Forming Technologies Inc. (FTI) has announced the worldwide release of FormingSuite 2018.1 at HxGN LIVE 2018 in Las Vegas NV. Designed for sheet metal cost estimators, design engineers, tooling designers, and advanced planning engineers in the automotive, aerospace, consumer product and electronics industries, FormingSuite 2018.1 delivers new customer-driven features for costing/estimating parts, developing method plans, and formability simulation.
Customer demand for utilizing FTI expertise in quoting and estimating tooling has resulted in significant enhancements to COSTOPTIMIZER Professional (COP). COP’s module called ProcessPlanner brings the tooling and manufacturing method planning activities to the next level by addressing some critical challenges long faced in the industry. ProcessPlanner now supports all transfer and progressive nesting layouts including 2-up, mirror and 2-part layouts. It provides ability to process two different parts in a progressive die.
ProcessPlanner also includes full support for supplier/region database to account for variations in construction methods, labour rates and currencies enabling strategies to “think globally” and “act locally”. ProcessPlanner now has the ability to define and compare costs from multiple different suppliers. It provides options to select casting or boiler plate materials for transfer and progressive dies. Further, it includes a multitude of enhancements to improve feature and process generation systems, provide more detailed process validation, speed up and simplify process editing and improve display quality and report images.
Validating the quality of Class A Surface (CAS) data is now possible with FormingSuite 2018.1. New features for evaluating key product requirements (KPRs) such as dent resistance, strain patterns, and cosmetic defects, are assessed by applying the Target Strain forming condition to the panel and reviewing results for skid lines, achieved strains, reflect lines, etc. The Target Strain forming condition addresses this concern by simulating the geometrical impact with consideration for quality assuming a theoretically perfect die face. KPR is intended to be used as an early feasibility tool to assess the quality of CAS data.
FormingSuite 2018.1 is now easier to use and richer in features than ever before and addresses critical challenges throughout the vehicle development process. By using FormingSuite earlier in this process, OEMs can discover quality, cost, or formability issues when it is less expensive for them to resolve.
About Forming Technologies
Forming Technologies Inc., a division of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, is the developer of computer aided engineering software for design and simulation of sheet metal components. Since 1989, FTI has provided OEMs and suppliers in the automotive, aerospace and appliance industries with innovative software and training solutions designed to reduce development time and material costs. FTI has trained over 12,000 engineers in Formability and Die Design and is considered the Best in Class around the world for their industry training programs.
For more information on Forming Technologies, please visit the company website at
www.forming.com.
For more information on Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, please visit the company website at www.hexagonmi.com.