2. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
Development and Sales of Software Solutions for Sheet Metal
Forming
• Product Manufacturability
• Tool and Material Cost Estimation
• Concept and CAD-quality Die Face Design
• Process Validation and Optimization
• Digital Support for Tryout and Part Production
AutoForm Engineering – Who We Are
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
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3. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
AutoForm Offices and Representatives
AutoForm Agents
Switzerland: Headquarters, software development, global marketing
Germany: Sales, support and training center, engineering services, software development
Other offices: Sales, support and training
AutoForm Engineering – Who We Are
• Zurich ’95
• Dortmund ’96, Munich ’03, Ravensburg ’08, Stuttgart ’14
• Detroit ’00, Grand Rapids ’17
• Barcelona ’00
• Aix-en-Provence ’01
• Rotterdam ’02
• Seoul ’03, Busan ’14
• Torino ’04,
• Hyderabad ’05
• Monterrey ’07
• Tokyo ’07, Ota ’11, Nagoya ’17
• Hong Kong ’08
• Brazil ’11
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
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4. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
4
Outline
• Sheet metal grades & Production Technologies enabling
automotive Light Weighting
• Digital Engineering: “Light Weighting” Challenges
• Digital Engineering of press hardening process for a part
with patch reinforcement – an application showcase
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
5. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
5
Sheet Metal Grades and Production Technologies
• Aluminum
• 5xxx and 6xxx
• SPF alloys 5xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx
• Steel
• AHSS and Gen3 AHSS
• UHSS
• PHS
• Sandwich Materials
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
6. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
6
Sheet Metal Grades and Production Technologies
• Cold forming / stamping
• Warm / Hot forming
• Press Hardening – Sheet, and Tube
• Property Tailoring
• Tailor Welded Blanks
• Patch Welding
• Tailor Rolled Blanks
• Tailor Tempering
• Tube hydro forming
• Sheet hydro forming
• Super Plastic Forming
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
7. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
7
Digital Engineering: “Lightweighting” Challenges
• New and complex material grades
• Wide spectrum of production technologies
• Product “complexity”:
• Function of geometry, material, gage, performance,
consolidation, cost …
• Finished product compliance within shortest tryout
• The “Accuracy” Burden…
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
8. AutoForm Proprietary – Confidential
www.autoform.com
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Result Evaluation Simulation Parameters
Robustness
ε2
ε1
0
Tribology System
Geometries Tool Kinematics Process Parameters
Fundamental Understanding
Process Understanding
Material Modelling –
Mechanical Properties
Digital Engineering – Accuracy
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
9. AutoForm Proprietary – Confidential
www.autoform.com
ε2
ε1
0
Geometries
Simulation
Parameters
Tribology
System
Process
Parameters
Tool
Kinematics
Robustness
Evaluation
Criteria
Material
Properties
AutoForm’s Accuracy Footprint provides a proven framework to
systematically analyze the prediction capability of a physics-driven
digital model
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Simulate what can be built
Build what has been simulated
Digital Engineering – Accuracy Footprint
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
10. AutoForm Proprietary – Confidential
www.autoform.com
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
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Engineering effort
100%
100%
90%
80%
20% 40%
Simulation
representing
reality
Essential Crucial Important Detailed
Simulate what can be built Build what has been digitally validated
Digital Engineering – Accuracy Footprint
• Start early with the “Essential”
• Optimize process systematically
• Refine / mature process with the
“Crucial” and “Important”
• Finalize process with the “Detailed”
• Validate and refine
• Release for manufacturing
• Manufacture as released!
12. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
12
Tailor Welded Blank – Thyssen Stahl AG, 1986
• B-Pillar, Audi A4 2007
Tailor Rolled Blank – Benteler Automotive, 2002
• B-Pillar, VW Golf 2012
Patch Blank
• B-Pillar, Volvo XC90 2014
Tailored Heating – ThyssenKrupp Steel, 2005
• B-Pillar, VW Tiguan 2006
Tailored Tempering - ThyssenKrupp Steel, 2006
• B-Pillar, Audi A6 2011 Source: T. Taylor & A. Clough (2018) Critical review of automotive hot-stamped sheet steel from
an industrial perspective, Materials Science and Technology, 34:7, 809-861
Tailoring Part Properties
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
13. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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• Feasibility Assessments starting early during product design
• Product Optimization through cyclic assessments
• Accurate development of Blank Outline
• Accurate development of Patch / Pierce Outlines and Positions
• Process Development and Optimization
• Quench Duration / Tonnage
• Tool Temperatures
• Repeatability Assessment & Countermeasures
• Part Properties – Phase Fractions, Strength, Hardness
• Detailed Process Diagnostics
Role of Digital Engineering
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
14. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
14
• Phase-differentiated Temperature and Strain-rate Flow
Curves
• Phase-differentiated heat capacity, expansion, latent
heat, transformation strains
• Heat transfer coefficients
• Sheet and Tool Thermal properties
• Physical world kinematics: press motion, stroke
• Phase Transformation Model
The Essentials
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
15. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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Advantages: More flexibility to adjust part properties
• Material
• Gage
• Position
Int. J Adv. Mfg. Tech. (2017) 92:2609–2617
Patchwork Blanks
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
17. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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What is the effect of blank and patch thicknesses on Quench Time?
Process window unknown
for combinations of
thicknesses
There is experience on
quenching times for different
single sheet thicknesses
Patchwork blanks - Challenges
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
18. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
19
What is the effect of blank-patch gap / patch-separation, on final
outcomes?
Gap
•Contact pressure
•Friction
•Heat transfer
Patchwork blanks - Challenges
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
19. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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Assessment of Feasibility for plausible production conditions
Countermeasure for fold over?
- Blank change?
- Product?
- Process? Restrictor pad …
Process Feasibility
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
21. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
Meaningful process / tool adjustments for Countermeasure
• Binder Gap
• Blank Heating Temperature
• Tonnage under restrictor pad
• Press Stroke
Multiple simulations
• Inputs represent random combinations of process settings
• Computed in parallel
• Builds relationships between process settings and outcomes
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Systematic Process Exploration
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
22. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
Quality Targets
• Thinning < 17%
• Martensite > 98%
• No wrinkles/compression
Identify process / tool settings for achieving Quality Targets
• Automatic
• Balanced, to accommodate conflicting Quality Targets
• Establish “process window” with acceptable results
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Systematic Process Exploration
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
23. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
Baseline Status
Process / Tool
Settings Ranges
Automatically establish
optimal settings
combination for
“balanced” outcome:
Thinning and Martensite
Balanced Settings
Blank 910 oC
Binder Gap 0.4mm
Restrictor Tonnages 10kN
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Systematic Process Exploration
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
24. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
25
Blank and Developed Patch need to be
modified … to produce part as designed
Sheet and Patch Boundaries
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
25. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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• Targets: As-designed Part and Patch Boundaries, Tolerances
• Sequential Trials with progressive, and automatic, modification
of Blank and Developed Patch boundaries
• Formed Sheet and Patch Boundaries converge to Targets within
desired Tolerances
Sheet and Patch Boundaries
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
26. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
27
Blank Heating: 930 oC
Transport: 7 s
Press Stroke: 300 mm
Cushion Stroke: 100 mm
Downstroke: 1.4 s
Quench Duration: 4.8 s
Cooling Time: 4 min.
Steady Cycle Tool Temperatures assumed to be 120 oC…
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
Finalized Production Process
27. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
Tool temperature evolution and control over forming process …
Coupled thermo-mechanical assessment over multiple cycles: INPUTS
• 3D geometry of tools, not just 3D tool surfaces
• Thermal properties of tool materials: heat
capacity, and thermal conductivity
• Cooling channel topology
• Flow conditions, temperature of cooling fluid
• Thermal properties of fluid-tool interfaces
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Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
Steady Cycle Thermal Conditions
28. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
• Tool surface temperature distribution
• Temperature rise on tool surfaces over single
and multiple forming cycles
• All timing elements, die condition, blank /
patch condition accounted for
• Responds to changes in die shape and cooling
channel design
• Influence on forming process outcomes
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Tool temperature evolution and control over forming process … Coupled
thermo-mechanical assessment over multiple cycles: OUTCOMES
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
Steady Cycle Thermal Conditions
29. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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Confirmation of Process Repeatability against “Noise”
• Blank Position, Lube, Blank and Tool Temperatures, HTC
• Noise parameters varied randomly over following ranges
MinValue MaxValue Center StdDev
BlankTemperature 910 940 930 31.00
ToolTemperature 110 140 130 2.16
HTC-Blank 3.15 3.85 3.5 0.12
Patch-HTC 3.15 3.85 3.5 0.12
Blank-Patch-HTC 1.8 2.2 2 0.067
Friction 0.435 0.495 0.45 0.015
BlankShift - 3mm +3mm 0 0.54
PatchShift - 3mm +3mm 0 0.54
[HTC units - mW/(sq.mm)K]
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
Repeatability against “Noise”
30. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
31
Critical Outcomes
• Thinning variations cannot exceed maximum acceptable
• Martensite over entire part under all Noise conditions
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
Repeatability against “Noise”
32. AutoForm Proprietary
www.autoform.com
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• Engineering challenges associated with “light
weight” sheet metal production can be effectively
addressed by state-of-the art digital technology:
• Start early during product development
• Mature process / product systematically
towards formability and functional targets
• Grow Accuracy Footprint to Detailed coverage
• Confirm repeatability of process outcomes
• Release to manufacture…
Lightweight Materials USA 2022 - Detroit - March 30-31, 2022
Wrap up
