Punch Capacity: Max Hole or Thickness

Max thickness = F / (pi x D x shear) or max diameter = F / (pi x T x shear), with F = capacity_tons x 2000 lb. A 9.8 ton press punches a 0.5 in hole in 0.25 in of 50 ksi-shear steel - or a half-inch hole in that same quarter-inch plate. Answers 'what can my press punch' instead of the force for one hole. Shear strength ~0.8 x UTS; keep press and tooling margin. First-principles shear; the press and tooling govern.

F = capacity_tons x 2000; max thickness = F / (pi x D x shear strength); max round diameter = F / (pi x T x shear strength). The inverse of F = perimeter x thickness x shear strength.

Punching force as sheared area times shear strength solved for capacity - first-principles as in Machinery's Handbook (Industrial Press), by name; public domain.

First-principles shear; the shear strength (~0.8 x UTS for mild steel) is user-supplied.

Estimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.

Field names used by the API: capacity_tons, shear_strength_psi, solve_for, diameter_in, thickness_in, max_thickness_in

• Round hole solves a round hole (perimeter pi x D); a rectangular or shaped hole uses its own perimetershear mechanics
• Shear strength and margin the material shear strength (~0.8 x UTS for mild steel) is user-supplied; keep press and tooling marginshear mechanics