tool design
BRASIL
stamping
forming
3DQuickPress & 3DQuickForm
in Auto Parts Tooling
June 2009
Case Study prepared by
Predabon Edilar
PREDABON ENGENHARIA E CONSULTORIA
Predabon Engenharia e Consultoria
Case Study: Autoparts
The piece in question is used to protect the engine of a car. Initially we know that the product
was modeled in 3D CAD and was received in IGES format. So the modeling features were
not included. With the resources of native SolidWorks, particularly the ability of modeling
surfaces, would meet the need for the process. Below are two views of the piece, with details
that show operations of forming, blending and flanging.
To plan and design the production process of that, we used the 3DQUICKFORM for
development of the "blanks" and 3DQUICKPRESS needed to study the strip or, more
precisely in this case, the required steps. We recommend reading the data sheet of both
products in the following attachment for better understanding of the specific features.
PREPARING THE MODEL FOR THE STAGES OF PRODUCTION
Step 1:
Development of front flap with projection of the material on a non-planar surface. Thus we get
a fountain-head. Noted in the green portion of the piece that we treat this stage and next to
show only the region being worked now:
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With the assistance of 3DQUICKFORM, we define the region of fixed edges, suitable for this
work because we will extend the piece from the fixed edges, but projecting the required
material on a surface created in SolidWorks, which represent the format of the forming
sequence we want. The image below shows the edges being selected and fixed easily in
SolidWorks.
Below is the image of the surface created in SolidWorks with the portion of the piece under
study. 3DQUICKFORM allow any parts with complex geometry to unfold on flat surfaces or
curve surface as is the case this year. The creation of the area is simple: Simply design the
curve defined by points in the image below on a plane previously selected and then generate
a surface extrusion. Okay, we have the desired surface.
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After selecting the contour, and the piece of material with its properties in material database,
we want to fix the edges and the surface on which we generate the mesh of finite elements.
Then it will generate the contour corresponding to the amount of material needed to achieved
the formed shape, in this case it is not on a flat surface. In the picture below we can see the
profile, defined by points, which was produced by 3DQUICKFORM and its thickness mapping
after the final conformation. In this example, predominantly near the original thickness and so
the piece appears in green color. In case of excessive thinning, the map show different color
for each region. The red would be displayed the lowest thickness after forming.
SolidWorks can hide and show details to make the design operation convenient to the users.
In the picture below we see that the portion studied was hidden while the rest of the piece
again become visible. The 3D curve generated by 3DQUICKFORM is linked to the piece and
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the next step we will make some links between the curve and avoid any discontinuity in the
surface.
Then, use SolidWorks to cut the surface that form the basis for the projection of the
development (purple region in following picture).
The result of the operation TRIM SURFACE (clipping) is displayed in the image below.
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Once created the area mentioned above, we generate an offset value as its thickness and
then we shall sew them into a solid body connected to the rest of the base piece. If we wish
to work only with extended surfaces, we will not have problems in 3DQUICKPRESS and the
layout of the strip, because it is important that the surfaces will be the basis for generating of
the stages of punch generation, etc.
Step 2:
This image shows the steps of planning in other regions of the piece to the next steps of
production. Note that this is a strategy adopted which is not the unique approach. The green
areas are the result of the development (planning + projection on an irregular surface) of
supply side of the piece. Observe that the holes were sealed using the piece closing with
solid objects, which are nothing more that extrusions based on their own circles. The use of
3DQUICKFORM for the development and projection of the areas chosen was the same as
described in Step 1.
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Step 3:
In the next stage of preparation of the 3D model for the process, continue to use the precious
resources of SolidWorks to work with surfaces in order to generate the original blank that we
want to order in the first stage after the cutting of the flap rectangular, as we shall see in the
preparation of the layout of the strip. We can see in the picture below the extension of the
side flaps, the combination of the front and rear extension of the piece, adding it to consider
for the next steps of the process.
The image is displayed below the solid model, with thickness and volume. To work with
irregular and complex shapes, it is recommended to use native SolidWorks surface modeling
to create the lateral extension.
.
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To achieve the above using surface of SolidWorks. There is a feature that lets you select the
model solid sides and sew them (Knit Surface). This way we can hide the solid model and
work only with the area seeking the desired result. The next picture shows the construction of
the lateral flange using the Extend Surface that allows us to create a surface from an edge.
Note that this development is not the same as Stage 2 where the planned lateral flanges.
Now what we're doing is to create an outline of appropriate forms for the first stage of forming.
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In this final stage of preparation of the 3D model for the process, we have the following
picture, where it perceives the existence of two areas: the yellow that is the pre-shape and
gray represents the upper surface of the piece, used to serve as a preview. Can hide any of
them at any time, and work with other areas and other features of SolidWorks.
The end result of the surface will be below.
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The green region of the piece was finished using hybrid modeling with some commands to
create solid and surface. We could have used only the surface features, to create surface
transitions between different areas or use solid modeling to create solids. Depending on the
skills of the designer with either strategy, the work will be faster according to the preferences
of each. For 3DQUICKPRESS, no matter how they were shaped the intermediate stages, the
system accepts any strategy that simply informs the upper and lower surfaces of each stage.
Working with 3D QUICKPRESS
The 3DQUICKPRESS is a sequence of steps in the same order that we wish it to play. Bear
in mind the fact that 3DQUICKPRESS as a tool to process and so it was designed and
developed for this purpose. Every detail of the piece is designed by 3DQUICKPRESS in
terms of manufacturing from simple folds to more complex details. In order to develop a
project for progressive tool, the basic workflow follows : UNFOLD - STRIP LAYOUT PUNCH DESIGN - CREATING A FITTING - CREATING THE DETAILS.
To facilitate the work of the designer, there are libraries of commercial components and new
parts can be created and added to the library with no limit. This speeds up the building of
factory specific component libraries.
In this example we analyze the strip layout strategy into SolidWorks steps. As this piece is
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produced with advance of the strip, each step corresponds to an operation.
The way it was designed this process resulted in 6 steps as represented:
Step 1: Cut the rectangular flap (an easy way to find the dimensions
of the rectangular flap, is to use the 3DQUICKFORM to plan for Step 2. We get the minimum
dimensions of the flap)
Step 2: Pre-order 1
Step 3: Cutting the Pre-Form 1
Step 4: Lateral Flange
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Step 5: insert at the back (Do not stop here
because we have the cut needed immediately below)
Step 6: Drilling and calibration
In this process we will jump directly to the study of the layout of the strip or, more properly,
the stages and their intrinsic cuttings using 3DQUICKPRESS. Here we see the 6 steps that
will turn into 9 stages due to intermediate handling, which would run separately due to the
unplanned irregularity. Let us see how the layout of the strip was drawn up with the imaginary
function of the 3D STRIP LAYOUT, which is the natural result of the process to unfold after
the stages, in this case was preceded by work on the creation of pre-forms:
Each stage consists of two surfaces (upper and lower part in each stage) that will be used for
the generation of punches and dieset in the next step.
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Steps 1 and 2 of the strip imaginary
Steps 3 and 4 of the strip imaginary
On the left we can see the cut of Form 1 in pink color. Its surrounding areas which will lead to
punches cutting. The Standard 3DQUICKPRESS this is where the pink color feature of
manufacturing is applied. So the image we have left the implementation of the imaginary cut
in strips and we have the right to cut punches. In practice, step 4 can be superimposed in
step 3. (have been separated to allow better viewing of the cut).
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Steps 5 and 6 of the strip imaginary
In the left image we have the other two punches, and cut the image on the right, we have
the forming of the side flaps of the piece.
Steps 7 and 8
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Step 9
The holes will be cut out in the last operation and are represented in the image on the left. If
necessary to calibrate the blank, a new step can be added.
The advantages of working with 3DQUICKPRESS for this type of process are mainly the fact
that we can exchange operations between each station, which was moving in a second
operation for the seventh, for example, and thus achieve the results. The exchange of
operations in each stage is given with 2 mouse-clicks. The addition or elimination of steps
also occurs with 2 mouse-clicks. Therefore, we can study the process with increases and
reductions, registering positive features and limitations of each STRIP LAYOUT. The file is a
file and not part of assembly, with the same size is reduced. There are no links in this file as
3DQuickPress does not require mates that make the work very slow. This is one of the major
advantages of 3DQUICKPRESS.
The next step is to generate the punches and dieset to conduct the cutting, bending, shaping,
etc.. To start the process choose dieset from the library of 3DQUICKPRESS which serves
the basis for the whole positioning of the punches, heights, datum required, fixings, etc, all on
a semi-automatic mode. The user can edit the dimensions of the punches, add or delete
stations, special elements such as wedges and slides all that is needed to produce each
stage of the piece.
From now on using SolidWorks assembly environment, the creation of punches cutting
shapes are semi-automatic, when the user choose the type of mount you want and start the
command of execution. The rest of the work will be done by 3D QUICKPRESS which
produces the solid bodies of punches (fully editable by the user if he so wishes), taking the
consideration of the heights corresponding to the die plates chosen previously.
For the generation of full series of punches and holes, 3DQUICKPRESS also reserve
facilities for the user. We must choose the region to be corresponding to the punch that we
create from now on, we want to define the area of the region and select the type of
configuration, and that serves for our temporary purpose. In this case we choose an array of
punches with rectangular characteristics. We describe the rapid creation of punch and matrix
of the first stage. Select option CREATE user-defined components, which opens the window
shown in the left image below.
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Within this option define the extreme surfaces of the part or stage on which we are working,
and then adjust the steps outside the rectangle using the Size option. With everything is
visible, it is very simple and guaranteed to establish an appropriate size for the projection of
the body of the punch. If change is necessary after these dimensions, it can be done without
problems.
After the creation of bodies that provide the basis for the punch and matrix for this stage,
these two parts have already been created in that directory we created to select the port-tools
and that the suggestion should be compatible with the name of the piece of client, finally, the
easiest way to locate the files. To create the forms necessary for the punch and the matrix,
the 3DQUICKPRESS has a function called EXPORT FACES, which will copy them to the
corresponding areas (from the punch to punch, from the matrix to matrix). Select both stamp
features from the SolidWorks feature tree and then the command EXPORT FACES to
3DQUICKPRESS. The selection of corresponding faces is facilitated by the choice of the
lower (Bottom sides) if they correspond to the punch (if the option chosen above Top Faces).
Clicking OK, the export side is complete and they will be copied to the punch file, remember
that is an archive of SolidWorks, with all the versatility of feature editing.
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Take the image below as it was the file of the block (here rendered transparent to facilitate
visualization) with the surface exported inside. The fact that the area is inside the block was
our option. If we want to make the block with smaller dimensions, there are no problems. Our
strategy was to use a command called the SolidWorks CUT WITH SURFACE. We use some
commands of SolidWorks to extend areas of some areas and then sew them together to get
a single surface.
We can see the images below the overlapping surfaces. The original exported has the pink
color and the bottom surface using the extended features of SolidWorks. It is the latter that
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we shall cut the solid body of the matrix to generate the corresponding cavity, as shown in
the image below.
The matrix is shown below.
Naturally, all the touch up like filleting the corners can be made with the native SolidWorks
features. This description does not provide these details because we depend on each project
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and the discretion of each die designer.
The punch followed the same path and is shown below.
The sequence of work in 3DQUICKPRESS provides for the creation of the other punches in
this case is the same for each step because there are operations such as bending generated
to facilitate the process of cutting and other forming that could bring the creation to other
resources.
Then we have the settings of the assembly and setting of clamping screws, positioning of
guide posts and other components. When selecting a particular type of die block, the 3D
QUICKPRESS already created sketches related to the fixing screws of columns, the ears of
boards of shock and all the elements that constitute the range of the library. The user can
create a number of standard sets and can facilitate their work later. 3DQUICKPRESS comes
with libraries of DANLY, Misumi, PEDROTI, and IMPAX DAYTON. All accommodations of
the elements as punches, ejectors, columns, dowels, etc., are created automatically by the
3DQUICKPRESS, keeping strictly to the references and details of each. Designer may edit
or even nothing. So, in addition to simplify the design, avoidance of mistakes which are
caused by manual labor work.
Finally, the 3D QUICKPRESS provides facilities in detailing of the pieces, as seen for
standard and automatic creation of a file with 7 pages of drawings containing the main
elements in pre-defined views and assembly. The user can create and edit others.
Thus we hope to have presented a simplified view, but the appropriate treatment process for
parts with complex features and the details of forming predominantly by stamping in auto
parts manufacturing.
We recommend the reader to watch some videos that the PEC provides, in which various
operations discussed herein may not be appreciated. The 3DQUICKPRESS has many
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facilities and has been approved for processes with two cross strips and where to get parts
simultaneously already assembled in the sequence, e.g. families of parts with different
configurations may also be the project facilitated by 3DQUICKPRESS, which provides
references for each of the configurations of parts, without the user have to worry about them.
It is our duty to clarify the doubts that exist at the end of this reading. So, feel grateful for
having read this document to the end, and encouraged to contact us whenever you need to
help on our products.
Regards,
Edilar Predabon
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