Patent 7121178 was granted and assigned to Groz-Beckert on October, 2006 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An improved punching tool (1) has a lower tool (3), which is subdivided into a lower tool base plate (7) and a lower-tool operative part (8). The lower tool base plate (7) has a receiving face, with which uniform base areas of a plurality of lower-tool operative parts (8) are associated. The dividing place between the lower-tool operative part (8) and the lower tool base plate (9) is disposed such that all the workpiece-specific designs are present exclusively on the lower-tool operative part (8), while the lower tool base plate (7) is the same, without change, for all workpieces to be machined.