AutoForm News

 
July 04, 2005:
Franke Increases Production Quality of Kitchen Sinks with AutoForm-OneStep Software

Franke Küchentechnik AG of Switzerland, a leading manufacturer worldwide of kitchen sinks and washroom systems, has reduced the reject rate in their stamping of a complex stainless steel sink from 14% to 2,5% – an improvement of more than 500% – using AutoForm-OneStep software.

Attractive and multi-functional – the sink "Franke Beach"

Christian Bomatter, Franke Küchentechnik’s Development Manager explains: "AutoForm-OneStep is used for all of our new deep-drawn and stamped parts, for the optimization and reengineering of existing parts, as well as for feasibility studies based on FEM assessments. Simulation has become an integral part of our work, and it is now deeply anchored in our quality procedures. AutoForm-OneStep offers us many advantages: We can make appropriate assessments about new sink designs and their formability, we better achieve our design objectives, and we can design parts at acceptable formability limits with a lot more confidence.”

Thinning as a result of deep drawing is pictured in different colors. It's one of the most important criteria for optimization of the part.

AutoForm-OneStep is a software solution with a wide range of applications in process development: from product formability assessments and material cost optimization, to support of tooling development and process layout. The software is used by product designers, engineers and process designers, and allows for optimizations of product designs and for assessments of new materials. AutoForm-OneStep customers include such leading companies as BMW, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Nissan.

Christian Bomatter adds: “We are extremely pleased with AutoForm-OneStep. To be able to work successfully with the software, the user should have some basic forming knowledge. We have been getting very good results and have already processed many new parts. In addition, we have gained a lot of experience and our assessments are realistic and entirely consistent with measurements of the final stamped parts. The software allows us to optimize the parts prior to their production, which saves us both time and money.“

Press Release [pdf - 97 KB], Image 1, Image 2

Contact:
Dr. Markus Thomma
Director of Marketing
AutoForm Engineering GmbH
Technoparkstrasse 1
CH-8005 Zurich
Switzerland