FemTool Metal Forming Tool Design Software  

FEM Engineering, funded by Manufacturing Technology Directorate, has developed the metal forming tool design software, FemTool.  It accomplishes in minutes the work that currently takes days or months. 

FemTool automates the process of tool design for the sheet metal forming processes.  It encapsulates the knowledge and expertise in the sheet metal forming industries.  Currently, it covers Hydroforming, Stretch-forming and Brake-forming processes.  It will be expanded to include Deep Drawing and Stamping. 

FemTool creates, automatically, 3D CAD models of the tools which are used in the fabrication of sheet metal parts.  These models will be full geometrical descriptions of the tools which can be sent to NC machines.  When creating a tool model, the tool design programs are driven by the parameters calculated or retrieved by the system based on the particular conditions of the part.  The model of the tool is presented to the user, who can then accept or override it. 

FemTool is embedded in CATIA and AutoCAD.  Through its ACIS based modeler, it also interfaces, easily, with other major CAD systems such as CADKEY, Intergraph, ANVIL, etc. 

It operates under Windows95 and NT as well as Silicon Graphics and IBM RS/6000. 
 
 
   
 

 

Benefits 

FemTool's implementation produces substantial reduction in cost and cycle time and improve quality and consistency.  The following are some of the major benefits: 
 

1. Reduces the labor cost for tool making by eliminating or substantially reducing the current trial-and-error method of making tools.  In some cases the savings can be weeks or months.
2. Reduces the material and other costs of building and reworking the physical prototypes of the tools.
3. Eliminates the need for hand working of the part following the forming operation which can be as much as 40% of the touch labor cost for making a part.
4. Determines optimum tool design parameters quickly.
5. Eliminates part variability by producing accurate tool designs.  Part variability results in additional cost during sub-assembly and can cause work slowdown or stoppage.
6. Reduces cycle time substantially. The reduction comes during the tool making, forming the part, sub-assembly and final assembly.  Overall, there can be over a 60% reduction in cycle time.
7. Improves part quality by allowing evaluation of more design alternatives and also by producing accurate tooling.
8. Enables companies to maximize their tooling staff and have greater throughput.  Allowing tool designers to do more creative work vs. routine operations.
9. Makes it possible for manufacturers to make the part/tool right the first time.
10. It is easier to use than a word processing program.
11. Best of all, it pays for itself by the savings it generates through the design of only 2 or 3 tools.

 
 
 

  Home Page