Die Design goes full bore into another dimension

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Die Design goes full bore into another dimension

Proeber, Raymond J.

The growing use of 3D die design in the American company 'Accurate DieDesign' has resulted in highly accurate tooling delivered on a timely basis without excessive and costly tryouts or time-consuming redrafts. The present article outlines the advantages of 3D over 2D die design. As the first step in creating a 3D design the usability of the imported model has to be determined. With a bent part, in most cases the imported model is all one need. With a stamped part, sometimes the part must be recreated using the original as a guide. Another important initial step when designing a die for a stamped part is to run the part through formability-analysis software to predict problems in forming the part. The next step involves creating a solid model of the strip to minimize or eliminate design changes that normally occur downstream when designing in 2D. An example of an 80-inch-long, 13-station progressive die that was modeled in Solid-Works along with Logopress3 die-design software is given. The die is used by a supplier of automotive stamped components.