Page 50 - MetalForming May 2013

Tooling Technology
of the time required when using 2D software.”
One Interface for Prog and Transfer
The ability for software to adapt to a variety of die and forming needs brings flexibility, which can significantly ease a designer’s challenges. Suppose one job must be performed using transfer dies, and the next one using progressive dies, and the one after that using both. The ability to design for progressive- or transfer-die work in the same inter- face reduces the learning curve and eliminates waste associated with switching software or carrying multiple suites and having to become familiar with all of them.
Enter CimatronE 11, now available from Cimatron Technologies Inc. (www.cimatrontech.com), based in Novi, MI. The software allows for trans- fer- and progressive-die design.
“In some cases, in the same job, work must be performed in a progres-
sive die, and at the end of a prog. stage the next phase of work must be done via transfer dies,” explains Hari Srid- haran, Cimatron’s vice president of engineering. “CimatronE 11 makes it convenient for the user by combining progressive- and transfer-die design in a single interface.”
This feature also comes in handy should design ideas change midstream. “At the beginning of a project, designers may decide that a part is ideal for transfer, but at some point a progressive-die option is considered,” explains Sridharan. “Now they don’t have to scrap the transfer design and start over. They can switch it over with-
in the same interface.”
A single interface for differing die
types fits in well with the CimatronE 11 suite, which, through its CAD/CAM capabilities, promises the ability to navigate a project from quoting and design all the way through manufac- turing. And should changes be required, the new ECO Manager report-
edly offers effective assessment and seamless incorporation of any num- ber of engineering changes in an exist- ing project.
The new software version also enables concurrent work by several designers; a new nesting tool for trans- fer-die projects; and a new springback- analysis tool designed to reduce the need for time-eating shop-floor itera- tions. Each of these innovations lets designers create and not become bogged down in monotonous keyboard tasks that only add time and aggrava- tion to a project.
“Robust software combined with computing power eliminates steps and increases speed from the beginning to the end of a project,” Sridharan summarizes. “A designer recently told me that five years ago it took 25 steps to accomplish a certain task in the software, and today it takes just five steps. It’s not that 20 steps have disap- peared, but those steps have been automated.” MF
Awards of Excellence in Metalforming
Award winners benefit from:
• Being featured in the awards promotional display at the FABTECH tradeshow and being recognized at an awards ceremony during FABTECH
• Prominent coverage in MetalForming magazine, reaching more than 53,000 readers in the metalforming industry
• Customized press releases to customers, suppliers and metalworking audiences
• Recognition on PMA’s website, visited by more than 100,000 people annually
• Receiving a $1,500 cash prize (unless otherwise noted in the award description) and a commemorative plaque and flag
• Instilling a sense of accomplishment in their employees by creating awareness for the valuable contributions they make to the company’s products and services
Deadline to enter: May 31, 2013 visit www.pma.org/awards
PMA's Awards of Excellence program honors outstanding achievements in the following areas:
Design Educational Institution Process Control Product Development Productivity Quality
Safety Training and Education
48 MetalForming/May 2013
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