Today's turret punch presses do more than simply punch holes. They can form shapes beneath the sheet, perform shear-quality cuts, and actually deburr edges. And that's just scratching the surface of the equipment's capabilities.

These days it's often difficult—if not downright impossible—to simply look at a part and definitively discern if it was made with a punch machine or some other fabricating process.

 You know the stainless steel warming tray at your favorite fast-food restaurant? It was likely created with a punch machine. Same for the stop sign you ran as you rushed to work this morning.

 A metamorphosis of punched materials has occurred. They have changed from being simple rough parts that were background players to more sophisticated shapes that are front and center. Punch press innovations have made this possible. Over the course of the past 40 years, the punch press has evolved from being the big, awkward kid on the block into a suave, sophisticated player in the world of sheet metal fabrication.