Page 42 - MetalForming May 2013

Tooling Technology
What’s New
in Die Design?
The latest die-design and simula- tion software continues to help tooling estimators, engineers and builders eliminate costly delays and deliver tools that function correctly from the get-go. New features and func- tionality reduce design time and help reduce lead time from project initiation to pressroom production. Software providers have zeroed in on ease of use, faster processing, increased automation features, more canned rou- tines and intuitive graphics tools to keep die designers and builders, as well as stampers, competitive.
In advance of MetalForming maga- zine’s Die Design and Simulation Soft- ware Experience, May 29-30 in Grand Rapids, MI, we’ve surveyed the land- scape to see just what software providers have been up to.
Do More with Fewer Keystrokes
Doing more with less effort and working smarter, not harder, are recipes for speed and efficiency. These recipes hold true for die-design software.
“Everything we do relates to fewer keystrokes, accomplishing more in one command and in one dialog box so
Plenty...with more robust libraries, improved import/export functions, and advanced algorithms that take accuracy to new levels and reduce design time and lead time.
BY LOU KREN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Flexible strip layout with VISI 20 enables a designer to start with the developed compo- nent blank and quickly formulate a 3D strip layout. Automatic blank alignment, rotation and optimization help plan a more efficient strip. Also, punch design and layout become more effective with the use of the automatic 2D strip plan, including fold lines.
40 MetalForming/May 2013
www.metalformingmagazine.com
that the user need not jump around,” says Eric Bragg, sales representative at TST Tooling Software Technology LLC (www.tst-software.com), Clarkston, MI. “We call it ‘composed commands,’ bringing everything under one hood so that when you are doing these repeat-type procedures, one dialog box contains all of the tools.”
That timesaver is one of many Bragg
notes when describing VISI 20, the lat- est version of the software that TST markets for tool, die and mold design and build. It’s set for rollout at the beginning of 2014.
The ability to work with an extensive range of CAD interfaces can save designers and builders precious time. For its part, VISI 20 can work directly with Parasolid, IGES, Catia v4 and v5,