Hyphen question

"coil-fed."

The practice is to hyphenate when the adjectives aren't independent. For example, you can have treated lumber, but not pressure lumber, hence you hyphenate pressure-treated lumber.

It's not necessary when they're independent notions: you can have a red room, or a large room, or a large red room: no hyphen needed.

I'm assuming there's no such thing as fed press stamping technology, or coil press stamping technology--press stamping technology is not my area of expertise, and if I'm mistaken, leave off the hyphen.

Cheers,

Ash

Ims the hyphen forms a compound modifier. Without it someone might ask, "What's a coil press?" or a "fed press?"

But that's an interesting q inasmuch as its use is somewhat controversial. If stamping technology is performed by a coil-fed press then shouldn't it be "coil-fed-press stamping technology"

Indeed the technician immediately responds, "Well then, accordingly shouldn't it be "coil-fed press-stamping technology"

The fanatic now interjects, "but don't all those adjectives modify "technology" and so shouldn't it be written, "coil-fed-press-stamping technology"

…whereupon the skeptic points out, "But now doesn't that restore all the original ambiguity"