Patent ID: 7503198

Claim:
Apparatus for piercing a hole in a work piece suitable for hydroforming applications comprising: a first die portion having a first punch cavity portion; a second die portion having a second punch cavity portion; wherein said first and second die portions define a die cavity configured to receive the work piece, and said first and second punch cavity portions intersect said die cavity; wherein said second punch cavity portion includes a slug capturing area coaxial with said first punch cavity portion; a punch having an angular cutting face, configured to move within a cross passage defined by said first punch cavity portion and said slug capturing area of said second punch cavity portion; wherein said punch has a cross section perpendicular to said cross passage and said angular cutting face of said punch has a surface area greater than said cross section of said punch; and wherein said slug capturing area is configured with a cross-sectional area smaller than said surface area of said angular cutting face.