Part 1. The Straightforward Layout Modeling Process Using AutoForm
See part two here: DONGYOUNG Korea: Springback Compensation in the All-in-One Integrated Stamping Process
Founded in 2006, SIMWON is a partner of renowned domestic and international automobile manufacturers, developing and producing products such as door modules, reinforced side outers, under floors, and frames. The company specializes in hot stamping and forming aluminum/TWB-applied products. Since introducing AutoForm in 2019, they have continuously participated in training to verify the formability of hot stamping and aluminum-based products, leading to quality improvements and reductions in both development time and cost.
The existing development process at SIMWON is shown in Fig. 1. First, the concept process is conducted using AutoForm. Then, nominal tool surfaces are created using a CAD system, followed by a second verification analysis with AutoForm Forming. This series of steps not only requires multiple personnel at each stage but also raises concerns about data corruption or quality issues due to data conversion. In particular, when developing numerous product lines, these time and cost challenges can accumulate. As a result, SIMWON introduced AutoForm-DieDesigner®Plus to address recurring problems.
Fig.1 Legacy Stamping Design Workflow
The new process improvements consist of three stages, as illustrated in Fig. 2, with each stage carried out to meet specific objectives.
Fig. 2 Each step involved in process improvement
1. Improving User Awareness
Most users were accustomed to working with a CAD system in the previous process, which gave them a high level of proficiency along with certain preconceptions. However, two sessions of software training and sample verification proved instrumental in overcoming these preconceived notions. Participants expressed satisfaction with the software’s high-quality surface output and found it easy to adapt to its convenient and efficient features. A subsequent group discussion on the workflow further helped align everyone’s understanding, and sample verification training enabled them to smoothly transition to an integrated process using AutoForm Forming.
Fig. 3 Die Designer Plus training for users
2. Establishing an Improved Process
To address the issues of the existing process, AutoForm Korea proposed a simple yet efficient AutoForm Smart Design Workflow (Fig. 4). This integrated process, based on AutoForm Forming, allows a single user to perform all tasks from the concept stage through validation of compensation, eliminating potential data corruption or quality degradation. It also resolves any complications related to collaboration and communication among different departments.
Fig. 4 AutoForm Smart Design Workflow
3. Application and Verification
The effectiveness of this AutoForm Smart Design Workflow was validated through two separate trials. First, tasks were performed on an aluminum body structure product following the workflow steps shown in Fig. 4. The work began with preliminary tasks in the software, proceeded to formability verification, and then advanced to compensation modeling (Fig. 5). This streamlined process allowed a single engineer to handle all tasks, removing risks of data conversion errors and promoting clearer inter-departmental communication. As a result, SIMWON reduced development time and cost.
Fig. 5 AutoForm Smart Design workflow of the aluminum body structure part
Next, the same workflow was applied to the inner and outer panels of hot-formed body structure products. This led to a 75% reduction in work time compared to the existing process and significantly increased customer satisfaction by enabling faster responses to product modifications (see Fig. 6).
Fig. 6 Validation of two different hot press forming parts
We hope that the information shared here will encourage a wide range of customers to adopt the AutoForm Smart Design Workflow for process improvements suited to their operational requirements.
