Pioneer Steel Corporation
MDL Components
Steel Service Center Specializing In Die Sets, Die Components, Steel Plate & Steel Plate Burnouts.
Extensive Plate Inventory Through 23" Thickness.
Pioneer Steel Die Sets Division
Distributor for MDL Components
Download the Pioneer Die Sets Brochure 
Visit our new Die Set plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are conveniently located at 8700 Byron Commerce Dr. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315.
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With the recent expansion of our die set facilities, we now have the capability and capacity to handle all of your die set, bolster plate and fabrication needs. We have experienced personnel to perform CNC machining and Blanchard grinding to your specifications. We manufacture plain bearing and ball bearing die sets at our new facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Die Sets
4 Post Ball Bearing Die Set completely machined with mounted parallels.
Blanchard Grinding & Planer Milling, Pioneer Die Sets offers Blanchard grinding and planer milling to service your most critical surface finish demands.
Wear Plate Die Set with planer mill finish.
T-SLOTS One of our many capabilities to provide the finishing touches to your bolster, ram, adapter and quick change plates.
CNC Machining
Pioneer Die Sets is equipped with (4) CNC Machine Centers with travels of up to X=110", Y=160" and the latest CNC controls and Heinihan scales for precision repeatability.
Die Holder completely machined
Wear Plate Die Set
Die Holder completely machined
- Die Sets
- Die sets are assemblies that link the upper and lower die holders. They include guide pins or posts, guide pin bushings, heel blocks, heel plates, and die shoes. Die sets are metal plates, usually made of aluminum or steel, that provide a foundation for mounting the die components. These plates are milled or ground so that they are flat and parallel. Next, the upper and lower die shoes are assembled with guide pins, die set components which are sometimes called guide pins or guide pillars. To properly align the upper and lower die shoes, guide bushings are also used. When selecting die sets, specifications such as guide pin type and materials of construction are important considerations. Die sets use two basic types of guide pins and guide bushings: friction and ball bearing. Friction pins are precision-ground products made from hardened tool steels. They have an inside diameter that is slightly smaller than that of the guide bushing, and are designed to prevent die shoes from moving laterally. Most guide bushings are made from or lined with aluminum-bronze or other wear-resistant materials. Ball bearing-style die sets ride on a series of ball bearings that are housed in a ball cage. They allow the die to run at faster speeds without incurring higher levels of heat and friction, and provide operators with a relatively easy way to separate the upper and lower dies shoes. Die sets include components called heel blocks, heel plates, screws, dowels and keys. Heel blocks are made of steel and attach to both the upper and lower die shoes. These die set components have sturdy wear plates to absorb one-directional side thrust that could cause misalignment. Heel blocks have steel heel plates and, on the opposite shoe, a plate made of a different metal. Screws, dowels and keys are also used with dies sets. Screws secure the working components to the die shoes. Dowels locate the die section in the proper die shoe location. Keys are small blocks of precision-ground steel that are inserted in keyways. They are designed to locate and heel components and die sections. Ball bushing and flange mounted die sets have similar specifications. Ball bushing dies sets carry specifications such as bore diameter, bore tolerance, outside diameter, pilot diameter, pilot length, clamp diameter, overall length, bolt circle diameter, mounting hold diameter, dynamic load capacity, temperature range, material, finish, and color. Flange mounted die sets carry product specifications for bore diameter, bore tolerance, barrel diameter, head length, pilot diameter, and pilot length, flange diameter, flange thickness, overall length, bolt circle diameter, bolt size, angular misalignment tolerance, static load capacity, temperature range. Both ball bushing dies sets and flange mounted die sets are designed for use with shafts and shafting.