AutoForm Tooling and Tryout Solution:
Application Examples

The AutoForm Tooling and Tryout Solution is the fastest and most accurate tryout solution for multi-stage processes. Using this solution, the process planners and tool designers can create, optimize and validate the entire sheet metal forming process. They can obtain all the information needed to define a robust production process for sheet metal parts, thus allowing process planning, tool design and manufacturing to reach a new level of efficiency and reliability.

Volvo Cars Form and Function

Volvo Cars Body Components uses AutoForm CAE software for draw-die development/optimization, layout of trimming and flanging tools, detection of surface defects, calculation and compensation of springback, optimization of material usage etc. Pre-production work includes die development, simulated forming, analysis and the manufacture of the formed dies. A lot of dies are analyzed to support all the new car models in production.

“Some car manufacturers distinguish between simulation and final validation and they like to have two or three different software codes for final validation but we only use AutoForm,” commented Kristoffer Trana, Senior Forming Analysis Engineer at Volvo Cars Body Components.

“The AutoForm Tooling and Tryout Solution allows us to simulate more processes,” added Trana. “We need high precision and we are constantly trying different processes and simulations to find optimum between product attributes and manufacturability. One indicator from using sheet metal forming simulation is that the quality of try-out and the body of the first series production car is so much better than it was five years ago.”
 

Springback Compensation

With version 4.1, AutoForm again demonstrates its innovative strengths, fully integrating geometry compensation for springback in its existing software. Therefore, die-face engineers can directly take into account springback results and compensate the appropriate tool geometry. Automatically, springback values of the stamped part are transferred to the draw die, both for free and clamped springback. Compensation regions are automatically determined and can also be modified manually. The link between springback results and tool geometry and the definition of compensation is realized with just a few parameters. Compensation of the die faces is implemented in the opposite direction of springback, with the same value. The computation of the compensation value is performed in a few minutes with the most modern algorithms, and the compensated tool geometry is automatically used as input for the next simulation. With few optimization loops, a final stamping can be achieved within the required tolerances. The die-face engineer’s work is therefore reduced to a minimum.
 

MAN Commercial Vehicles Implements AutoForm Software

MAN Commercial Vehicles Group, which is one of the leading international manufacturers of commercial vehicles and employs more than 34000 employees, has chosen AutoForm software for sheet metal forming optimization in its Gustavsburg plant.

According to Mr. Bernd Güntzel, Head of Production at MAN Commercial Vehicles in Gustavsburg, “we use the forming simulation software for the entire product range that we produce: stamped parts with sheet gauge thickness from 0.8mm to 1.2mm. AutoForm software is used especially during the planning phase when the process layout is defined and to support the design of die faces. The software solution convinced us because it fulfils all our requirements for process layout and design of die faces. … AutoForm software ensures the manufacturability of formed parts already during process layout, and reduces tooling and tryout costs.”
 

AutoForm Software at Werkzeugbau Laichingen GmbH

The company Werkzeugbau Laichingen GmbH was one of the first medium-sized companies in Germany, which started using AutoForm software ten years ago. Since then, numerous stamping processes have been optimized using AutoForm software and its field of applications has been expanded further in the company.

One of the reasons for choosing AutoForm software was the achieved process reliability. The accurate simulation results enable appropriate measures regarding the critical areas of failures, already during the design phase. Such measures reduce the risks for typical part modifications.

Using the AutoForm Tooling and Tryout Solution, the experts could expand their knowledge regarding the entire process, being able to observe it virtually. This is extremely important, considering an increasing number of new materials, when often even industry experts are faced with limits. The AutoForm Tooling and Tryout Solution pushs these limits and allows successful and easy implementation of new materials.