NX Progressive Die Design - NX progressive die design module. Three Siemens NX Success Stories The integrated system is the ideal solution

Many objects that surround us in everyday life are made of plastic or contain plastic parts. Moreover, plastic is especially common in the most modern designs, and the more modern the object, the more likely it is made almost entirely of plastic parts. They try to make not only body parts, but also often bearing elements, and numerous parts of mechanisms from plastics. And if we take into account such an industry as the production of consumer goods, then polymers not only occupied their niche there, but also significantly pressed the traditionally used materials.

What is it connected with?

Like metals and other materials used by man in production, plastics are a structural material. But it is wrong to consider them as just a structural material.

Polymers have a number of properties that are unique in their kind. Most plastics are highly dyeable and have excellent electrical and thermal insulation properties.

But the most important and most valuable property is that plastic is easier to give the necessary shape compared to metal or other structural material. It is enough to correctly build a forming cavity, and we can get an almost unlimited number of parts of the same type. And to obtain the same parts from metal, it will be necessary to perform either stamping operations, or cutting operations, or other rather complex technological processes.

The combination of all these properties determines the mass use of polymers in modern industry.

Polymer parts are obtained using molds. The mold making process itself is rather complicated and associated with considerable costs. But, as already mentioned, once you make a mold, you can get a lot of details. Therefore, the production of parts using molds can only pay off if the products are mass-produced. The more parts received in a short time, the faster the molds will pay off.

Based on this, we can formulate two main tasks for the process of designing and manufacturing molds - to make it as cheaply and as quickly as possible, with a given quality of the resulting product.

The first task follows logically from the tasks of the plastic parts themselves. As already mentioned, the mold can pay off only with the mass production of products. But what to do if there are few parts needed, and parts are needed specifically from polymers - from a different material they are not suitable for technological reasons, often because a different method of obtaining a batch of parts is even more expensive. This means that it is still necessary to make a mold, use an injection molding machine, purchase material for these parts, and so on. The most obvious way to save money in production is to make the production process as cheap as possible. This can be achieved using databases of standardized parts - GOST, standards of mold manufacturers ( EMC, DME and others). Interchangeable standard parts with already proven technology of their production help to unify the mold production process. You can also carefully calculate how much and where material and energy must be applied to achieve the best result - this will help us to do CAD-CAE -systems. This will also help to save on material and energy, not to invest too much in the design.

That is, the use of standardization and design automation tools can reduce the cost of production and design time.

The second task is related to the fact that the product should appear on the market as soon as possible. Fierce competition in the industry has only intensified in recent years, many goods are produced that are essentially the same type. And the consumer often chooses according to some small number of properties. For example, a new product is offered with a minimum of new features, but the body of the product and the layout of the control elements are completely different from the old one. Customers like it, and the product begins to be in demand. But competitors also develop their own design, create their own line, and soon their products begin to be in demand. And, if you do not create something new in the shortest possible time, then you can very quickly find that they are buying not your products, but the products of competitors.

The methods used to solve the first problem are also applicable to the solution of the second problem. Taking a workpiece from the database, there is no need to design a new plate, bushing, pusher or other part of the mold set, it is faster to conduct the design process itself. And in fact, all design can be reduced only to the construction of new form-building elements, which would be an ideal option.

Let's take a closer look at CAD.

There is no doubt that working in a CAD environment can speed up and reduce the cost of the design process. But most CAD systems are created with the understanding that they will be able to create any kind of design with their help. The design object itself is not specifically discussed. Meanwhile, in the design of specific groups of objects - for example, stamps - there is a set of techniques that allow you to speed up the process of designing these particular objects, and is hardly applicable to other production objects. For example, a set of standard parts, tools for calculating and choosing a die type, etc. And these things are unlikely to come in handy when designing something else.

The same applies to all other structures.

It is extremely difficult to make a complete computer-aided design system, a kind of global CAD that will take into account the design of all objects in general, is extremely difficult. The costs of this system will never be recovered, the system simply will not pay off - the area of ​​\u200b\u200buse of such a system will be too specific, its complexity will be too great.

And therefore they are trying to create a certain average CAD , a core in which you can theoretically create anything you want, but at an average level. That is, when working with CAD partly, in the end, a three-dimensional solid model of the production object will be obtained, and its drawings will also be obtained.

Let's return to the second task, which is described above. We need to do it as quickly as possible, but, let me remind you, without sacrificing quality! And also to evaluate the option that will be the cheapest for us, that is, associated with the lowest production costs.

Himself CAD , which includes three-dimensional solid design, as such, gives us a lot of flexibility in designing and sorting out design options, but still, the speed is clearly not sufficient.

And then another solution was found in the world. If you can not get a fully automated design system, why not automate the design of individual groups of objects?

That is, a certain application is offered to the main CAD program, a software module that works with the main program, which contains everything necessary for designing a specific structure.

The use of these modules allows you to reduce design time even more than when working with only one CAD -kernel, and at the same time does not overload the main program with unnecessary functions. The main program serves as a core on which auxiliary modules are based.

Almost all modern CAD systems offer mold design solutions. The resulting complexes for the preparation of the manufacture of molds - the core CAD and a software module containing special functions to assist in the design of molds - are used very widely both abroad and in our country.

At the same time, the level of automation and user participation in the mold design process in some cases differ quite significantly.

NX Progressive Die Design - NX progressive die design module

Al Dean

The design of progressive dies is closely related to other pre-production processes, which becomes especially noticeable when changes are made. Al Dean, author of the article, explored Siemens PLM Software's set of specialized NX system tools to help with this complex task.

In recent years b about Most of the published information about Siemens' flagship NX system was dedicated to HD-PLM and synchronous technology, but much less was said about the long tradition of using this product in technological pre-production. Today, NX is a set of truly integrated CAD/CAM systems that enable the enterprise to transfer data between the stages of preliminary design, engineering and manufacturing, as well as a wide range of technologies for tooling, CNC program development and much more. In version NX 7, the possibilities for designing progressive dies have been significantly expanded, and it is these that we will consider in this review.

Construction of sweeps

As with any progressive die design tool, the starting point is the part being made. As a rule, these are details of a complex shape, having a constant thickness and many elements obtained by flexible, punching, extrusion. Even at a basic level, it is clear that Siemens' geometric modeling tools offer advantages over many other common systems.

The process of designing progressive dies is carried out in the reverse order: starting with the final shape of the part, which is successively unrolled until a flat workpiece is obtained. To accomplish this task, Siemens has built into the system a variety of tools that either use an automatic processor or, for more complex cases, allow the user to manually unfold folds and punches.

Undoubtedly, it is easiest to unfold parts with straight fold lines, which have a relatively simple geometry. Thanks to synchronous technology, the system can work with both its own and imported geometry, as well as quickly identify all the bends in the part. The user then creates stamping steps and specifies the order in which they are applied to the blank strip. Each subsequent stage is interconnected with the previous one, which allows you to quickly make changes.

More complex details require user intervention, but the power of the geometry core and NX simulation functions come to the rescue. When designing flat patterns or intermediate blank shapes for a complex stamped part, the user needs to not only analyze the resulting geometry (from which the part will be created), but also make sure that unnecessary stresses do not accumulate in the sheet material, and that the worst thing does not happen - the blank breaks. The system has many built-in specialized tools that facilitate the analysis of the forming process. They use techniques similar to the FEM and allow you to create accurate and manufacturable forms of workpieces. In fact, the system creates a mesh along the midplane of the part in question (although the mesh can be applied to both the outer and inner surfaces). The mesh is then adapted to the ideal surface onto which the part is deployed. The mesh allows you to track the degree of stretching of the material and serves as the basis for simulation of stamping.

Workflow: How to Flatten a Complex Part Divide a Part into Linear Regions and Freeform Regions Specify Linear Prebends and Springback Allowances Using one-step calculation (built-in CAE formability analysis tools), define intermediate and flat areas Simulate transitions between linear and freeform parcels Use synchronous technology to refine the shape of the workpiece - remove unnecessary elements and fine-tune the dimensions of the material Set the processing sequence

Next, the system calculates the transition from one blank shape to another. The entire course of the calculation is documented using reports in HTML format, which capture the decision-making process in the appropriate context.

For many parts, this approach (straight bends or free-form surfaces) is not so obvious, and in such cases the system allows users to combine these modeling techniques as needed. It may turn out that a part requires one complex shaping operation to produce, and the rest of it is obtained using straight bend tools and other structural elements.

Once the design of the stamping steps has been completed, the next step is to optimally place the blanks on the strip being advanced through the die. It is simple and requires minimal user intervention, which may only be needed to create unique features, such as grooves for the correct orientation of the strip, as well as overlaps and undercuts for cutting it. In times of austerity, it is essential to use material as efficiently as possible (or, in other words, get the least amount of waste). The system constantly displays the material utilization rate, and the unused part of the workpiece is highlighted in color. Thus, the user, by changing the distance between the workpieces in the strip and rearranging the stamping stages, achieves the maximum yield of parts without compromising quality or manufacturability.

Die block design

The next step is to design the die block. As with most modern mold and die design applications, the tools in NH Progressive Die Design are based on vendor catalogs. This allows users to quickly select standard assemblies from selected suppliers.

If you're in the business of producing unique tooling, then you've got all the power of NX modeling at your service. However, the refinement of existing models seems to be more effective, since the intelligence contained in them is preserved. In addition to the catalog of stamping plates, the system has a whole library of nodes, which also describe methods for obtaining mandatory fasteners, for example, by drilling or threading. After placing the fasteners, you can proceed to the creation of the shaping geometry, which produces the desired part.

The sequence of operations is designed and simulated to verify the correctness of the technologist's intent

At this stage, the fact that the user is working with an intelligent model is important. Although experienced technologists have a good idea of ​​where tooling collisions are likely to occur, an accurate picture cannot be obtained until a variety of punching, bending and forming inserts are built. NX provides template-driven operations for creating such features. These operations include: selecting surfaces that make up a cut or mass, extending these surfaces and creating a shank, as well as other additional details (such as supports, slopes, flanges, etc.), and then - cuts or pockets associated with them. This will even add a small gap to ensure that the die inserts can be removed if necessary, and the individual inserts can be assembled into a single assembly. A large number of other functions are also available.

If possible, these elements are reused in different operations. For example, if the same holes or other cuts are punched into a part, they can be copied and reused, while maintaining a connection with the original data. This is perhaps the biggest benefit of systems like NX Progressive Die Design. When working with both your own geometry and imported "dead" geometry, all further work becomes associative. Changes and amendments are greatly simplified. In addition, the data can be reused in future projects.

In production

Since this solution is based on the NX platform, its tools allow you to use additional features of the system. An excellent example of this is the simulation of die kinematics. It helps to check that the various parts in the assembly do not collide or intersect and that the die as a whole is functioning correctly. Of course, after the design of the stamp is completed and all inconsistencies are eliminated, the next stage is preparation for production.

First of all, this is the generation of tool paths for processing dies, punches and inserts. NX has an enviable reputation as a CAM system and has many advantages not only in the production of plates by drilling, milling and EDM, but also in the creation of inserts. Inserts often have complex shapes that require 5-axis machining to successfully and efficiently reproduce. In addition to technological considerations, it should be noted a wide range of tools for the development of documentation for the stamp - and not only from a technological point of view, but also for describing the assembly, installation and maintenance of the stamp.

Intelligent change management

We are accustomed to the fact that making changes is an integral part of the workflow - it is a fact of life and an activity that takes up a significant part of the engineer's working time. However, when designing die tooling, making changes can be a nightmare if the system in use is unable to effectively handle the task. Change tools are built into NX so changes can be made early in a project, starting with a die quote request. The cost of standard dies is estimated based on the complexity of the tooling, but for the supplier, this usually leads to a drop in the profit margin from the product made on the die. This situation becomes a continuous headache.

If you have underestimated the cost of tooling, for example, as a result of incorrect calculation of the number of shaping stages and die productivity, then there is a high probability of obtaining the wrong price for the manufactured product. Although a part may look easy to manufacture, the experienced technician will tell you that simple mistakes are the most costly, and in today's difficult economic climate, the cost of such a mistake may be too high.

Due to the fact that the tooling units are built on the basis of the geometry of the part to be manufactured by means of unfolding and specifying the shaping steps, and this process is performed in a very short time, the system provides a real opportunity to evaluate the process of manufacturing a die and other parts in a time during which many other users can only build a ream. Now, having much more complete information about the complexity of the problem being solved, it is possible to reasonably quote a competitive price without making assumptions and without giving rough estimates.

From order quoting to pre-production, NX tools enable you to optimize your die design with high efficiency. Since all geometry is linked to the original part and its production steps, the system gives users the ability to interchange steps, bends and punches to not only achieve the desired shape, but also achieve the most efficient use of material, as well as ensure reliable operation of the die during the entire life of the die. .

Conclusion

The Progressive Die Design module for NX is a great example of combining a powerful modeling platform with a wide range of high-end specialized tools. Die tooling design is a very complex process in terms of both the design of the product (die) and the manufacture of its components. In the most difficult economic situation, the ability to quickly not only name the price, but also deliver the finished product becomes an absolute necessity.

If you need such a tool, then most likely you are working as a subcontractor, which aggravates the situation even more. It is required to minimize material waste, be able to make changes in the design of the die when the manufactured part changes, and also be sure that the project will be profitable and will meet customer expectations. Of course, all of the above is also true for those who develop equipment for the internal needs of the enterprise.

Overall, Siemens PLM Software has succeeded in creating an environment where the emphasis is on specialized knowledge and automation. This environment provides a rich set of tools for building parts from existing geometry with the creation of developments and shaping steps, the design of die equipment and its manufacturing technology - and all this is done in the shortest possible time. But even in this ideal automated process, there is room for a process engineer who can optimize and reuse data when necessary. Is it possible to wish for something more?

These are intelligent solutions for product life cycle management and production. Siemens PLM Software solutions help manufacturers optimize their digital manufacturing processes and drive innovation.

Story 1. Telcam business booms with new CAM system

CompanyTelsmith, Inc. hand three and a half months withNX CAM developed more CNC programs than in 9 months with the previous system.

Building giant machines

Telsmith, Inc was founded over 100 years ago and specialized in the development of new rock crushing equipment for crushing and screening plants. Today, Telsmith remains true to its heritage by providing new crushers and screens to meet the growing demands of today's mining industry. In 1987, Telsmith was acquired by Astec Industries, a recognized leader in the asphalt industry. It was the Telsmith business that formed the basis of the company, which is now called Astec Aggregate and Mining Group. Astec is now the largest supplier of equipment for crushing and screening plants in North America.

One of Telsmith's main brands is called Iron Giant - and the equipment produced under this brand justifies this name. The height of the crushers can exceed 3 meters, and the weight can exceed 60 tons. The production of these gigantic machines requires high-capacity machining centers. For example, Telsmith's factory uses a vertical machining center with a rotary table that can machine parts up to 2.7 meters in diameter, up to 2.5 meters high and weighing up to 45 tons. In the manufacture of some parts, the company removes more than 45% of the source material - and the source material ranges from cast iron to 4140 structural steel.

With high metal prices and a weak dollar, Telsmith has to work hard to keep the business growing. In terms of CNC programming, this means that every machining center needs to be as productive as possible. At the same time, new programs for CNC must be developed in an increasingly short time. “I need to write programs faster, release more programs than ever before,” says Michael Wier, CNC Programmer for the Industrial Design Department at Telsmith.

Rapid development, rapid change

The company's programmers couldn't have done it without NX™ software from Siemens PLM Software. By migrating from his previous CAM system to NX CAM, Wier is doing much more work than he ever did before. “Over the past three and a half months, I've done a lot of work with NX that would have taken us nine months with a previous CAM system,” Wier says.

According to Wier, Telsmith chose NX after a thorough review of almost every CAM system on the market. The NX platform was chosen for several reasons. The main selection criterion was the minimum time for performing operations at each stage of programming CNC machines. “When I work with NX, I don't have to wait 4 to 5 minutes before I can move on to the next step,” Wier says. "The processing power of this system is simply incredible."

Synchronization technologies save a lot of time. This direct approach to creating geometric models is based on features. Wier considers it very important for making changes to CAM models. “Thanks to the synchronization technology, I can directly manipulate the features of the models and change them. It's one of NX's best features, says Wier. - There are associative links between models and toolpaths, thanks to which, when making corrections, I do not have to start all over and rewrite the program. Thanks to synchronization technologies, I can quickly make changes to the geometry, and the code I write adapts to these changes.”

The NX trajectory modeling technology also saves a lot of time. It allows you to eliminate errors that would otherwise only be detected on the machine. “I can't make a programming mistake that could damage a part,” Wier says. “With NX modeling, I can see these errors in the 3D model before we see them in real life.”

Telsmith rates its machines on the difficulty of programming them and uses a special formula to calculate the productivity of programmers.

“The formula takes into account the fact that it is easier to write programs for simpler machines,” Wier explains. "My programmer rating with NX CAM is 225% - 193% higher than programmers using other CAM systems."

Machine productivity optimization

It is very important to Telsmith that the machines operate at maximum efficiency, and the company greatly appreciates the technical support from Siemens. “I can call them at any time and they will solve my problem,” Wier says. - I don't have to wait a few days. At the same time, real experts provide support. They not only solve my problems, but they can also offer new ideas. Support specialists from Siemens provide me with all the necessary information for a pleasant and successful work.”

Telsmith uses Siemens 840D controllers on all new machines. “Siemens 840D controllers give us the flexibility to bring all our ideas to life,” Wier says. The company often processes large parts, and it is very important for them to ensure minimal wear on the machines and machining tools, given that machining is often performed at high speeds. The NX CAM system provides enhanced support for high-speed machining and provides methods to avoid tool overload with constant material removal rates and automatic trochoidal toolpath processing.

The time savings achieved with Telsmith's NX CAM system are not measured in minutes or hours. “One of the benefits of the new solution is that we are confident in the results of our programs and know that there will be no problems running them on the shop floor,” comments Wier. “We measure time savings not in minutes or hours, but in the number of shifts.”

Story 2: Accelerate Form Design and Consulting Services

CAD- andCAM-systemsNX™ in combination with a controllerSINUMERIK 840 Dhelp companiesMoules Mirplex reduce form development time by 35%.

Experience in mold design is a major advantageMirplex

Moules Mirplex Inc. (Mirplex Molds Inc.) has over 25 years of experience in mold making and precision machining. Mirplex's clients work in a wide range of industries: sports and outdoor activities, pharmaceuticals and retail. The size of the molds designed by the company varies greatly, from small vial cap molds to giant vial cap molds that weigh up to 15 tons each side (used for amusement rides). Mirplex manufactures the following types of molds: multi-cavity molds, hot runner molds, skid and wheel cam molds, gas injection molds, die casting molds and aluminum alloy casting molds.

Since the purchase of the first CNC Machining Center in 1987, Mirplex has continuously expanded its manufacturing capacity in this area to improve customer service. So, in 2002, a 15-ton overhead crane and a Huron high-speed machining center were purchased. Over the years, the company has gained a solid reputation in the market, and many clients call on Mirplex for design consulting. But despite this, the company is always forced to operate in an extremely tight deadline and global competition. “We need to find ways to speed up mold development to stay one step ahead of overseas competitors,” says Pascal Lachance, mechanical engineer and mold designer at Mirplex.

A strong case for Siemens PLM part technologySoftware

Mirplex uses NX software for its product development and Siemens PLM Software's SINUMERIK Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology to quickly design molds to meet customer quality and precision requirements. Mirplex has used I-deas™ software in the past and considered a large number of alternatives before implementing the new solution. She chose NX because of the seamless integration of NX CAD and CAM systems, the NX Mold Design tool, and the ability to get technical support in her native language. Other advantages of the NX were the ability to create the large digital assemblies needed for some molds, as well as built-in support for the Siemens SINUMERIK 840D controller that Mirplex uses to run the Huron high-speed machining center. “The 840D handles all of the toughest mold and die processing requirements with its high-speed cutting features,” adds Lachance.

NX allows simultaneous mold design and tool path selection. When Lachance starts designing a mold, fellow CNC programmer Eric Boucher starts programming on the NX CAM system. While many of the design changes are then made by the client, this is not impossible because it is very easy to make changes to the geometry of the models in NX. “Our problem is that the designs we get from customers are never 100% complete,” explains Lachance. - Before molding, we perform some modifications on our part. NX gives us the flexibility to modify the model with powerful tools such as surface modeling.”

Save time on all fronts

Lachance estimates that NX takes 25% less time to design molds. This is partly because customer-suggested design changes now take 40% less time. The NX Mold Design tool also helps save time. “NX Mold Design helped standardize our processes,” says Lachance. - We now have a library of components that we can reuse, such as mold pallets. At the very beginning of work, the mold is already half ready. Typically, Mirplex designers use the special Parasolid® format. "NX is also a better fit for this format," says Lachance. “Translators are built into NX and they work so fast and accurately that we don’t have to spend time stitching surfaces at all.”

Integration between NX CAD and NX CAM makes it easy to update CAM models after design changes. Boucher estimates that design changes can now be made 50% faster than previously allowed by the NX system because there is no need to remap surface mappings. In addition, he finds that NX CAM is generally easier to work with, thanks to the ability to use drag-and-drop operations to set the processing sequence. The use of templates also makes it possible to increase the reuse of information. This ability to use existing data, combined with the fact that programming can be started earlier and changes can be implemented faster, has accelerated the generation of toolpaths by 20%. Boucher notes, "NX CAM is easy to work with because we can track and reuse our machining knowledge with templates."

“Overall, with the NX system, we can reduce the time it takes to submit forms to Mirplex clients by 35%. The fast product development cycle, combined with the company's rich experience, makes the company more competitive in the global market. We sell our expertise, says Lachance. - The transition to NX has definitely simplified and systematized our methods of working with CAD and CAM systems. We continue to work closely with Siemens PLM Software and strive to further improve our part manufacturing and machining technologies.” As part of this initiative, Siemens PLM Software partners and customers are creating best-in-class solutions that enhance CAM and CNC integration, help simulate and optimize machining, synchronize manufacturing and planning processes, and improve overall manufacturing cost efficiency.

Moules Mirplex would like to thank BRP Engineering and Plastic Age Products Inc. for helping to make this ambitious project a success.

Story 3. Implementation of innovative technologies with improved accuracy of machine tools

A complete solution for product development fromSiemens PLM Softwaresimplifies the design of large milling machines in the companyFooke.

Unique milling machines

Fooke GmbH was founded as a family business and is now proud of its age-old tradition. The company has found a niche in the machine tool industry that is unmatched by suppliers from Europe, India, China and the US: very large milling machines, custom-tailored to the customer's requirements and delivered as a one-stop solution. The system includes not only the machine itself, but also devices for fixing parts and machining tools, as well as measurement programs and CNC programs. These machines can mill aluminum rail structures up to 30 meters in length, perform high-precision vertical tail processing, create high-precision glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum or carbon fiber-reinforced plastic skins, perform high-speed milling of automotive models, and perform many specialized tasks.

The demand for such machines around the world is steadily growing, but the technical requirements for them are becoming ever higher. Therefore, this innovative company with approximately 170 employees decided to improve its development process. In particular, the management wanted employees from different departments to learn how to work more effectively as part of project teams. The company also sought to combine disparate IT systems and components (high-speed 5-axis milling machine, clamping device, CNC programs, measuring programs, and a complete set of documentation for worldwide deployment) into a complete solution for the client. Customers need not only durable production equipment, but also high-quality and comprehensive after-sales services: retrofitting, extensions, maintenance and repairs under warranty.

An integrated system is the ideal solution

In 2004, the company began searching for 3D CAD (3D CAD) for its 15 design engineers, as well as a computer-aided program development (CAM) module that supported high-speed five-axis machining. “We looked at all the best-known systems on the market,” says Hans-Jürgen Pierick, who, as team leader for computer-aided design, coordinated the system selection process. - To choose one of the five CAD systems, company employees participated in negotiations, installed trial versions and watched demonstrations of solutions.

Fooke chose an integrated full product lifecycle management (PLM) solution from Siemens PLM Software. Its components included NX™, NX CAM, NX™ Nastran® and Teamcenter® systems. In addition, the company implemented a VNCK virtual CNC kernel to simulate the operation of a Siemens 840 D CNC controller. “This single system was task-oriented and was perfect for us,” says Pierik.

The benefits of this solution became apparent during the pilot implementation. The integration of CAD and CAM systems solved compatibility and conversion issues and reduced hours of time. And the presence of a single “language” (Teamcenter) improved the quality of collaboration between different departments.

Machine tool innovation becomes a reality

Since 2006, all new Fooke machines have been entirely designed on the Siemens PLM Software platform. In particular, the end user benefits apply to the ENDURA 900LINEAR top gantry milling machine with linear drive and the ENDURA 1000LINEAR mobile column milling machine. The new generation of these machines uses an upper movable gantry. The use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) during development helped create a more robust, reliable, and accurate portal.

Machines of this type are used for five-axis milling of the outer skin of the Superjet 100 airliner, made from sheets of aluminum (AlMg3) with a thickness of 1.5 millimeters. The portal can move 7 meters on the X-axis, 3.5 meters on the Y-axis and 1.5 meters on the Z-axis. It can rotate from +120 to -95 degrees along the A-axis, and +/-275 degrees along the C-axis . The innovative clamping device uses 200 drives, each equipped with a vacuum suction cup, and their location can be set using the CNC program. The location of the individual drives is set in the CAM module. In reality, the position of the part is determined using sensors from Renishaw.

The customer chose the Siemens 840 D as the control system for all these tasks. The advantages of the Siemens 840 D apply not only to five-axis milling, but also to the special tasks of distance measurement, datum setting and drive positioning. The CAM platform has its own additional benefits. “NX includes a robust and open CAM system that can be extended with programs written in Visual Studio.net to output measurement and control programs for the Siemens 840 D,” says Klaus Harke, CNC system specialist at Fooke. “The next step is programming five-axis contouring.”

The operation of the entire program can be simulated using the virtual CNC kernel VNCK, in which you can set parameters specific to this particular machine (for example, mass and inertia). As a result, for the first time, developers have the opportunity to test the conceptual feasibility of a problem without damaging expensive parts.

This project demonstrated the benefits of the Siemens PLM Software platform in a particularly clear way. “Being able to program the machine in parallel with the machining design has reduced the overall time to build machines for customers,” says Pierik. Computer simulation has eliminated many of the risks associated with new processing technologies. In addition, customers have become even more confident in Fooke's ability to solve problems due to the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the models. The solution also simplified the implementation of new solutions and training. All stages of the life cycle are implemented on one platform, and thanks to this, Fooke successfully solves all customer problems. The link between all components becomes Teamcenter - this system provides instant access to all information about the products needed for further retooling, maintenance and repair.

Further expansion is not far off

“The integration of the Siemens PLM Software system brings us undeniable benefits,” says Pierik. - Fooke does everything to make them feel and customers. Each manufacturing plant solves customer problems with its own production equipment. The high efficiency of Fooke machines is a significant competitive advantage that should not be underestimated when purchasing production equipment.”

Due to these advantages, the digital product development system is now developing rapidly. The company plans to use the browsing functionality in Teamcenter to provide product information to people involved in marketing and manufacturing. Now that Fooke's software provider, UGS, has been merged into the Siemens holding company and renamed Siemens PLM Software, Fooke will have a single, integrated solution for in-house and customer needs.

On 5/14/2019 at 10:31 AM, Ljo said:

Entering the topic of mold design yourself is a very unprofitable task, you can spend a lot of time, but there will not be much sense. You need to either study at courses / universities, at least in our area such a course is recruited every 4 years, or go to work in a specific company that manufactures molds.

And MoldWizard is a tool, but at all stages you must understand what and why you are doing in the first place, which of the stages you missed and why.

I know it's a hard road," and there won't be much sense" I disagree with this, such a specialist is in demand today, the more the old generation is thinning out, and there are few such specialists among the young (judging by my country), the younger generation needs it here and now, not many people want to do it. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, just my opinion. Thank you for your frankness and for explaining the topic in a focused and point-to-point manner.

8 hours ago, Ljo said:

Calculations can be done continuously if the company has such a direction. In particular, even before designing the mold itself, everyone is interested in cycles and pourability, shrinkage deformations, etc.

You should keep in mind that mold manufacturers are also divided into their own groups. Someone suffers from hot-runner injection with a bunch of caps / corks, someone with large-sized parts with thick walls and glass-filled materials, someone with micro-parts, and someone with optics, or station wagons with crackers (the simplest molds without sliders, oblique ejectors, etc.). And everywhere there are nuances that other companies may not know. There are practically no worthwhile materials and methods in the public domain. But...

1) Start with the right design of plastic products! (Malloy's book Designing Plastic Injection Moldings)

3) After that, the aforementioned Panteleev will come in well with the calculations in the old fashioned way.

4) See analogues of already made molds, notice design solutions. Here you can already look into Gastrov's "Design of injection molds in 130 examples" and similar collections.

5) Look for literature in English, there is more and more relevant information. At this stage, practice, real tasks and advice on them are already needed.

P.S. this is a long way and if there are no ideas to work in this area, then it is enough to limit yourself to the ability to correctly design plastic parts for injection molding.

Firstly, many thanks for your time spent, and secondly, it was not possible to immediately answer. Yes, I downloaded from the above books, but I didn’t find your admirer)))) Ponteleeva. I have experience in milling and writing programs in CAM (HyperMill from OpenMind) of already designed three-dimensional models, I saw how they were tested, but I want to expand my knowledge and skills in designing molds under pressure. I don’t just “want”, I thought about all your words, yes it’s difficult, but it’s possible, there’s nothing impossible! Many do under pressure!