Background information & Tips for the DieDesign demo1. New Die Project Die Wizard Die Setup2. Forming Shapes

Station#1 Master & FormCS Station#2 Skin & Face Corner3. Preliminary Design

Blank Nesting4. Forming Shapes Continue Station#3 Close holes Station#4 Local Blank Station#5 Un-Bend & Local blank Station #6 - Blank Station#7 Blank Wire only.

Add second Forming row.5. Strip

Nesting Strip Dimension Trimming, Punches & Dimplesi. Add Carriersii. Create reference sketches for the Punchesiii. Create the Pilot Punchiv. Create Composite Curves.

v. Mirror Wirevi. Create Punchesvii. Progressive Copyviii. Edit Punchix. Place Forming ShapesConventions:

The 1st column is entitled of the main subject.

The 2nd column includes the to do steps. ().The 3rd column includes the relevant pictures.

The 4th column includes:

Tips: that are recommended to be mentioned through the demo

Notes:Necessary information for the demonstrator. You may also mention it through the demo.

The 5th column includes Useful information for the demonstrator. (Expand your knowledge).1. New Die Project

InstructionsPictureTips & notes for the demonstratorUseful information

a. Die Wizard Mention the powerful DI package.

The Die application can deal with up to two different forming shape parts. Mirror part is considered as a different part.

Copy and move the master file to the same location of the die assembly file, such as all files of the project will be under the same folder.(the original file will not be overwrite.)

b. Die Setup Here, you may define various parameters such as Thickness, material, K Factor etc,

Once the parameters were set pressing OK, will keep the new parameters for this project. For setting the values to be the default parameters for any new Die job, press the Save as default icon.

Materials

Appendix.A

K factor

Appendix B

2. Forming Shapes

Preparations

Before continuing the demo, activate the main assembly; change the display quality to 0.75 on main assembly. Apply to all Assembly.

Change the color of the part to yellow and the background to gradient blue.

a. Station#1 master + FormCS

FormCS: Because the Form CS is lying on the strip UCS, and it is the Z=0 of the carrier, we will choose to define the Form CS on a face that will not changed its height (this will be theZero Z level of the forming shape), and will be used as a reference plane for other faces that will be changed (bend, unfold etc.

Create FormCS

Hide Datums

Switch to top view

b. Station#2

Skin

It is important to give a meaningful name, for easier control of the assembly.

Note that in this stage you are creating the forming shapes which you intend to place in the strip. It is a planning stage, which means that not necessarily all forming shapes will be used in the strip

Add forming shapes options.

(Appendix C)

Why Skin?

Easy to build on skin.

Working faster

Using the skin option enabled a clearer analyze of the operations. FTI works on skin

This skin shape will be considered as the final part in the die strip

Offset to the faces will be applied in later stages of creating the punches.

Face Corners

Face Corner:

Enables to add a corner (round) to faces on sharp corners (free edges) of a skinned object

Emphasis the automatic preview of the rounds. Internal & external rounds

option to set local radius

3. Preliminary Design

Preliminary Design

In this step we are going to examine the part. We will get essential information such as the blank size, thickness analysis, strain analysis, and the strip size. At this early stage we will have enough information for quotation.

Blank

This tool is uses a 3rd party engine (named FTI), which is based on finite element algorithms for blanking (unfolding) a set of adjacent (stitched) faces and creating a flat wire-body. The result created is based on a list of parameters such as, material type, thickness, some 2D boundary conditions and more.

The Blank operation is:

Very fast and accurate.

Although it is a 3rd party engine, it is a fully integrated in the system. The

GUI is the same as used in the entire Cimatron E application.

The Blank operation is part of the history (will go through regeneration) & editable.

The default values are taken from the Setup we have previously defined. However you may change these values to this specific operation.

The system simplifies the result by retrieving analytical geometries, which are easier to work with.(Creating punches in later stages).

Blank Parameters

(Appendix D)

You may select the transfer entities by dragging a large box. The system automatically picks only faces that were not selected in the first stage. The transfer entities will not be calculated through the FTI but will be transferred as is to the resulted blank.

Show Analysis results: operation is used to display analysis data. This option can only be used on a file where a blank is being calculated, or has already been created.

You may also enter the analysis tool from the guide, after the blank has been created.

This analysis displays the thickness stain analysis range between 10 and -20. This option enables evaluating the formality of stamping. A negative value indicates the part is thinning out. Severe thinning indicates splitting can occur and thickening can indicate wrinkling can occur

NestingWe will now briefly create the nesting; we will place the blank forming shapes into the strip and organize them in a layout manner. Using this option we can control the utilization of the strip by arranging the blanks in the most efficient way

We will get into the nesting in more detailed at a later stage.

The system notifies you of a wrong Distance by highlighting the Actual Distance parameter in red.

4. Forming Shape Continue

Station #3 Close Holes

The Die Design Guide designed especially to suite your work. It contains special tools for the Die application. It also contains a regular CAD tool are commonly used in the Die application. Further more these CAD tools come with the default parameters or different names suited for the Die project. (For example: Close Holes is the function Modify Boundary).

The holes in the strip will be performed after the part is bended, to prevent distortion of the hole.

Station #4 Local Blank

The Local Blank operation enables the developer to blank (meaning, unfold) a defined set of adjacent (stitched) faces and create a flat face in reference to a fixed face

Very powerful for blanking local areas.

Offset the fixed boundary

(Appendix E)

Reposition of the Form CS

Hide the irrelevant UCS. Show Front view to see the new location. Hide Datums.

Fixing the dimple's geometry

The system operate in to keep the focus og the user on the geometry:

Selecting the geometry and then open a popup menu to select a functions

Immediate function; for example Datum/Plane The immediate function result is automatically selected as input for the main function.

Show the ability to change direction of arrow.

.

You may easily Customize the Guide according to suit you the most. Right click the menu, scroll down and select the Customize option

Select the command; Edit\Mirror.

Drag it to locate the option below the Face icon. Close the dialog.

To delete the icon, simply re enter the Customize dialog, right click the icon from the guide and select Delete.

Station#5 Un-Bend & Local blank

Remove & Extend. CimatronE is a hybrid software; solid operating on skin. Very powerful and unique.

Select the dimples in Right to Left mode to select only the dimples and not the other faces

Unbend

The Unbend operation enables you to unbend and flatten specific areas of the die part along cylindrical (and cone) faces.

The length of the original cylindrical faces remains the same without any changes after the unbending result is achieved.

Bend/Unbend options(Appendix F )

Local Blank

Station #6 Blank

The first optional step; Define Boundary (Fixed) Conditions enables you to define fixed boundaries in specific areas of the object. The fixed entities will keep their size and location after the blank operation.

Color the contour in blank

Use the curve filter to select the only the curves.

Station#7 Blank Wire only

The Add new option allows you to add a new blank part. You may later import or create new sketches in this blank forming shape.

Add second Forming row.

Easy to edit from 1 row to 2

Copy the mirror word in the document name field ( Ctrl+C)

Paste it in all other mirror parts that we will add. (It will save you the time of retyping the word)

Result of this step an be found in: Model_DD_forming shapes.ctfSimple way to arrange your environment

5. StripStrip; In this stage we will define the Nesting; the Strip dimensions, and we will add carrier, trimming and punches.

Nesting

The Strip Guide contains all necessary tools required for the strip operations

The actual distance is determined by the strip width (between the two rows), or by the Progression (between two neighbor forming shapes). It always shows the minimum actual distance among the two.

Rotate row; You may use the arrow tab to select a line that will define the direction

Information regarding utilization is dynamically changed according to the current nesting layout.

The Nesting show a Fast feedback preview.

The user has full control including optimization of the free parameters.

Strip Dimension

The strip can be controlled through length or progression number.The Defaults are taken from "Setup.

Trimming, Punches & DimplesAdd Carriers.

The carrier is the part of the sheet that remained untrimmed along the stations. This part is carrying the blank until its final shape in the last station.

You may prepare your pre defined catalog carrier. (Part with the required parametric sketch).

Create reference sketches for the Punches

Notice the structure of the Strip assembly.

Strip part: The Strip which represents the metal sheet. After completing the "Strip Dimension" stage The strip (rectangle skin) face is created in the "Strip Part". The strip is editable, through the "Strip Dimension" option. The strip contains all Punch/Trim, Progressive copy operations and composite curves.(These operations will automatically be created under the strip part)Assisting Part: The assisting Part contains all wire operations such as sketcher, corner etc, (These operations will automatically be created under the Assisting Part).

Blanks: After completing the "Nesting" stage, the blank(s) parts are added to the "Strip" sub-assembly as instances.

Create the Pilot Punch

The pilot is centralizing the sheet metal to ensure that the blank will be positioned accurately in each progressive station.

Keep/Remove Scraps(Appendix G )

Crete Composite Curves

2D Single indication; Click somewhere inside the area of the composite curve you would like to create.

The system automatically finds the smaller closed contour that surrounding the pick point.

Mirror Wire

The Mirror Wire option is a regular copy mirror option, however only the wire filter is on. (The system suits the defaults according to the application needs).

Create Punches

Emphasis the simulation of the strip, showing the punches, and the trimmed areas along the strip.

Progressive Copy The Progressive Copy enables you to copy any type of geometry from specific forming shapes to any location on the strip

Note that the dimples are automatically placed in the right location and orientation

You may select the option: Both Rows incase the dimple is symmetric to both rows.

The option Dont Mark First Appearance will not create a Punch for the copied shape. To create a Punch, toggle this option.

Edit Punch.

Very flexible application. Very fast and easy to edit punches.

Place the forming shapes

You may also show how to edit the progressive copy to a specific station number.

Edit the progressive copy of the mirror dimples. Up to the 5th station

Very simple to edit the strip dimension, adding progressions etc,.

The system automatically displays all available points in the strip to place the forming shape in.

Hide the blank wires for a clearer display

Very flexible service. Adding/delete, relocating forming shapes

Appendix A -MaterialsVarious Materials are supplied with the software. The material file contains all the information required for the FTI analysis, Blank and Local Blank operations.

Press the following link to view the material file structure:

Material file structure.docAppendix B - K factor

The K factor determines the neutral face. The length of the neutral face (sheet) is the total length of unfolded model (flat faces).

Appendix C - Add Forming Shapes

Three more options to add a forming shape are available:

1. Open another ELT file. 2. Import a file directly from DI. 3. Add new; add a new empty part, you may which to add a blank part and to create sketches. The Copy Part option, is a copy of the master part like save as option

Copy part import: Selecting this option, the system creates a new part, import the master and disassociate itAppendix D - Blank ParametersThickness: Enter the required thickness of the sheet metal in the relevant field. The default value is derived from the pre-defined parameter in the die application.

Neutral Skin/ Selected Skin: Neutral Skin; Calculate the Neutral skin; the total length of the neutral skin remain the same is not affected by the punch operation. (The system calculates it according to various parameters) Bending Type: Select the Bending Type - Form option to form the bending type or toggle to Bending Type - Drawto draw the bending type.

Bending Type Form: When forming a part using a Form Die (illustrated below) use the Form Die forming process. This process is typically used in progressive dies and simple flanging operations.

In this type of operation, the blank material is not pulled through a radius, it is simply bent around it. As a result, there are no additional strains produced by friction.

Bending Type Draw:

When forming a part using draw die (as illustrated below), it is recommended to use the Draw Die forming process. As material passes over the radius on the die, additional strain is added to the part due to the friction between the part and the die and the bending and unbending process. These additional strains are not present when a part is manufactured using a form die.

The friction and bending effects are automatically considered by Forming Suite when the Draw Die setting is turned on. The Draw Die process formulation determines the areas of curvature on the part and adds the required forces and strains to any material that would flow over them during forming

Simplify Edges Tol.: The system tries to convert the geometry to analytical results (retrieving arcs, splines etc,.) within the specified tolerance.Accuracy: The accuracy can be set to three different levels, (High, Normal, Low.) the more accurate setting results a finest triangulation but a slower calculation.

Appendix E - Offset the fixed boundaryIn some cases the result of the local blank is not good. For example in this exercise, if we had selected the two faces as the reference faces (Picture1), The fixed boundary was as shown in Picture 2 and the result was as shown in Picture 3.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

To enlarge the affected area of the blank and to move the fixed edge closer to the center of the body (Picture 2), we have picked the reference face as we did (1 face) Picture 1. The result was improved.Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Generally if the offset we had apply was not enough, we could have split the reference face and select a smaller portion of it, to enlarge the affected area of the blank.

Appendix F Bend/Unbend options:

Fix Radius Fix center:

The center of the original cylinder face remain the same, the new length (L1) of the cylindrical face is determined by the set angle (30). The rest part of the cylindrical face is being flattened tangent to the cylindrical face.

Before Unbend

After Unbend

Fix Radius Move center:

The new arc length (L1) is calculated according to the defined angle. The rest part of the cylindrical (L2) face is being flattened. The center of the arc moves by DELTA = L2

Appendix G Keep/Remove ScrapsIn the following example you will see when it is the necessary to use these options.

In this example we are about to trim the blanks. (Later the forming shapes will be placed instead). One blank row was already trimmed.

When trimming the blank with the option: Remove Scraps,

The result is that the scrap (the carrier in this example) is also removed.

When trimming the blank with the option: Keep Scraps

The result is that the scrap (the carrier in this example) is being kept.