Motion analysis of progressive/transfer die stamping for cycle time reduction

长期技术服务公司是一家独立的咨询公司，与模具和工具制造商密切合作，使用西门子NX CAD/CAM/CAE软件来提高他们的生产力。该公司最近创建了一个附加软件工具，以与现有的NX级进模向导相结合。附加软件工具允许由NX级进模向导建模的级进或转移模具通过计算机模拟进行验证。这大大减少了使用物理原型的验证时间。尽管如此，仍然需要进一步的开发来提高整个过程的效率。特别是，由于板料与冲压模具之间的碰撞显然是不可取的，通常采用过于保守的板料进给速度。由于连续冲压操作的复杂性，确定最佳进料速度是非常具有挑战性的。作为现有软件工具的一部分，该项目将开发一个新的运动分析模块，以最大限度地提高金属板的进料速度

Longterm Technology Services Inc. is an independent consulting firm that works closely with the die/mold and tooling manufacturers to use the Siemens NX CAD/CAM/CAE software to improve their productivity. The company recently created an add-on software tool to couple with the existing NX Progressive Die Wizard. The add-on software tool allows the progressive or transfer die modeled by the NX Progressive Die Wizard to be validated via computer simulation. This significantly reduces the validation time using physical prototypes. Nonetheless, further development is still needed to improve the overall process efficiency. In particular, as collision between the sheet metal stock and the stamping tooling is clearly not preferable, overly conservative feeding speed of the sheet metal stock is often employed. Due to the complexity of the successive stamping operations, it is very challenging to identify the optimal feeding speed. A new motion analysis module as part of the existing software tool will be developed in this project to maximize the feeding speed of the sheet metal stock with the explicit objective to reduce the overall progressive/transfer die stamping cycle time. The proposed project aims to improve the efficiency and ensure the reliability of progressive/transfer die stamping via kinematic motion analysis and simulation. A kinematic model of the stamping press with all of its designed tooling and feeding mechanism is to be constructed first. It is then used to analyze and simulate the movement of the sheet metal stock along the successive stamping stations. In particular, the coordination of the stamping stroke of the stamping press and the continual motion of the feeding mechanism is to be analyzed in detail and optimized for cycle time reduction. The enhanced software tool will directly benefit Longterm Technology Service as well as the Canadian die/mold and tooling manufacturers. Canada has a sizable automobile stamping industry. The prospective development will thus have a huge potential economic impact and will definitely help the Canadian manufacturers to compete globally.