Knowledge-Based Engineering Supporting Die Face Design of Automotive Panels

Sheet metal is commonly used in the automotive industry. The requirements for developing approaches for manufacturing automotive panels have become increasingly important as carmakers seek to shorten their time to market. However, designing and manufacturing mold dies for automotive sheet metal panels is time-consuming as several processes use the trial-and-error method. The die design period for one sheet metal panel is usually a few months to up to one year. Along with advances in Computer-Aided Design (CAD), simulation of interference checking can be conducted using a three-dimensional solid model, and Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) software can be used to simulate and analyze die face to accelerate the design process (Fig. 1).