The June 2006 issue of MetalForming includes the article "Simulation Slashes Die-Tryout Costs and Time". This concerns a company, Precise Engineering of Lowell, Michigan, using Pam-Stamp 2G software to design a stamping die that produced a good part without die modifications.
I would guess that Eric Kam and the AutoForm people have read and analyzed this article. I do believe it is of interest to the SME Dies and Stamping Technical Group. Noteworthy things discussed or not discussed are:
? Preliminary die design using VISI die design software. No discussions about whether any CAD files of the part to be produced were imported.
? Export of a strip geometry IGES file from VISI to Pam-Stamp.
? First stage Forming process simulation including changing drawing depth, binder pressure, percentage of standoff, change of blank geometry, addition of blank slots, and evaluation of springback.
? Second and third station retrim with iterative blank design modifications.
? Simulating fourth station drawing versus forming resulting in the selection of forming.
? Not discussed was the process to get the modifications needed determined by the simulation results back to the VLSI design file.
? No discussion of how the detail drawings of each die component were produced and transmitted to the customer.
? Creation of CNC part programs from the VISI software.
? Tryout of the finished die with no modifications necessary.
? Developing a set of detail drawings to be furnished to the die customer. Discussed but no file format mentioned.
I would be interested in seeing a list of criteria to be used in evaluation forming simulation software.
