Shell press and method for forming a shell

1. A tooling assembly for forming a shell having a preselected depth, the tooling assembly comprising:

a die center;

a panel punch located in opposed relation to the die center;

a panel punch piston coupled to the panel punch, the panel punch piston having an upper end; and

a spacer member disposed concentrically around an outside surface of the panel punch piston at or proximate to the upper end of the panel punch piston,

wherein an upper end of the spacer member is in contact with a lower end of the panel punch and the spacer member is located proximate to a peripheral surface of the lower end of the panel punch,

wherein the tooling assembly is movable between a first position in which a lower end of the spacer member is structured to be spaced apart from an opposing portion of the tooling assembly, and a second position in which the lower end of the spacer member is structured to engage the opposing portion of the tooling assembly, thereby establishing the preselected depth of the shell, and

wherein the second position in which the preselected depth of the shell is established corresponds to a bottom of a stroke of the tooling assembly.

2. The tooling assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a die core ring having a shoulder, wherein when the tool assembly is not at the bottom of the stroke, the lower end of the spacer member is structured to be spaced apart from the shoulder of the die core ring, and wherein the lower end of the spacer member is structured to engage the shoulder of the die core ring at the bottom of the stroke of the tooling assembly.

3. The tooling assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an upper pressure sleeve having an upper piston portion,

wherein the die center is coupled to a die center riser having a shoulder, and

wherein the shoulder of the die center riser is structured to engage the upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve at a bottom of a stroke of the tooling assembly.

4. The tooling assembly of claim 2 , further comprising an upper pressure sleeve having an upper piston portion,

wherein the die center is coupled to a die center riser having a shoulder, and

wherein the shoulder of the die center riser is structured to engage the upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve at a bottom of a stroke of the tooling assembly.

5. The tooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tooling assembly is structured to form shells with a generally uniform depth.

6. An apparatus for forming a shell having a preselected depth, the apparatus comprising:

a die center;

an upper pressure sleeve located proximate to the die center;

a blank and draw die located proximate to the upper pressure sleeve;

a panel punch located in opposed relation to the die center;

a die core ring having an upper end with the upper end of the die core ring located proximate to the panel punch and in opposed relation to a lower end of the upper pressure sleeve;

a lower pressure sleeve having an upper end with the upper end of the lower pressure sleeve located proximate to the die core ring and in opposed relation to a lower end of the blank and draw die;

a blank cutedge located proximate to the lower pressure sleeve;

a panel punch piston coupled to the panel punch, the panel punch piston having an upper end; and

a spacer member disposed concentrically around an outside surface of the panel punch piston at or proximate to the upper end of the panel punch piston,

wherein an upper end of the spacer member is in contact with a lower end of the panel punch and the spacer member is located proximate to a peripheral surface of the lower end of the panel punch,

wherein the apparatus is movable between a first position in which a lower end of the spacer member is structured to be spaced apart from an opposing portion of the apparatus, and a second position in which the lower end of the spacer member is structured to engage the opposing portion of the apparatus, thereby establishing the preselected depth of the shell, and

wherein the second position in which the preselected depth of the shell is established corresponds to a bottom of a stroke of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the die core ring has a shoulder and wherein when the apparatus is not at the bottom of the stroke, the lower end of the spacer member is structured to be spaced apart from the shoulder of the die core ring, and wherein the lower end of the spacer member is structured to engage the shoulder of the die core ring at the bottom of the stroke of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the die center is coupled to a die center riser having a shoulder,

wherein the upper pressure sleeve has an upper piston portion, and

wherein the shoulder of the die center riser is structured to engage the upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve at a bottom of a stroke of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the die center is coupled to a die center riser having a shoulder,

wherein the upper pressure sleeve has an upper piston portion, and

wherein the shoulder of the die center riser is structured to engage the upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve at a bottom of a stroke of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is structured to form shells with a generally uniform depth.

11. A method for forming a shell having a preselected depth, the method comprising:

moving material between an upper die shoe and a lower die shoe;

blanking the material to form a blank;

forming the blank to provide a peripheral edge portion coupled to a raised center panel portion with the raised central panel portion located above the peripheral edge portion;

forming the blank into a shell with a center panel coupled to a crown with the crown located above the center panel location;

controlling movement of a panel punch by spacing the movement of the panel punch from a shoulder of a die core ring;

preventing engagement of a lower end of the panel punch with the shoulder of the die core ring using a spacer member disposed between the lower end of the panel punch and the shoulder of the die core ring, the spacer member having an upper end contacting the lower end of the panel punch, and an opposing lower end facing the shoulder of the die core ring,

moving the panel punch between a first position in which the lower end of the spacer member is spaced apart from the shoulder of the die core ring, and a second position in which the lower end of the spacer member engages the shoulder of the die core ring, the second position corresponding to a bottom of a stroke of the panel punch, and

establishing the preselected depth of the shell at the bottom of the stroke of the panel punch.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling movement of a die center and an upper pressure sleeve by engaging a shoulder of a die center riser coupled to the die center with an upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the upper die shoe includes tooling comprising:

a die center;

an upper pressure sleeve located proximate to the die center; and

a blank and draw die located proximate to the upper pressure sleeve, and wherein the lower die shoe includes tooling comprising:

the panel punch located in opposed relation to the die center;

the die core ring having an upper end with the upper end of the die core ring located proximate to the panel punch and in opposed relation to a lower end of the upper pressure sleeve;

a lower pressure sleeve having an upper end with the upper end of the lower pressure sleeve located proximate to the die core ring and in opposed relation to a lower end of the blank and draw die;

a blank cutedge located proximate to the lower pressure sleeve; and

a panel punch piston coupled to the panel punch, the panel punch piston having an upper end;

wherein the spacer member is disposed concentrically around an outside surface of the panel punch piston at or proximate to the upper end of the panel punch piston, and

wherein an upper end of the spacer member is in contact with a lower end of the panel punch and the spacer member is located proximate to a peripheral surface of the lower end of the panel punch.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the panel punch is not at the bottom of the stroke, a lower end of the spacer member is structured to be spaced apart from the shoulder of the die core ring, and wherein the lower end of the spacer member is structured to engage the shoulder of the die core ring at the bottom of the stroke of the panel punch.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the die center is coupled to a die center riser having a shoulder,

wherein the upper pressure sleeve has an upper piston portion, and

wherein the shoulder of the die center riser is structured to engage the upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve at a bottom of a stroke of a tooling assembly.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the die center is coupled to a die center riser having a shoulder,

wherein the upper pressure sleeve has an upper piston portion, and

wherein the shoulder of the die center riser is structured to engage the upper piston portion of the upper pressure sleeve at a bottom of a stroke of the tooling assembly.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the shell forming step forms shells with a generally uniform depth.

18. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein the shell comprises a center panel, an annular countersink extending around the center panel, a crown and a tapered chuck wall connecting the countersink to the crown; and wherein the shell is devoid of a z-fold between the center panel and the chuck wall.

19. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the shell comprises a center panel, an annular countersink extending around the center panel, a crown and a tapered chuck wall connecting the countersink to the crown; and wherein the shell is devoid of a z-fold between the center panel and the chuck wall.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the shell comprises a center panel, an annular countersink extending around the center panel, a crown and a tapered chuck wall connecting the countersink to the crown; and wherein the shell is devoid of a z-fold between the center panel and the chuck wall.