Effect of Stamping Clearance in Rapid CNC Punching of WPC Sheets

Wood Plastic Composites are gaining momentum due to their ability to contain recycled materials. The material usage is mostly limited to extruded deck profiles. This paper investigated if punching tools typically used in sheet metal stamping could be directly utilized in feasible post-processing of WPC sheets to enable a wider array of WPC products. A set of punches and dies with variable clearances and various punching speeds were tested and the results were investigated using 3D measurement macroscope. The results indicated that typical sheet metal punch clearances and speeds are suitable for WPC materials with some material specific considerations.