Press Tooling Fundamentals — What Defines a “Simple Die” Operation? In press-work terminology, how is a simple die characterized with respect to the number and type of operations completed in one stroke at a single station?

Introduction / Context:
Press tools are classified by how many operations they accomplish per stroke and how these operations are arranged. Understanding the distinction between simple, compound, combination, and progressive dies is foundational for process planning and tooling selection.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question concerns die classification by operation count and station layout.
• Stroke refers to one complete movement of the press ram.
• Operations may be cutting (e.g., blanking, piercing) or non-cutting (e.g., bending, forming).

Concept / Approach:
A simple die completes exactly one operation (cutting or forming) at a single station per stroke. In contrast, a compound die performs multiple cutting operations simultaneously at one station; a combination die performs both cutting and non-cutting in one stroke at one station; a progressive die performs different operations at successive stations as the strip indexes forward.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the keyword “simple die”.Recall definition: one operation, one station, per stroke.Compare with distractors describing compound/combination/progressive behaviors.Select the statement that matches the definition.

Verification / Alternative check:
Industry texts define simple die exactly this way; shop examples include a dedicated blanking die or a dedicated piercing die.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Two or more operations at one station → compound die.Sequential multi-station strip advancement → progressive die.Cutting plus forming together at one station → combination die.Piercing and blanking together is a specific case of compound, not simple.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming “simple” equals “small”; it is about operation count per stroke, not tool size.

Final Answer:
Performs only one operation per stroke at a single station (either cutting or forming)