Inserts are real operating components for producing sheet metal part features when the press moves up and down. The complexity, cost and durability of a progressive die depend largely on the number of inserts and the design of different groups of inserts. In addition, the accuracy of metal stampings also greatly relies on the structure of the functional insert groups and their assembly. Thus, the design of inserts is a critical operation to a designer in terms of the design quality and productivity. In this paper, a flexible and complete insert representation scheme has been proposed. The complex assembly relationships and constraints between inserts and components are analyzed. The design automation of inserts using the knowledge-based approach is introduced. Finally, some results obtained using the proposed approach are given.