At present, the global automotive mold industry presents nine major development trends: the role of simulation (CAE) of the stamping forming process is more prominent, the position of three-dimensional mold design is consolidated, digital mold technology has become the mainstream direction, mold processing automation is developing rapidly, and high strength Steel plate stamping technology is the future development direction, new mold products will be launched in time, mold materials and surface treatment technology will be reused, scientific management and informationization are the development direction of mold companies, and refined mold manufacturing is an inevitable trend.
1. The simulation (CAE) of the stamping process is more prominent
In recent years, with the rapid development of computer software and hardware, the simulation technology (CAE) of the stamping forming process is playing an increasingly important role. In developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany, CAE technology has become a necessary part of the mold design and manufacturing process. It is widely used to predict forming defects, optimize the stamping process and mold structure, improve the reliability of mold design, and reduce the trial time.
Many automotive mould companies have also made significant progress in the application of CAE and achieved good results. The application of CAE technology can greatly save the cost of trial molds and shorten the development cycle of stamping molds, which has become an important means to ensure mold quality. CAE technology is gradually transforming mold design from empirical design to scientific design.
2. The position of mold 3D design is consolidated
The three-dimensional design of the mold is an important part of the digital mold technology and the basis for the integration of mold design, manufacturing and inspection. Companies such as Toyota and General Motors of the United States have realized the three-dimensional design of molds and achieved good application results. Some methods adopted in the 3D mold design abroad are worthy of our reference. In addition to being conducive to the realization of integrated manufacturing, the three-dimensional design of the mold has another advantage that it is convenient for interference inspection and can perform motion interference analysis, which solves a problem in two-dimensional design.
3. Digital mold technology has become the mainstream direction
In recent years, the rapid development of digital mold technology is an effective way to solve many problems faced in the development of automotive moulds. The so-called digital mold technology is the application of computer technology or computer-aided technology (CAX) in the mold design and manufacturing process.
4. The rapid development of mold processing automation
Advanced processing technology and equipment are an important foundation for improving productivity and ensuring product quality. In advanced automotive mold companies, it is not uncommon to see CNC machine tools with dual worktables, automatic tool changers (ATC), photoelectric control systems for automatic processing, and online workpiece measurement systems. Numerical control processing has developed from simple profile processing to comprehensive processing of profile and structure surfaces, from medium and low-speed processing to high-speed processing, and the development of processing automation technology is very rapid.
5. High-strength steel plate stamping technology is the future development direction
High-strength steel has excellent characteristics in terms of yield ratio, strain hardening characteristics, strain distribution ability, and collision energy absorption, and the amount of use in automobiles continues to increase. At present, the high-strength steels used in automotive stampings mainly include paint hardening steel (BH steel), dual-phase steel (DP steel), phase transformation induced plasticity steel (TRIP steel), etc.
6. New mold products will be launched in due course
With the development of automobile stamping production and automation, progressive dies will be more widely used in the production of automobile stamping parts. Complicated shape stamping parts, especially some small and medium-sized complicated stamping parts that require multiple punching dies according to the traditional process, are increasingly formed by progressive dies.
7. Mold materials and surface treatment technology will be reused
The quality and performance of mold materials are important factors that affect mold quality, life and cost. In recent years, in addition to the continuous introduction of a variety of high toughness and high wear resistance cold work die steels, flame quenched cold work die steels, and powder metallurgy cold work die steels, it is worthwhile to use cast iron materials for large and medium-sized stamping dies abroad, which is concerned about the development trend. Nodular cast iron has good toughness and wear resistance, its welding performance, workability, surface hardening performance are also good, and the cost is lower than alloy cast iron, therefore, it is more used in automobile stamping dies.
8. Scientific management and informatization are the development direction of mold enterprises
Another important aspect of the development of automotive mold technology is the scientific management and informationization. The scientific management has enabled mold companies to continue to develop in the direction of Just-in-Time Manufacturing and Lean Production. The management of the molds company has been improved, the production efficiency has been greatly improved, and the ineffective institutions, links and personnel have been continuously streamlined.
With the advancement of modern management technology, many advanced information management tools, including enterprise resource management system (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), project management (PM), etc., are used in mold companies which are widely used.
9. Refined manufacturing of molds is an inevitable trend
The so-called refined manufacturing of molds refers to the development process and manufacturing results of molds, specifically: the rationalization of stamping process and mold structure design, high precision of mold processing, high reliability of mold products and high tightness technical management.Refined mold manufacturing is actually not a single technology, but a comprehensive reflection of design, processing and management technology. The realization of refined mold manufacturing is not only by technical excellence, but also by strict management.
