Abstract
In order to reduce trial-and-error in the die design for automotive body panels, CAE systems for analysis of stamping tools have been introduced at the initial design stage recently. The current iterative process for simulation and redesign of stamping tools consists of the following three steps: automatic generation of shell meshes from CAD models for stamping tools, simulation of stamping process on CAE systems for formability evaluation, and modification of process parameters and/or local modification of tool geometry on CAD systems. In this process, however, when only a small part of the model is modified, the whole mesh for a modified CAD model should be regenerated for each iteration. In addition, if an automatic mesh generator does not provide a pe rfect mesh for the simulation, CAE engineers must correct the mesh interactively for each iteration. To solve these problems, in this paper, we propose local modification capabilities for shell meshes, which give a constant or variable radius of rounding directly to sharp edges of a die shoulder in a tool mesh. Using these capabilities, CAE engineers can modify meshes directly instead of CAD models.
As a result, the three steps of the current design-analysis iteration have been reduced to two steps: mesh modification and stamping process simulation, and the manpower and facilities for CAD works can be saved.