Patent ID: 8140306
Filing Date: 2012-03-20
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for determining, by means of a computer-assisted design system, process operations for the description of sheet metal forming processes on a sheet metal forming part by a forming press, wherein a process operation corresponds to the operation of a forming press, the method comprising the following steps: establishing a computer readable representation of a plurality of geometry stages, the geometry stages comprising a target geometry stage that defines the geometry of a finally formed part, and the geometry stages further comprising intermediate geometry stages; defining geometry models comprising computerized descriptions of the geometry of the forming part in each of the geometry stages; grouping, for each of the plurality of geometry stages, several geometry models of areas as the definition of the geometry stage, wherein the geometry stage describes at least a fictitious geometry of the forming part as a whole; establishing a computer readable representation of several geometry operators, wherein each of the geometry operators associates a computerized description of the geometry of an area of a first one of the geometry models with a description of the geometry of an area of a second one of the geometry models, and the geometry operator describes a transition from one of the two associated geometries to the other one and the geometry operator thereby defines how to calculate the one of the two associated computerized descriptions from the other, given parameters of the geometry operator; and establishing a computer readable representation of several groups, each group comprising at least one geometry operator, wherein each of the groups respectively is associated with one of the process operations and comprises all geometry operators that are associated with this process operation, wherein each one of a sequence of process operations corresponds to operation of one of a sequence of forming presses or of a sequence of stations of a progressive die press, the operation of each of the forming presses or stations corresponding to a movement of this forming press or station in a main working direction in a single working cycle and comprising several individual forming steps carried out in different areas of the sheet metal part, and the group of operators associated with the process operation describes the individual forming steps carried out in this forming press or station; and wherein, for at least one of the groups: