In the Tools definition page, the user may add and remove tools, adjust position between blank and tools, define tool properties, working direction and contact between blank and tools. The interface is illustrated in Figure 8.3.49.

Figure 8.3.49  Tools definition page

TOOL LIST

The list of tool names is displayed in the box on left hand of Tools definition page. The indented tool name button indicates the tool is working tool. In Sheet Forming, default tools are set according to the selected process type. For example, if a Single Action process is chosen, default tools consist of die, punch and binder. Each basic parameter is set with default value, except for tool part, working direction, contact offset, etc. The user may directly define each tool from the menu page to save time for defining tools.

Note: Undefined tool is labeled in red. In each setup, undefined parameters are labeled in red to remind the user that the setup is incomplete.

ADD TOOL

The New button activate a function which allows the user to create a new tool in current setup. The user may click New button to switch the interface to the new tool interface illustrated in Figure 8.3.50.

Figure 8.3.50  New Tool interface

TOOL NAME

Allow the user to define a name for current tool. Default tool name is tool1, tool2, tool3, etc. The user may define a meaningful tool name for the current tool for the ease of identifying each tool in the stamping simulation.

DEFAULT SETTING

Allows the user to set default settings for the current tool such as working direction, offset, etc. There are two options in default setting. One uses an existing tool as a reference, and the newly generated tool adopts the basic parameters of the reference tool. The other sets the basic parameters of the newly generated tool to default values.

USE SETTING OF TOOL: New tool adopts the basic parameters of an existing tool. The user may select an existing tool from the pull-down list.

USE SETTING OF GUIDE PIN: Uses the default parameters of a guide pin to define a new tool. This tool does not have a working direction and the contact type is set to *CONTACT_FORMING_NODES_TO_SURFACE.

USE DEFAULT SETTING: Uses default parameters to define the new tool. The working direction of this tool is the LCS +W direction.  Both contact offset and travel distance are equal to 0.

APPLY

Enables the user to generate new tool and list it in the tool list.

DELETE TOOL

This function allows the user to remove current tool from the setup. The user may select any tool from tool list as current tool, following by clicking the Delete button. The Delete Tool dialog box illustrated in Figure 8.3.51 is displayed. Click OK to delete the current tool, or Cancel to quit the operation.

Figure 8.3.51  Delete Tool dialog box

TOOL NAME

This function allows the user to modify the current tool name. When creating a tool, the user may arbitrarily assign a name for the tool. After the tool is generated, the user may edit the tool name listed in the Tools definition page. In the input field of Name, the user may key in a new tool name and press “Enter [CR]” to complete the operation.

Note: Each tool must have a unique name. If the newly created tool has the same name with an existing tool in the setup, a numeral will be appended to the new tool name, e.g. die 1, punch 1, etc.

TOOL GEOMETRY

This function allows the user to assign parts in the current tool. The user may add one or more parts in the current tool. Click the Define geometry button to display the Tool Preparation for Sheet Forming dialog box illustrated in Figure 8.3.52. The user may add or delete the part of the current tool, and copy element to the current tool. The user may also import surface and mesh data to the current tool. Refer to Section 7.1 for detailed description about tool preparation.

Figure 8.3.52  Tool preparation for formability

CREATE GUIDE/PIN: This function allows the user to create a Guide and/or Pin. A new part for the Guide is created and included as current tool. Default name of new Guide is Guide000, Guide001, etc. For detailed descriptions of Guide and Pin, refer to Section 10.4.

Note: This button is only displayed when the user defines the tool type to use the settings of a Guide pin.

POSITION

This function enables the user to position the  tool by entering the travel distance between the tool and HOME, as shown in Figure 8.3.53. The Show geometry option is used to show/hide the display of the current tool.

Figure 8.3.53  Tool Positioning

WORKING DIRECTION

In each setup, a unique working direction for the tool must be defined. Working direction is the direction of tool traveling towards the blank.

Note: Working direction is a vector originating from the tool and pointing towards the blank. It is not the actual direction of tool travel. The vector can be pointing to the opposite direction of direction of tool travel.  The interface of Working direction is illustrated in Figure 8.3.54.

Figure 8.3.54  Define Working Direction

DIRECTION: This function displays the working direction of current tool as a vector. Default starting point of the vector is LCS (0, 0, 0). The coordinate of the end point is also displayed in this box. The User may click the  button to modify the working direction using the Direction definition dialog box illustrated in Figure 8.3.55.

Figure 8.3.55  Define Tool Working Direction

DIRECTION

This function allows the user to determine a direction by vector definition. The origin of the vector is similar to the origin of current coordinate system. The coordinate of the end point is determined by the user.

  Define U coordinate for the endpoint of vector.

  Define V coordinate for the endpoint of vector.

  Define W coordinate for the endpoint of vector.

REVERSE

This function allows the user to reverse the defined direction.

2-POINTS/NODES

This function allows the user to select two points or nodes to define a direction.

3-POINTS/NODES NORMAL

This function allows the user to select three points or nodes to define a direction. The defined direction is perpendicular to the plane defined by the three selected points/nodes. The direction follows the right hand rule.

ELEMENT NORMAL

This function allows the user to select an element. The normal direction of the selected element is the working direction.

EXISTING LCS

This function allows the user to select a coordinate axis from the defined LCS as the working direction. After clicking this button, the dialog box illustrated in Figure 8.3.56 is displayed. The user proceeds to select the desired LCS and direction for the working direction. If no LCS is defined in the database, this button is disabled.

Figure 8.3.56  Existed LCS dialog box

MOVEMENT: This function is used to displays the tool travel distance along the working direction from the original tool position, after the positioning operation. If a negative value is observed, the tool moves in the opposite direction of the working direction. The user can directly enter a distance to adjust the tool position.

CONTACT

This function allows the user to the define contact parameters between the blank and each tool.

OFFSET: When defined tools are copied from the die face, contact offset is required for corresponding tools. For example, if the new punch is generated according to die face, an offset value is required for the corresponding punch. The blank thickness is used as the offset value. The user may change the value according to requirement.

FRICTIONAL COEF.: Allows the user to define the static friction coefficient between the tools and the blank. The user may select different friction types from the drop down list and the recommended friction coefficient will be given by the program automatically, or the user may enter the specified friction coefficient in the textbox. It enables the user to modify the default values of different friction types in Setup->Friction through Option/Edit Default Config. There are five preset options and User defined to allow the user to set the desired value.

Low = 0.05, low friction
Steel std = 0.125, steel standard friction
Steel high = 0.17, steel high friction
Alum std = 0.17, aluminium standard friction
Alum high = 0.2, aluminium high friction
User Defined

ADVANCED: Define advanced parameters for the contact interface. A detailed description of contact definition is available in Section 8.3.4.2 and the LS-DYNA Keyword User’s Manual. In the Advanced dialog box, the user is allowed to define a table to describe the relationship between dynamic friction coefficient and relative velocity as well as press, as illustrated in Figure 8.3.57.

Figure 8.3.57  Function relationship

ASSOCIATION

This option is used to define contact between two tools. The user can select tools which have contact relationship from the drop-down list. The slave tool will move with the master tool when they contact with each other. The contact type of tools is *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE. The contact between tools is not defined by default.

POSITIONING

This function is used to control the initial position of tooling and blank in the stamping simulation, relative to the original position. This function includes both auto and manual positioning illustrated in Figure 8.3.58. The user may select the checkbox of On option to activate auto positioning. Alternatively, the user may key in travel distance of the tool in the input box for Tools to perform manual positioning. After entering the travel distance of blank and/or tools, the user clicks <ENTER> key to update the position of blank and tools in display screen.

Figure 8.3.58  Tool Positioning

BLANK POSITION: The user may enter a value in the input data field to position the blank. The user may also select a tool from the drop-down list as reference for positioning of blank, and show the travel distance of the blank relative to its original position. If the latter option is chosen, the dropdown box of the On option for the selected tool is disabled.

TOOLS MOVEMENT: All the defined tools are listed in the Tools field. The user may define the initial position of tooling by entering a value for each tool in the input data field. The combo box in the On column allows the user to define already positioned reference tool or blank for positioning of the active tool. The movement of the tool relative to its original position is listed in input data field. Modification of this value is prohibited.

Note: Auto positioning of tools and blank are carried out along the working direction. The user must specify working direction for each tool prior to performing auto-positioning.

GAP BETWEEN BLANK AND TOOL: The default gap is the thickness of blank. The user may also set the corresponding gap according to requirements. If Auto option is selected, the program will use the default gap value.

GAP BETWEEN TOOLS: Allows the user to specify a fixed distance between tools to start simulation. The default gap between tools is 0.0 mm.

IN NORMAL: Measures distance between tool normal to the mesh, not along the working direction.

ROUND OFF: Selects this option to round the auto-positioning values, otherwise, decimal format is kept.

RESET: Clears all the travel distances between tools and blanks and resets to the initial position prior to positioning operation.

OK: Saves result of positioning and exit the Positioning dialog box.

CANCEL: Exits the Positioning dialog box without saving positioning result.

AUTO ASSIGN

This function is used to assign the parts with standard names as the corresponding tools, such as Blank, Binder and Punch. It is recommended not to use this function in multistage analysis.

AUTO ASSIGN

This function is used to assign the parts with standard names as the corresponding tools, such as Blank, Binder and Punch. It is recommended not to use this function in multi-stage analysis.