Patent ID: 8511172

Claim:
A stretch bend draw simulator apparatus for approximating die stamping of a metal, the apparatus comprising: (a) a fixed base defining a longitudinal direction; (b) a mounting plate mounted to the fixed base; (c) a sheet metal drawing tool mounted to the mounting plate, the sheet metal drawing tool having a surface for contacting a sheet metal strip when the sheet metal strip is pulled across the sheet metal drawing tool surface to provide a pulling force measurement; and (d) a draw bead block holder mounted to the mounting plate and adapted to mount a male draw bead block and a corresponding female draw bead block, wherein: (i) the draw bead block holder comprises (A) a compressing means for compressing the male and female draw bead blocks together to clamp the sheet metal strip therebetween when present, and (B) a clamping force measuring means for measuring a clamping force resulting from the male and female draw bead blocks clamping on the sheet metal strip when present; (ii) the draw bead block holder defines a back force direction for the sheet metal strip being clamped by the male and female draw bead blocks when present; and (iii) the draw bead block holder is positionable at a plurality of locations relative to the fixed base so that an angle θ between the longitudinal direction of the fixed base and the back force direction of the draw bead block holder can be selected to have a plurality of values.