Die care: carry-over, die elements and the pressure chart

Estimate what a residue left in the die adds to the next pellet, see which elements the die material contains, and check the sample pressure against the die chart. The residue is your estimate: we found no study that measured how much a pellet die carries over.

Added concentration (ppm) = residue (g) × concentration in the previous sample (ppm) ÷ (next pellet (g) + residue (g)); the residue you enter in mg is divided by 1000. It assumes the residue mixes into the whole pellet; residue on an anvil face can sit at the analyzed surface. Elements listed are the main constituents of each die-material family, not a measured pick-up; minor alloying elements and impurities are not listed. Pressure = force × 9800 ÷ bore area, placed on the PressPro™ die pressure chart, whose bands are given for steel dies; the rating of a carbide die comes from its maker, and a particular die may carry a different rating. Cleaning efficacy is not evaluated.