AutoForm News

September 1, 2008

Allgaier, AutoForm and Tebis are Tackling Challenging Market Demands with an Innovative Approach

The die-making industry is facing almost impossible challenges with ever shorter delivery times and more and more competitive prices. The limitations given by traditional methods, have forced Allgaier to explore new options. As a result, AutoForm Engineering GmbH and Tebis AG are supporting Allgaier to implement an innovative approach in order to meet the challenging market demands.

Part modifications or problems during the tryout phase due to springback effects are daily routine in the die-making industry. They result in higher costs and only become visible late in the tooling development cycle, by trial and error. Compared to this, Allgaier proposed the implementation of software tools that can already in an early stage optimize the process planning, die face design and complete forming process. In order to assess and validate this approach, Allgaier used a sheet metal part of an SUV produced by a premium manufacturer.

Comparison of part geometry (red) with reference geometry (green) before springback compensation (top) and after springback compensation (bottom)

One of the new software tools was provided by AutoForm. Starting from CATIA data, AutoForm’s software enabled an accurate and rapid validation of a robust manufacturing process, taking real industrial conditions into account. This includes springback calculation and its compensation long before the tryout. This type of approach minimizes the number of correction loops and improves the planning reliability. In order to maintain the digital data flow, Tebis software was used right afterwards. Tebis software and its interface to AutoForm enabled the generation of high-quality milling surfaces, based on the AutoForm mesh data. Even the changes of the initial process concept were automatically transferred from AutoForm to Tebis, resulting in a push-button actualization of the die surfaces. As a result, Allgaier could eliminate the time-consuming process of multiple die surface designs in CATIA V5.

Production of a sheet metal part for a premium SUV manufacturer

Despite numerous unknowns at the beginning of the project, Allgaier has successfully completed the project with the support and expertise of both partners. The acquisition of additional software, both from AutoForm and Tebis, proves Allgaier’s trust in this new approach.

Mr. Helmar Assfalg, General Manager of Allgaier, explains: “With this innovative approach, Allgaier continues to strengthen its reputation as a high-quality tool & die manufacturer. The acknowledged product quality will also be achieved in the future, including shorter delivery times and even more competitive prices.”