Using the Process Generator Wizard

You can easily go through the whole Die Face Design process using the Process Generator Wizard.

This task shows you how to:

Initialize the Process

You can define the Press Line.

  1. From the Method Planning section of the action bar, click Process Generator Wizard .
  2. In the Define Press Line dialog box.
    1. Define the Number of Blanks.
    2. Define the Number of Operations, that is, the number of steps to create.
    3. Optional: Select Check Process Result.
    Check Process Result
    • Compares the result of the process with the expected result, with possible warnings.
    • Verifies that all trim areas are used.
    • Displays missing or different areas in the 3D area.
  3. Select a standard file from the list.
    • If a Process Method Plan is created, the standard file is read to initialize the parameters.
    • If no Process Method Plan exists, but an analysis is created, the standard file is read to initialize the analysis parameters.
    • If a Process Method Plan is created from the read file, and an analysis is created afterward, relations are created depending on the type of the elements to analyze (Geometry resulting from a cut tool, geometry resulting from a curve partition, …).
    • Global parameters are stored under the Process Method Plan (and created if they do not yet exist).

Define the Part

You can to define the input parts and the rest of the process for each blank.

  1. Expand Part Definition
  2. Under Current Blank, select a Process Method Plan.
    1. Click Method Plan Properties for more options.

      For more information, see Creating a Process Method Plan.

  3. In the Define and Position Input Parts dialog box.
    1. Select the input parts: They are the surfaces to position.
    2. Click Define Surface Positions to manage the positions of the surfaces.

      For more information, see Positioning the Part.

  4. In the Define the Blank dialog box.
    1. Select a wireframe as the Blank Contour.
    2. Optional: Define the Blank Material Properties.

      For more information, see Defining the Blank Material Properties.

    Material and Thickness are stored under the model, and used in the Process Cost Export.

  5. In the Define Flanges and Trim Partition dialog box.
    1. Select elements to define the flanges.

      They are the curves that split the result of the positioning to define the folded areas.

      For more information about Edit Automatic Flange Boundaries, see Computing the Boundaries of the Flange.

    2. Select to manage intermediate geometries.

      For more information, see Stamp Partition.

    3. Select elements to split the part boundary.

      For more information, see Trim Partition

    4. Select the elements (wireframe) to cut the scraps.

      For more information, see Trim Partition

    5. Select to manage tolerances and intermediate geometries.
    6. Use the context menu under the items to create missing geometries.
  6. Repeat for each blank.

Assign Geometries to Operations

You can assign geometries to operations, create cam directions, and define operation positions over a press line.

  1. Expand Operation Planning.

    Tip: Use the Not Planned Only filter to only see not planned elements.

    The tree displays
    • The blank geometry
    • A Not Planed node with the list of geometries from the partitions that are not associated with a process tool.
    • A node for each process step with
      • A node per die side
      • A node per tool with
        • The associated direction
        • The associated geometry
        • Possible subtools.
  2. Verify, edit, and add elements as required, for example:
    1. Drag elements in a node as required.
    2. Drop a geometry from Not Planned to OP.
      The element is now Planned.
    3. Click Create OP to create one.
    4. Select an OP. Validate it, verify, and edit its properties, or define its press position.
    5. Select an OP and click Create Tool.

      When planning an element in a step, a tool is created by default:

      • For a stamped surface, a punch tool is automatically created in the lower die of the press. If not already present, a blank holder is created in the lower die and a die tool is created in the upper die.
      • If the selected element contains one punch tool only, with a custom geometry punch contour, Edit Punch Contour is proposed.

        For more information, see About Punch Contour.

      • When you select a blank holder tool, Create Blank Holder is proposed to create the geometry from
        • The corresponding punch contour.
          Note: Multiple punches in the same process step are not supported.
        • Offset parameters, defined by the milling and drawbead offset parameters of the blank holder tool.
        • The specified blank.
        Note: The distance between the blank contour and the punch contour must be sufficient to allow an offset of the punch contour, using the milling and drawbead offset, to still be contained in the blank geometry.
      • For other elements, a tool is created in the target OP.

    6. Select a tool and edit and validate it.
    7. Select several tools and click Group Tools
      All selected geometries are grouped into a single tool. The direction of this tool is the direction of the tool of the first selected geometry.
    8. Select a tool, then Create Cam.
    9. Selet the Cam Swivel option.
      When selected, the tool direction is unlocked for step swiveling. The tool direction is moved when a swiveling is done (Blank or part swiveling). When cleared, the tool direction is not impacted by the swiveling.
    10. Select the direction to optimize.
    11. Select an analysis to display the current results.
    12. Select elements to analyze.
    13. Press Optimize (or Edit Robot Coordinates for a manual optimization).
    The cam is created under Grouped Tools.
  3. Use the context menu to create or optimize a cam direction.

Manage Scraps

You can manage automatic or manual planning of elements.

  1. Press Automatic Planning of Scraps if required.
  2. In Manual Planning of Elements
    1. Select addendum surfaces to compute scraps element during the process definition

      A blank selected under Part Definition is automatically selected as addendum surface.

    2. Create surfaces from the context menu.
  3. Select custom elements to add and join to the result of the process step.
    1. Select the first and the last step that define the range within which the customized elements are joined.

Assign Detailed Geometry

You can select geometry to go from the initial concept to the fully designed process.

  1. Open the Assign Detailed Geometries dialog box.
    The top table displays operations and their associated detailed geometry, if any. The detailed geometry of an operation corresponds to the resulting stage of the stamped surface at the end of the operation.

    The bottom table displays the custom geometries of the step and the tools allowing you to manually define the detailed geometries for the custom geometry.

    Note: The selection of elements from an outside part is always forced to no link mode.
  2. Select an operation in the top table then the detailed geometry to associate.
    The selected geometry is displayed in the process view, under the Inputs node as Step Part Final Geometry.
  3. Select a tool in the bottom table, then the detailed geometry to associate.
    The selected geometry is displayed in the process view, under the Results node of the tool, as Tool Geometry.
  4. Alternatively, select the part that contains the Concept to Detail Link related to the selected step.
    The step geometry and the related tool geometries are automatically retrieved from the Result Detailed Geometry geometrical set of the Concept to Detail Link.

Configure Analyses

You can configure the global parameters to analyze the process.

  1. Set the Global Parameters.

    For more information, see Set Global Parameters.

  2. Press Check All Analyses

    Note: Quick Cut Normals Analysis, Quick Cut 2D Analysis, and Quick Cut 3D Analysis use the required input surface of the trim partition for trim partition elements, and the step geometry for process wireframes. They automatically retrieve some surfaces.

    See Performing Quick Analyses.

Choose Selection Options

You can activate selection options for easier controls.

Select the required options.

Following elements are created in the tree.

  • A DFD Process Body that contains:
    • A Process Method Plan
    • Operations.
  • A Method Plan that contains:
    • Press Direction
    • Part Positioning
    • Stamp Partition with
      • Planned Elements
      • Not Planned elements
    • Trim Partition with
      • Planned Elements
      • Not Planned elements
    • Scrap Partition
  • A Stamping Direction Set that contains:
    • Join Stamping Direction
    • Stamping Direction Analysis Set
  • An Analysis Set.
Notes:
  • Edit mode is available.
  • A warning is displayed until metal properties are fully defined in the Die Face Sheet Metal Parameters.