Powerful Flat-Pattern Development Integrated into SolidWorks

March 1, 2011

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Forming Technologies Inc., (FTI), Burlington, Ontario, Canada, has released BlankWorks v4.3, providing SolidWorks 2011 users charged with designing

progressive dies an integrated tool for developing optimal flat patterns from complex 3D designs. Trial-and-error methods traditionally used to develop complex flanges and flat-pattern shapes can take several days to a few weeks to develop. Using BlankWorks, users can develop flanges and blank shapes for their stampings in less than a minute, says FTI.

New features in BlankWorks 4.3 include flange/blank synchronization with SolidWorks geometry, and blank edge smoothing to generate tangent continuous arc and line geometry and enhance the translation to the manufacturing process.

In addition to flat-pattern development and flange unfolding, BlankWorks also provides a contour plot indicating any thickening and thinning resulting from the forming process. It accounts for material stretch and deformation as well as bending and can flatten any SolidWorks geometry, and also can be used to assess the feasibility of a part for manufacturing.

Forming Technologies Inc.: 905/340-2997; www.forming.com

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