Building Bridges Between R&D Institutions and Tool Making Sector (Slovene experiences)

Transcription

1 11th International Cold Forming Congress 12th 14th September 2005 Chester, UK Building Bridges Between R&D Institutions and Tool Making Sector (Slovene experiences) Karl Kuzman University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ljubljana Blaž Nardin TECOS Slovene Tool and Die Development Centre, Celje Slovenia

2 1. Introduction 2. Challenges and opportunities 3. TECOS experiences in distributed distance work 4. Conclusion

3 1. Introduction

4 1. Introduction Modern tools can be defined as mechatronic production subsystems because they contain control and actuating elements, they are in a real time connected to the control units of an integral production system.

5 1. Introduction Pressure die casting of Al (courtesy ISKRA Avtoelektrika)

6 1. Introduction Slovenia, as a small country with only 2 millions inhabitants, must have a strongly export-oriented economy tool making looked to be one of the most promising tool making is one of Slovenian strategic orientations

7 1. Introduction Slovene specialities are tools used in: steel sheet-metal forming, polymer processing. The most important export markets in order of priority are: Austria, Germany, Italy, The industrial sectors where the greatest number of Slovene tools is delivered are: the automotive industry, the electrical and electronic industries, the mechanical industry.

8 1. Introduction Slovenia s s total tool-making potential tool making companies, internal profit centres, tool delivery and maintenance for parent companies, several hundred Slovene SMEs from the polymerprocessing sector have their own tool production and maintenance, According to the Japanese methodology, the total Slovene tool-making turnover would be around 500 million euros per year.

9 1. Introduction TECOS Slovenian Tool and Die Development Centre TECOS (a non profit organization) was established in year 1994 by: - Government of Slovenia - Chamber of Commerce and Industry - City of Celje TECOS has 2 main areas of work: 1. R&D work Industrial project (50%) National projects (20 %) International projects (30%) 2. Networking activities TECOS has 96 members, mainly SMEs

10 1. Introduction 2004 :TECOS: has a network of 969 members Legend: members A members B

11 1. Introduction Connecting SLO and EU toolmakers Visit in Portugal (Iberomoldes, 2000) Visit in Finland (NOKIA, 2001)

12 1. Introduction TECOS international activities EU projects (FP, Craft, CBC, Eureka) bilateral (PT, TR, BiH, MK) short term exchange of postgraduate students common access to complex industrial projects

13 1. Introduction Countries, connected with TECOS on the R&D field EU countries: 1. Austria 2. Germany 3. Italy 4. Hungary 5. United Kingdom 6. Finland 7. Sweden 8. Spain 9. Portugal 10. Estonia 11. Czech Republic 12. Slovak Republic 13. Greece 14. Cyprus Other European countries: 1. Switzerland 2. Croatia 3. Romania 4. Turkey Middle east country: 1. Israel

14 2. Challenges and opportunities

15 2. Challenges and opportunities RM&SQP - Rapid manufacturing and small-quantity production of sheet-metal components Before starting the mass production of complex products such as cars, a variety of tests need to be conducted. In the very near future all these tests will be transferred to the computer-supported virtual environment. Industry will still demand (during the productdevelopment phase) small numbers of parts with the same performance as the parts manufactured later under conditions of mass production.

16 2. Challenges and opportunities RM&SQP Combined computer, laser and mechanical support for the fast development and manufacture of sheet-metal forming technologies and tools.

17 2. Challenges and opportunities RM&SQP Example of rapid manufacturing and small-quantity production of sheet-metal components (Courtesy of EMO Orodjarna)

18 2. Challenges and opportunities RM&SQP Some examples of Slovene tool makers and TECOS as partners of the EU car industry

19 3. TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in polymer processing Distributed work in sheet metal forming Distributed work in tool production Distributed work in reverse engineering

20 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in polymer processing In Slovenia some hundreds of SMEs are involved with the injection moulding of polymers, manufacturing the appropriate tools or doing both. The market ESMs is mostly in the EU, where they are successful on the basis of quality, price, reliability, and delivery times, and where they must be ready for rapid changes, reactions and modifications. SMEs understood that the use of numerical simulations is a precondition for remaining in the market, but, on the other hand, they also understood that it is not reasonable for them to have their own equipment and experts to perform the complex analyses. RESULT: SMEs and TECOS establish e- communications and begin collaborative projects.

21 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in polymer processing The most significant steps : Parts evaluation (designed for manufacture?) Injection moulding process & tool evaluation: filling pressures, tool closing force, temperature profiles, danger of air pockets, cavity filling time, wrinkling and deflection Injection moulding process optimisation

22 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in polymer processing Injection-moulding process optimisation

23 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in sheet metal forming Virtual deep-drawing drawing-process evaluation determination of the optimum shape of the initial blank, evaluation of the different forming steps and their optimisation, process evaluation in terms of its stability and safety, evaluation of the thickness distribution, spring-back estimation, the prediction of local wrinkling and defects.

24 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in sheet metal forming E-network for sheet-metal metal-forming process evaluation and tool production

25 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in sheet metal forming Distributed work in tool production The development of NC codes to manufacture active tool parts could be a logical continuation in cases where during the virtual process an evaluation of the active tool surfaces is also generated (cavities, blanking and punching lines or surfaces, etc.).

26 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in tool production Distributed work in forging tool production

27 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in reverse engineering Distributed work in reverse engineering There are many areas where the production of tools or new components starts with a real model instead of a 2D drawing or a 3D model. To start the CAE of such goods or tools they should be moved into the digital environment; their shape should be presented in a form of 3D models. For the data transformation from real to digital TECOS decided to use optical digitalisation.

28 3.TECOS experiences in distributed distance work Distributed work in reverse engineering A reverse-engineering engineering procedure for the correction of sheet-metal forming tools a) original mould, b) digitised model, c) hybrid model with a smooth transition of created surfaces to the original STL mesh (a) (b) (c)

29 4. Conclusion

30 4. Conclusion SLOVENIA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION A CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SLOVENE TOOL MAKERS The most important preconditions are: well-educated employees reliable supporting organisations and centres implementation of CAx technologies well-organised knowledge basis for the fine tuning and calibration of the virtual part, tool and process evaluations a high degree of confidence between all partners reliable e-links

31 4. Conclusion Slovene proximity value Logistics costs & risks Faster reactions to changes and modifications From supplier to partner Similarity in industrial culture

32 THANK YOU! 11th ICFC -2005, Chester, UK