Metal stamping dies are the devices used in metal stamping machines. Each metal stamping machine may have one or more dies depending on the type of machine. Dies are the main components of metal stamping machines that perform the casting, punching, cutting, and shaping of sheet metal.

The basic operations of the die are drawing, cutting and bending. In metal stamping, sheet metal is placed in a die or press tool that has a specially designed cavity that forms the sheet metal into the preferred shape. The top of the die connects to the press slide while the bottom component connects to the press bed. A specific component known as a punch pushes the metal sheet through the die, thus performing the actual molding operation. Die patterns can be used to engrave or give three-dimensional lettering on the final product.

Dies are set into sheet metal panels, either alone or as a series of presses in a press line. Metal stamping dies and presses can have different input variables based on tonnage, press parallelism, shut height, nitrogen pressure in the dies, counterweight pressure, and press speed. These variables can influence the quality of the embossing panel, particularly during die setup. The same stamping press can be reused by replacing one set of dies with another.

Placing dies on a press is known as die setting. The die configuration decides the closing height and the bond strength. The number of components produced in a die configuration is known as a batch.

There are many different types of dies such as single station dies, multi station dies, compound dies, progressive dies, and tandem press lines. Most of the dies are designed by metal stamping companies that use advanced technologies such as CAD to design them according to customer specifications. Another classification of dies is drawing dies, cutting dies, and cam punch dies.