A common handheld marking tool is an automatic spring-loaded center punch. This hand tool is used to produce a dimple, characters, or small symbols in a workpiece made of metal, wood, or even some plastics.
How to Use a Spring Loaded Center Punch
A spring-loaded center punch is used by pressing the marking end against the workpiece. A spring-loaded center punch stores energy in the spring, and as compressed it is triggered and releases the spring-stored energy as an impulse that drives the punch into the work surface, producing the dimple, character, or symbol.
Durable Technologies’ center punch marking tool, with its calibrated spring-loaded action, requires only hand pressure to make a mark.
We have developed quick change inserts to create alphanumeric character center punches, custom symbol center punches, or even a custom logo center punch (3/16" height max).
The overall length of our spring-loaded center punch tool is 6” including the insert. The center punch can also be integrated into a pre-built fixture to make a simple pass/fail mark, machine code, or other direct part identification marking.
Our spring-loaded center punch requires a minimum force of 25 lbs. to make a stamped mark. For larger characters and deeper marks, the maximum force is approximately 225 lbs.
A spring-loaded center punch is often used to mark the center of a point to show the center of a hole when drilling for example. A center punch forms a dimple large enough to direct the tip of the drill to the proper location.
- Single character insert (3/16” character or smaller)
- Two character insert (3/32” character or smaller)
- Three character insert (1/16” character or smaller)
- Symbol insert (1/8" or smaller)
Click here to download our Symbol Chart.
Gif courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_center_punch
This post was published on July 12, 2022 and updated on July 12, 2022.