Strategic Tool Design Using Metal Forming Simulation Techniques

The emergence of metal forming simulation tools provides an excellent opportunity for forming engineers to analyze an existing or proposed design without having to experience the long and costly lead times associated with the traditional build and test process. Furthermore, this added flexibility allows the engineer to compare several different designs and select one based on some strategic criteria rather than simply selecting the first design that appears to meet the functional requirements of the part.

This paper presents a study in which three different tool designs for a common automobile component are analyzed using metal forming simulation. Specific pre and post processing methods were developed to select the best design based on a specific design criteria. The results of the analysis and a discussion of future trends in metal forming simulation are presented.