Layout System Development Of Multi-step Progressive Die Based On Features

The die technology has become one of the important measures of the manufacturing level of a country. The applications of the multi-step progressive die, as an advanced die, becomes more and more popular with the characteristics of high manufacturing efficiency, high operation safety and reliability, low- or non-waste materials, suitable to complex part processing. The layout is the most important and the toughest technology for the design of multi-step progressive die. The manual layout has been proved to be low efficiency, long working periods, low layout accurateness, and complex operation. Obviously, the computer-aided layout will be an advanced technology to increase the design efficiency and quality of the progressive die.Using VBA developing tool, the paper designed and developed a layout system of multi-step stamping progressive die based on AutoCAD 2000. This system consists of five modules, that is, graph input module, technological analysis module, cutting edge-designing module, blank layout-optimizing module, strip layout process module. There are four sub-modules in the technological analysis module, the least aperture inspection, the cantilever and groove inspection, the least fillet and round inspection, and the lease hole margin inspection. An optimal layout with general single-column layout or butt single-column layout can be created quickly and accurately through the translational-tangential method in the blank layout-optimizing module. By the mutual way, the engineer can contrive all kinds of strip layout process result in the strip layout process module.The study and system development will greatly simplify the most important issue of strip layout design for the design of multi-step progressive die, then the designer can free himself from the trivial details of drawing repetition and technological computation, and concentrate on the other much more important issues. This paper carried out the meaningful study in developing the economic and efficient die design software for medium and small die enterprises. It can provide the references for the follow-up modules development of multi-step progressive die CAD/CAM, and will be in favor of the high-level die design CAD/CAM system development in the future.