Design and application of hybrid software for modelling die components and the die assembly

摘要

This paper describes the design and application of hybrid modelling software for assisting die designers working in small and medium-sized sheet metal enterprises. The proposed procedure utilizes Auto LISP and AutoCAD for fast modelling of die components and the die assembly. The proposed die modelling software AUDIEDR comprises seven modules, namely DIEMOD, STRPRMOD, BPPPPMOD, BDSTMOD, TDSTMOD, BDIEASS and TDIEASS. The interfacing of Auto LISP with AutoCAD facilitates automatic drafting of die components and the die assembly. The software is written in Auto LISP and is loaded in the prompt area of AutoCAD. The program allows the user firstly to model the blank drawing. It then prompts the user to pick pregenerated data files for each die component and automatically models the die components and the die assembly using the above-mentioned modules sequentially. The chief feature of the software is its facility of interfacing die design with drafting. The software can be operated in a Windows environment on a PC/AT. An illustrative example bas been included to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed system. The software also helps create a library of die components. The modelling system can be modified depending upon the requirements of the specific shop floor. The low cost of the system makes it affordable for planners working in small and medium-sized enterprises.