Digital Dieless Tooling and Jigless Tooling Technology for Manufacturing 3D Panels Using Multi-Point Forming Methodology
The Multi-Point Forming (MPF) technology employs two sets of adjustable punch matrix to take place traditional solid dies. The flexible manufacturing system using MPF technology is an advanced digital tooling system for automatically fabricating of 3D surface parts. During fabricating process, each of element (punches or actuators) can be controlled by robotic devices to adjust its coordinates for shaping discrete 3D tool surfaces. Based on the MPF methodology, an innovative Dieless Tooling and Jigless Tooling (DT/JT) system is being developed within the EC-granted project DATAFORM (Digitally Adjustable Tooling for manufacturing of Aircraft panels using multi-point FORMing methodology, FP6-AERO-030877). The DT/JT system is integrated the technology of MPF with the technology of computer-aided and computer-controlled. At first, the paper introduces the principle of MPF method and the mechanism of DT/JT system. Then it describes the construction of the flexible manufacturing system in details. The system composes with the hardware of multi-point forming tooling, multi-point positioning tooling, computer control unit and the software of CAD/CAE/CAM/CAT to realize flexible forming and rapid assembly of 3D panels.
Dear Authors,
Thank your for the interesting paper. My comments and questions are as follows
(i)Comment and question No.1:
Related to the quality of the final formed part using the dieless and jigless tooling technology, what is the surface quality of the part after forming?
(ji)Comment and question No.2:
Since the adjustable elements are used to configure the 3D surface of the die and jig, and the point contact is used. The surface quality of the final formed part depends on the size or number of the adjustable elements used to define the surface. How can we balance between the “ surface quality” and “size or number of adjustable elements (fixed and active and passive elements)?.
(jii)Comment and question No.3:
Since the surface quality of the final formed part depends on the size or number of the adjustable elements, the fabrication of the tool become complex and time consuming. What is the time and cost to fabricate the die to form the part presented in fig.18?
Many thanks,
Le