Abstract: A method for user interaction in a CAE/CAD system comprises displaying to a user a graphical user interface (2) with a model display region (3) and a control region (5) for controlling operation of the CAE/CAD system, and an accept button (9). The accept button (9) can be in an active state, signifying that the CAE/CAD system is ready to perform operations defined by user input when the accept button (9) is clicked. When the accept button (9) is in the active state, the CAE/CAD system graphically indicates to the user an extended apply region (11) which, when a clicking operation takes place inside it, will cause the CAE/CAD system to perform the same operations as when the accept button (9) is clicked.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for designing a web (4) linking parts (3) to a carrier (2) in a sheet metal strip (1) that is processed in a progressive die process, comprises the steps of processing input actions from a user, the input actions specifying parameters of web primitive elements, the web primitive elements comprising at least connections (5), each connection (5) representing a link between sheet metal sections; the user input actions specifying, for each connection (5), a first connection point (13), at which the connection (5) is joined to a first sheet metal section, and a second connection point (13), at which the connection (5) is joined to a second sheet metal section; the method allowing for a user input of a deformability parameter associated with a connection (5), for modifying a spring constant of the connection (5) in a direction between the first and second connection points (13).

Abstract: A method for the characterization of a sheet metal forming product uses the correlation of material flow data to a priori calculated or measured data. It determines whether the product falls within the acceptable production limits in terms of quality, areas of potential defects and an approximation of the process parameters prevailing during its production. The characterization is performed in real-time during production, tool deployment or try-out. The method includes the steps of: providing physical dimensions of an actual sheet metal part; a feature extractor computing, from these physical dimensions, a measured material flow metric representative of the geometry of the part after the forming operation; and a matching unit determining, from reference data and the measured material flow metric, a matching forming operation data set whose associated simulated material flow metric most closely matches the measured material flow metric.

Abstract: In a method for designing a sheet-metal-forming process in which a sheet-metal part is formed, a visual representation of the sheet-metal part is computed and displayed. Visual labels are displayed, each label being visually linked to the representation of a feature of the part. The labels indicate one or more processing units of the sheet-metal-forming process that are assigned to the features. The labels can also indicate process operations to which these processing units are assigned.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the creation of addendums (4) of tools for sheet metal formed parts (2). In the case of this method, fill surfaces (7) for the smoothing of irregular zones of a component edge (3) are generated. Initial directions (31) of sectional profiles (10) are determined in such a manner, that sectional profiles (10) at a distance from one another are arranged along a component (3, 8) with utilization of these initial directions (31) and that an addendum (4) is creatable by the connection of these sectional profiles (10).

Abstract: A method for the characterization of a sheet metal forming product uses the correlation of material flow data to a priori calculated or measured data. It determines whether the product falls within the acceptable production limits in terms of quality, areas of potential defects and an approximation of the process parameters prevailing during its production. The characterization is performed in real-time during production, tool deployment or try-out. The method includes the steps of: providing physical dimensions of an actual sheet metal part; a feature extractor computing, from these physical dimensions, a measured material flow metric representative of the geometry of the part after the forming operation; and a matching unit determining, from reference data and the measured material flow metric, a matching forming operation data set whose associated simulated material flow metric most closely matches the measured material flow metric.

Abstract: In a method, a data processing system and a computer program for the configuration of tools and/or processes for the manufacturing of formed metal parts, raw data (r) for the description of a geometry and of a condition of a formed metal part are calculated from a set of nominal simulation parameters (d,n) through the simulation of a metal forming process. From a set of nominal simulation parameters (d,n) in a simulation run a set of raw data is calculated and saved, the preceding step is repeated several times with a variation of the simulation parameters (d,n), and as a result of this further sets of raw data (r) are generated and saved, and a statistical analysis (10) of several or of all the saved sets of raw data (r) is carried throughout for the purpose of calculating statistical characteristic values (Cr) of the raw data (r).

Abstract: A method for computer-aided generation determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts by way of forming processes, comprises the following steps: determining a set of geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of a part (10) in a geometry model of the part (10), wherein each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is described by a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); determining an associated method standard for each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), the selection of the method standards which may be associated with a certain geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), and wherein a method standard comprises at least one module, and a module represents a processing unit and des

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the creation of addendums (4) of tools for sheet metal formed parts (2). In the case of this method, fill surfaces (7) for the smoothing of irregular zones of a component edge (3) are generated. Initial directions (31) of sectional profiles (10) are determined in such a manner, that sectional profiles (10) at a distance from one another are arranged along a component (3, 8) with utilization of these initial directions (31) and that an addendum (4) is creatable by the connection of these sectional profiles (10).

Abstract: In a method for the numerical simulation of sheet-metal-forming processes, forming simulation parameters are visually displayed by: maintaining active values of the simulation-program-control parameters and standard values of the parameters that can be, used as a reference; determining a status of each parameter as being “noncompliant” if and only if the active value of the parameter is not equal to the standard value of the parameter; grouping parameters into display groups, and determining the status of a display group as being “noncompliant” if and only if the status of at least one of the parameters or other display groups assigned to the display group is “noncompliant”; displaying GUI elements showing the active values of the parameters, and GUI elements associated with a display group; and displaying, for each of the GUI elements, a visual indication of the status of the corresponding parameter or display group.

Abstract: In a method for designing a formed sheet-metal part performed by a processor of a computing system, by means of: a numerical model of a geometry of the part, a numerical simulation of a forming process, and local property variables associated with points of the part and computed from results of the numerical simulation, a method for managing problem zones of the formed sheet-metal part comprises the steps of: determining problem zones of the sheet-metal part based on the results of the numerical simulation; determining a visual representation of the sheet-metal part, and displaying this visual representation on a display operatively coupled to the processor; indicating the location of the problem zones on the sheet-metal part; and displaying on the display device information associated with the at least one problem zone whose location is indicated.

Abstract: In a method for designing a formed sheet-metal part, a method for displaying a visual representation of the quality of the formed sheet-metal part, the method comprising the steps of: simulating the deformation of the part by a forming process of the part, thereby computing thinning and thickening effects of the forming process on the part, for different values of a restraining force; displaying a visual representation of the part and of the thickening and thinning effects of different regions of the part; classifying the surface of the part as having several regions, each region being associated with a particular range of the thickening and thinning effects; computing and displaying on the display device a diagram displaying, as a function of the restraining force, the relative size of areas of these regions.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the creation of addendums (4) of tools for sheet metal formed parts (2). In the case of this method, fill surfaces (7) for the smoothing of irregular zones of a component edge (3) are generated. Initial directions (31) of sectional profiles (10) are determined in such a manner, that sectional profiles (10) at a distance from one another are arranged along a component (3, 8) with utilization of these initial directions (31) and that an addendum (4) is creatable by the connection of these sectional profiles (10).

Abstract: Processing steps are determined and optimized during the production of sheet metal forming parts, for example, using deep drawing/stretch forming processes. During the determination, using a computer-assisted design system, of process operations (PO1-PO6) for the description of forming processes on a forming part, the following steps are carried out: defining geometry models for the computerized description of a geometry of the forming part in a target state; defining several geometry operators (m1-m9, e1-e6), wherein one geometry operator (m1-m9, e1-e6) associates a geometry of an area of a first geometry model with a geometry of an area of a second geometry model, and the geometry operator (m1-m9, e1-e6) describes a transition from one of the two associated geometries to the other one; and defining several groups of respectively at least one geometry operator (m1-m9, e1-e6), wherein each one of the groups is respectively associated with a process operation (PO1-PO6).

Abstract: A method for computer-aided generation determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts by way of forming processes, comprises the following steps: determining a set of geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of a part (10) in a geometry model of the part (10), wherein each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is described by a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); determining an associated method standard for each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), the selection of the method standards which may be associated with a certain geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), and wherein a method standard comprises at least one module, and a module represents a processing unit and des

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the creation of addendums (4) of tools for sheet metal formed parts (2). In the case of this method, fill surfaces (7) for the smoothing of irregular zones of a component edge (3) are generated. Initial directions (31) of sectional profiles (10) are determined in such a manner, that sectional profiles (10) at a distance from one another are arranged along a component (3, 8) with utilization of these initial directions (31) and that an addendum (4) is creatable by the connection of these sectional profiles (10).

Abstract: A method for creating addendums (4) of tools for sheet metal formed parts (2) wherein fill surfaces (7) for the smoothing of irregular zones of a component edge (3) are generated. Initial directions (31) of sectional profiles (10) are determined such that sectional profiles (10) at a distance from one another are arranged along a component (3, 8). An addendum (4) is created connecting the sectional profiles (10).

Abstract: A method for computer-aided generation of tool parameters for tools for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts by way of forming processes, including the following steps: determining a set of geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of a part (10) in a geometry model of the part (10); determining an associated method standard for each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), wherein a method standard comprises at least one module, and a module represents a processing unit and describes which processing unit may be executed within a forming operation; determining components for each of the modules of the method standard, wherein these components describe the parts of tools which are required for realising the module; determining component parameters from geometric parameters of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), wherein the component parameters comprise geometric parameters of the components or of the respective tools.

Abstract: In the computed-based analysis of forming processes, for example, manufacturing sheet metal parts for the automobile industry, the material loading is represented by major and minor strains ?I, ?II and is visualised with respect to a forming limit strain curve. In the method according to the invention, one proceeds from a target state (4n) of the material, as has been determined in the computed simulation of the forming process. A proportional trajectory of a loading and thus of the state variables of the material, in particular of the stresses (?), is determined, which leads to the same target state. The associated proportional strain trajectory is evaluated for this proportional loading trajectory. The strain state (4p) which results from this strain trajectory, is called the equivalent strain state (4p) and may be used in the forming limit strain diagram for assessing the target state.

Abstract: A method for the characterization of a sheet metal forming product uses the correlation of material flow data to a priori calculated or measured data. It determines whether the product falls within the acceptable production limits in terms of quality, areas of potential defects and an approximation of the process parameters prevailing during its production. The characterization is performed in real-time during production, tool deployment or try-out. The method includes the steps of: providing physical dimensions of an actual sheet metal part; a feature extractor computing, from these physical dimensions, a measured material flow metric representative of the geometry of the part after the forming operation; and a matching unit determining, from reference data and the measured material flow metric, a matching forming operation data set whose associated simulated material flow metric most closely matches the measured material flow metric.