punching die
blanking die

Unlike "hard" tools, such as stamping and punching dies, phototools are exposed only to light and therefore do not suffer wear.

For example, in extrusion blow molding it is common to use punching dies to remove tails, molding flash (scrap plastic) and handle slugs from bottles or other molded containers.

Generally a blanking die may only cut the outside contour of a part, often used for parts with no internal features.

The process is often used on parts that do not have quantities that can justify a dedicated blanking die.

Other applications include blanking dies, forging dies, and industrial blades.

Blanking: A blanking die produces a flat piece of material by cutting the desired shape in one operation.

Material may be cut using off-line blanking dies, lasers, plasma, punches, shear blades, ultrasonic knives and even water jet cutters.

An inverted type of blanking die that punches upwards, leaving the part sitting on the lower punch (after being shed from the upper matrix on the press return stroke) instead of blanking the part through.

A typical compound fine blanking press includes a hardened die punch (male), the hardened blanking die (female), and a guide plate of similar shape/size to the blanking die.