Die Producibility Evaluation Method

Abstract Given the design of a sheet metal component that is to be produced by pressworking, there can be more than one design for the die to produce that component. It will be desirable if a mechanism exists to identify the better of the design alternatives. A method referred to as Die Producibility Evaluation Method (DPEM) is presented in this paper to evaluate the design of a given pressworking die. The method involves identification and classification of the parameters involved in the design and operation of the pressworking die. These parameters are categorized as design cost factors and process cost factors. For a given die design, the design and process cost factors are identified and the results are tabulated in the DPEM table. In order to illustrate the method, a particular sheet metal component is chosen. A set of dies required to produce this component is then designed by a novice designer. This design is referred to as the initial design. The Die Producibility Evaluation Method is applied to the initial design, the DPEM table is updated, and an improved design is identified based on the evaluations recorded in the DPEM table. In order to provide a measure of quality, a second design is carried out under the guidance of an expert designer and is referred to as the reference design. It is shown that the improved design closely matches the reference design, thus illustrating the level of performance and applicability of the Die Producibility Evaluation Method.