Page 36 - MetalForming February 2011
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MetalForming/February 2011
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Work Holding
Tooling Technology
SOLUTIONS
just 10 to 15 min., including the stretch webs that carry the part. Also available: a graphical preview of one part overlaid on the previous part, or a preview of the part as it enters and makes initial contact with the die cavity.
Standard Component Libraries
The standard component libraries included with die- design software house specifications for several different brands of components and nearly every type of component you might need in a die, including pierce punches and pilots, springs and nitrogen cylinders, guide posts and bushings. No longer must the designer download specific models from a vendor website, and then cut the holes for them, since the software creates the models on the fly. And, in the case of a nitrogen cylinder, the proper stroke length is automatically applied to the solid model of the cylinder; tonnage force is automatically calculated; the hole is cut for the cylinder and all plates it crosses though; and, finally, the screws that retain the cylinders are automatically created and inserted. All of this happens with a single mouse click after the design- er has set the parameters, and the user can see the graphical representation of the cylinder before this mouse click.
Automating 2D Drawings
Most companies still require 2D drawings on their man- ufacturing floor. There are specific tools in die-design soft- ware for automating the creation of these drawings as well as for automatically filling in all title blocks in the drawings.
The bill of materials (BOM) also is automatically generated and the BOM as well as the balloons can be automatically sorted for organization. We have one customer that tells us that all of the drawings for a design, including detail drawings, rarely require more than 8 hr. of work to complete.
3D Delivers Downstream Benefits
Several downstream benefits result from the use of 3D die- design-specific software, thanks in part to animation capa- bilities. Some software animates only the strip itself, while other packages provide full animation showing the die oper- ating as if it were in the press, allowing designers to dynam- ically check for interference as the die is operating. Anima- tion includes motion of stock lifters and pressure pads, stripper travel, die opening and closing, and the strip feed- ing through the die to its next progression.
During the animation, the designer can apply filters to view only the lower half of the die along with the strip lifting and advancing and forming, or only the upper half and strippers, etc. He can zoom in and out and manipulate the model at will.
In general, while 3D design adds a great deal to the visu- alization of a die design, the animation and filtering tech- nology takes die design to a whole new level, helping design- ers dramatically reduce debug and development time in the press. Also, since the designer’s die model includes any 3D form blocks that typically would be modeled by a CAM
PLKD
• Locating pin retracts fully into part support
• •
weld areas Internallockretainspart if pressure is lost Widerangeofpin diameters and styles available
PLK
• Completelyenclosed
PLC
Electricmodels also available
PLCE PLKE
• 24VDCeliminatesneed for compressed air
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