<![CDATA[Progressive die stamping is critical in automotive component manufacturing, yet fatigue failure of dies and punches remains a key challenge that directly impacts tool life and production continuity. This study aims to evaluate the structural integrity and comparative fatigue life of four steel for cold die (SKD) 11 compound progressive die components: die button, punch pierce, die blank, and punch blank, to translate the findings into practical maintenance scheduling criteria. This study presents a sequential finite element analysis (FEA) framework, comprising static structural analysis followed by stress-life fatigue assessment to evaluate the structural integrity and cyclic service life of SKD 11 tool steel components in a compound progressive die for automotive hanging bracket stamping. Three-dimensional models were analyzed in ANSYS Workbench using tetrahedral meshing with convergence verified at <5% variation in peak von Mises stress. Cutting forces were derived from the formulation P = L × t × σB, with mean stress correction applied via the Goodman approach using empirical SKD 11 S-N data. Static analysis confirmed all components satisfy structural safety criteria, with von Mises stresses ranging from 286 MPa to 979 MPa, all below the SKD 11 yield strength of 1,540 MPa and maximum deformation within 0.023 mm. Fatigue analysis revealed a pronounced life disparity: the die blank exhibited a minimum cycle life of 69,215 cycles, while the punch pierce showed the most critical behavior at 827 cycles. The punch pierce requires inspection every 500–800 cycles, while future research should investigate fillet geometry optimization and surface coating effects to further extend punch service life.]]>
