Page 38 - MetalForming March 2020

Die-Design and Sim. Software
Dynaform Version 6.0 die-system-simulation software. Dynaform 6.0 offers an all-new graphic user interface (GUI) with unified pre- and post-processing capabilities. Users quickly can conduct sheet metal stamping simulations to estimate the blank cost and formability of stamping parts using guided process wizards.
New features offered inside of Dynaform 6.0 include a simulation data manager; multiple windows for multi-stage simulation; large stamping simulation model with as many as 10 million elements; and a geometry manager.
Also new: instant and dynamic section cuts; Tata Steel forming limit diagram; Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel- based automatic report generation; automatic mesh gen- eration from surface data; and a process wizard for blank- size engineering.
The software also now provides a tree structure for blank- size engineering, formability simulation and part on/off in the display area.
“The new, simplified GUI features and process in Dynaform 6.0 will improve the efficiency and productivity of stamping engineers with no prior experience in stamping simulation,” says Dr. Akbar Farahani, CEO of ETA, commenting on the soft- ware’s ease of use.
ETA, Inc. (Engineering Technology Associates, Inc.): www.dynaform.com
Part-Unfolding Upgrades, Reverse-Engineering Enhancements and More
VISI 2020.1
TST Tooling Software has just released VISI 2020.1, offering several new and enhanced features that continue a dedication to specific CAD/CAM features for the made-to-order tooling industry. Included is a new graphical representation to sup- port designers when validating models for manufacturing. For example, Undercut\Accessibility shading offers the ability to define the default display of parts using three colors to represent the top, bottom and vertical faces. Users can define an angle up to which the faces are considered to be vertical. This useful graphical representation also can be activated during modeling operations. Also, users can now set transparency for one or more faces of a solid or sheet in the Faces Attributes manager, which provides an enhanced graphical representation on solid bodies.
To save time, the Picking on Edges feature has been enhanced by providing new options in the contextual menu, speeding the picking of edges in a loop on solid bodies. A new option enables automatic selection of all edges starting from the selected face. This is useful, for example, when adding radii on corner edges of a pocket or on edges of a punch. This VISI version also features an improved dynamic section command to create sections around an axis or along a curve.
The software’s Analyze Profile function allows users to analyze profiles to find gaps, small elements and cusps; find eventual inconsistencies such as overlapping sections; and
The Undercut option in VISI 2020.1 displays a part in three col- ors, representing the top, bottom and vertical faces. Users can define an angle up to which the faces are considered to be ver- tical. This graphical representation also can be activated during modeling operations.
obtain information about the profile (number of elements, length, etc.). And, users now have a major advantage when saving plot-view pages with the ability to include associated solids data.
VISI also provides enhancements for reverse-engineering needs, including more options for loading point-cloud data, and working around point-data noise. An Adapt Mesh to Element feature allows users to edit and automatically adapt the selected mesh to a defined entity, useful because a detected area can be defined as a correct geometry (slot for instance), or users can adjust and adapt the border of a spe- cific scanned area by using a segment or curve. Other features also support reverse engineering by enabling cre- ations of plane and radii surfaces from mesh.
New part-unfolding features include blanking and man- agement of parts with non-linear bends, enabling a user to modify the original part and rebuild the other unfolded parts in subsequent stations in one click. The goal: a robust and simple solution for studying and modifying a part by preserving the linking between the different unfolding steps. According to company officials, this capability is extremely useful as it updates all studied parts in a single click, offering time savings during die design and modification.
TST Tooling Software Technology: www.tst-software.com
New Capabilities in Tool Design and NC Programming
Cimatron 15
Cimatron 15, from 3D Systems, is the latest version of this CAD/CAM software that addresses the tool-making process from quoting to design, including application of engineering changes and NC programming.
Cimatron 15 introduces hundreds of new and enhanced capabilities for both tool design and NC programming, according to company officials, plus new mill/turn and con-
36 MetalForming/March 2020
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