Next generation stamping dies - controllability and flexibility

In sheet metal forming, external energy is transferred to sheet metal throu gh a set of tooling to plastically deform a workpiece. The design of the to oling and its associated forming process parameters play important roles in this manufacturing process since they directly affect the quality and cost of the final product. With increasing demands from customers, government r egulations, and global competition, the controllability and flexibility of stamping dies have been challenged. In this paper, we will summarize the re search activities conducted at the Advanced Materials Processing Laboratory at Northwestern University in the area of sheet metal forming. An overview of our approach towards the system will be given followed by a summary of individual projects in the areas of failure prediction, design and control of a variable binder force, and the segmented die design with local adaptiv e controllers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.