EasyStamping.com | News & Articles

It is with great enthusiasm we start this blog, to make comment on forming and stamping simulation technology and how it is affecting our industry as we progress into the future.

We have seen large automotive companies like Daymler-Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Renault and others use forming simulation since the early 1990s. In fact, this is basically where forming simulation was developed. However, it was reserved for the large parent companies that had resources, money and time to throw at the technology in order to take it to the level where it is now.

The primary focus for these companies was to simulate their own in house die work (usually skin panels like doors, fenders, roof, hood and trunk lid) to solve problems with tooling AFTER it was fabricated and trialed. This was RE-ACTIVE engineering, that is, waiting for the problem to occur then using engineering tools to assist with solution.

As we know, the industry has progressed in huge steps from these earlier days and the same parent companies still use the technology, but as a PRO-ACTIVE engineering tool. As soon as preliminary designs are released, production engineers are analyzing formability and material yield, using forming simulation software. The results are then fed back into the design cycle and changes are made on CAD, before any tool steel is cut. The cycle repeats until the designer meets the design requirements AND the production engineers manufacturing requirements.

In the past, I have been involved with new product projects and upon presenting designs to toolmakers I have been met with comments such as “Don’t worry about that! If you can design it, we can make it!”; a proud toolmaker who enjoys the challenge of making a complex tool to make a poorly designed product. This is a costly approach.

Recently, large automotive companies started asking their suppliers to be the production engineers. That is, the large parent companies design the product and then request feedback from their suppliers often PRIOR to awarding the job, in order to improve their designs, improve manufacturability and sort out those suppliers who are capable and those who are not.

Naturally, the large parent companies now expect the smaller suppliers and toolmakers to provide virtual analysis in order to support their requests for product shape changes or cost down ideas. And of course, it is not satisfactory to simply highlight an area of high compression and resulting wrinkles, but a solution must also be presented (such as an addition of a material soaker in the part design). These are the suppliers and toolmakers that the large companies are looking for.

So it is with great enthusiasm we provide this service to the industry, to give smaller companies access to the tools they need to win new work and remain suppliers to the big guys. Forming simulation outside of the large companies is still in its infancy. But with services such as this online, it is in the reach of even the smallest company.

Welcome to our site!