1 INTRODUCTION During last years the significant development of piezoelectric materials, especially multilayer ceramics [1], has been observed. These ceramics are sintered from a powder into practically any shape and may work as actuators with the theoretically atomic scale movement accuracy. Having in mind progressive development of microprocessors, which may control micro-actuators, the next technological revolution is very likely. Revolution, which would be based on micro-machines. It than creates a need for micro-products as parts for these machines. One should than foresee further and accelerated development of microforming also of nanomaterials [2]. Using the microforming technology it is theoretically possible to achieve atomic scale surface roughness and also sharp edges, which are very difficult to achieve using other technologies. Micro- blanking processes with different modifications seem to be especially promising [4]. In the micro- parts production micro-blanking processes might be used not only for punching holes, but also, or better to say, mainly to manufacture high accuracy and surface quality semi-products [5]. Such an approach defines subsequent differences between micro- blanking and “standard” blanking. Except of the commonly known scale effect [6], features like high shape accuracy (resulting in a small clearance) and high surface quality, often some special geometrical features occur. In the micro-blanking processes relative high product height (h) to diameter (d) factor might be expected, h/d = 0.6 – 0.8. All these conditions cause additional technological difficulties. 2 TOOLS DAMAGES IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES Recently micro-blanking in the mass production mainly refers to manufacturing of electronic parts.. Multi-punches (even tens punches) tooling is used for manufacturing of these parts. Most often very dangerous damage relies on tearing off the end of the punch, Fig. 1a. A sequence of this process is shown in Fig. 1b,c,d. On the way down punch during indentation inside material exposes chemically and physically active internal layers. Most often first adhesive joins occur and in SUMMARY: In the nearly future micro-blanking will be often used for manufacturing of semi-final micro- products. This determines close tolerances, very close clearance and high height to diameter ratio. Such conditions dramatically increase galling tendency on a free surface of a punch. In this paper the function, which defines this tendency is introduced. It utilizes geometrical process parameters. The proposed method is based on estimation of sliding distances distribution of the main contact types and giving them adequate weights. Adding all single (weighted) sliding lengths distributions it is possible to determine distribution of the galling tendency function. Micro-blanking of the 0.7 mm thick strip made of 304 stainless steel using 1 mm punch diameter with 0.03 mm clearance was analysed as an example. Key words: Plastic Forming, Microforming, Contact Phenomena, Galling Contact phenomena in micro-blanking W. Presz 1 1 Institute of Material Processing, Warsaw University of Technology – Narbutta 85, 02-524 Warsaw, Poland URL: www.wip.pw.edu.pl e-mail: w.presz@wip.pw.edu.pl