A LOW-COST MODELER FOR 2-DIMENSIONAL METAL STAMPING LAYOUTS

This paper presents a method for fast and economical clustering of cir cular and non-circular components for simple cutting dies. The propose d procedure takes into account different strip layout parameters inclu ding the size of the strip, the bridge width and the pitch and the ori entation of the components with respect to the direction of the strip edge and the side margin, so as to ensure optimal material utilization . The proposed modeller is interactive in nature and incorporates auto LISP built functions that are called in the prompt area of autoCAD for generating good quality layouts and presenting them graphically for v isual examination by the user. Illustrative examples are included for demonstrating the usefulness of the proposed modeller. The paper also includes a listing of the proposed software. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.