Method for the designing of tools

• US 7,894,929 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoForm Engineering GmbH
• Original Assignee: AutoForm Engineering GmbH
• Inventors: Kubli, Waldemar, Hillmann, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn; Darrin
• Application Number:
  US10/275,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,574 Days
• Field of Search: 700 95- 98, 700/117, 700145-146
• US Class Current: 700/145
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35533 Use, input 2-D data, sectional profile to machine 3-D surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for creating addendums (4) of tools for sheet metal formed parts (2) wherein fill surfaces (7) for the smoothing of irregular zones of a component edge (3) are generated. Initial directions (31) of sectional profiles (10) are determined such that sectional profiles (10) at a distance from one another are arranged along a component (3, 8). An addendum (4) is created connecting the sectional profiles (10).

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program, said program being configured to make a computer execute the steps of a method for designing a tool for deep drawing of sheet metal to form a sheet metal component having a predefined component geometry, said tool comprising a die, a binder and a punch, whereby the binder is used to fix the sheet metal in an edge zone of the die, before the sheet metal is pressed in a drawing direction by the means of the punch into the die, said tool comprising at least one addendum zone surrounding the component, said method comprising the following steps:

a. smoothing an irregular component edge by filling in a fill surface whereby a smooth component edge is formed and the fill surface runs into the predefined component geometry by a continuous tangent;

b. arranging along the smooth component edge at a distance from one another several sectional profiles directing away from the smooth component edge;

c. whereby the sectional profiles are parameterized by the means of profile parameters, the profile parameters being scalar values;

d. laterally interconnecting the sectional profiles by a continuous surface to form the geometry of the addendum zone of the tool, whereby

e. said addendum zone complements the component geometry in the edge zone and runs into the component and the binder with a continuous tangent.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein the smooth component edge is generated by virtual unrolling of a cylinder along the smooth component edge.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein the sectional profiles (10) do not run within a plane.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein a change of the characteristic line in a controlled manner influences several adjacent sectional profiles.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein the sectional profile is parameterized by profile parameters selecting at least one out of the group of the following elements:

component run-off length, component run-off radius, flange length, flange angle, draw bar height, draw bar width, draw bar radius, step height, step radius, wall angle, die radius.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 5, wherein one or more profile parameter is zero indicating the absence of an element related to said profile parameter.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein at least one intermediate profile is arranged between two sectional profiles and the addendum is formed by interconnecting the sectional profiles and the at least one intermediate profile.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 7, wherein the at least one intermediate profile is interpolated indirectly from at least one profile parameter and the profile parameters of the sectional profiles are interpolated, the at least one intermediate profile is interpolated based on the profile parameters of the sectional profiles, and the surface of the addendum is built up based on the sectional profiles and the at least one intermediate profile.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein characteristic lines are generated by one of the connection of characteristic points of a sectional profile and as a curve of parameter value in a diagram, and the characteristic points describe the principle course of the sectional profile.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program according to claim 1, wherein the sectional profiles are changeable with the utilization of the characteristic lines.