool17]

Yeah, that metal that will be between the two coils is being pushed in; it has no places to go. Outside radii stretch the metal; inside radii compress it. My guess is that you need to bottom the die out. You may not be able to fully eliminate the wrinkles.

Oh- they look like a very good start, BTW. I'm not trying to be discouraging.

 

[derf]

How about showing us a pic of your die...