As the foundation of modern industry, mold technology has been widely used in automobile, energy, machinery and other fields.
Compared with mechanical processing, mold processing has the advantages of fewer procedures, high material utilization, low energy consumption, easy production, and high efficiency, so it has become the basic process equipment for industrial production. With the rapid development of modern industrial production and its rapid rise, the scale of the industry and the level of technology have greatly improved and will play an increasingly important role in the development of the national economy.
3D mold design
The three-dimensional design of the mold is an important content of digital mold technology and the basis for the integration of mold design, manufacturing and inspection. Companies such as Toyota of Japan and General Motors of the United States have realized the three-dimensional design of the mold and achieved good application results. Some methods adopted abroad in the three-dimensional design of the mold are worthy of our reference. In addition to the three-dimensional design of the mold, which is conducive to integrated manufacturing, another advantage is that it is convenient for interference inspection and can perform motion interference analysis, which solves a problem in the two-dimensional design.
The role of Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) is more prominent
In recent years, with the rapid development of computer software and hardware, the simulation technology of the stamping forming process (CAE) has played an increasingly important role. In developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany, CAE technology has become an essential part of the mold design and manufacturing process. It is widely used to predict forming defects, optimize stamping processes and mold structures, improve the reliability of mold design, and reduce the time for mold trial. 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 the quality of molds. CAE technology is gradually transforming mold design from empirical design to scientific design.
Digital mold technology has become the mainstream direction
The rapid development of digital mold technology in recent years is an effective way to solve many problems faced in the development of automotive molds. The so-called digital mold technology is the application of computer technology or computer-aided technology (CAX) in the mold design and manufacturing process.
The rapid development of mold processing automation
Advanced processing technology and equipment is an important foundation for improving productivity and ensuring product quality. It is not uncommon for advanced automotive mold enterprises to be equipped with dual-table CNC machine tools, automatic tool changers (ATC), photoelectric control systems for automatic processing, and online measurement systems for workpieces. CNC machining has developed from simple profile machining to comprehensive machining of profiles and structural surfaces, from low to medium speed machining to high-speed machining, and processing automation technology has developed rapidly.
High-strength steel stamping technology is the future development direction
High-strength steel has excellent characteristics in terms of yield strength ratio, strain hardening characteristics, strain distribution capability, and collision energy absorption, and its use in automobiles continue to increase. At present, the high-strength steels used in automotive stamping parts mainly include paint hardened steel (BH steel), dual-phase steel (DP steel), and phase-induced plasticity steel (TRIP steel).
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 dies steel, flame quenching cold work die steel, powder metallurgy cold work die steel. The use of cast iron materials in large and medium-sized stamping dies abroad is a development trend worthy of attention. Ductile iron has good toughness and wears resistance, its welding performance, workability, surface quenching performance are also good, and the cost is lower than alloy cast iron, so it is used in automotive stamping dies.
Scientific and information management is the development direction of mold enterprises
Another important aspect of the development of automotive mold technology is scientific and information management. Scientific management makes mold companies continue to develop in the direction of Just-in-Time Manufacturing and Lean Production. Enterprise management is more precise, production efficiency is greatly improved, and invalid institutions, links, and personnel are 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. It is widely used.
Fine manufacturing of molds is an inevitable trend
The so-called fine mold manufacturing refers to the development process and manufacturing results of the mold, which is specifically manifested in the rationalization of the stamping process and mold structure design, high precision of mold processing, high reliability of mold products, and strict technical management. Fine mold manufacturing is not actually a single technology, but also includes design, processing, and management technology.
In addition to technical excellence, the realization of refined mold manufacturing must also be guaranteed by strict management.
