Patent ID: 7287678

Claim:
A method for determining the correct timing of a material release mechanism of a material feed mechanism for feeding elongated strip material, the method comprising the steps of: cycling a press mechanism through a working portion of a tooling mechanism; monitoring the press mechanism position; determining, by a location device having a controller, the desired timing for the material release mechanism to release contact with the material by sensing the contact of at least one component of the tooling mechanism with the material by: placing the material through the material release mechanism of the material feed mechanism; positioning the material with the leading edge through a first station of the tooling mechanism; punching a first hole in the first portion of the material with a punching device; incrementally advancing the material such that an alignment device having a guide end is located substantially above the first hole; contacting a side wall of the guide end of the alignment device with an inner edge of the first hole; measuring a disturbance force produced upon contact of the alignment device with the material; and determining the desired material release mechanism timing based upon the measured disturbance force; and correlating the desired material release mechanism timing to the press mechanism position.