AutoForm Engineering GmbH, the leading supplier of software solutions for the sheet metal forming industry, has successfully developed an innovative solution for hot forming simulation. AutoFormplus R1 supports direct and indirect hot forming as well as other processes which involve temperature or strain-rate dependent material.
Hot forming processes have recently become important for the automotive industry to meet specific requirements regarding a higher level of crash safety and a reduction of overall weight. Many automotive manufacturers use these processes to produce body structure components such as A and B-pillars, tunnels, front and rear bumper beams, door sills, door beams, side-rail parts, roof rails and roof frames. These components have the highest requirements regarding strength. The use of high strength steels in conventional stamping processes is difficult due to their reduced formability and strong tendency to springback. Hot forming technology can be used in order to overcome these limitations. Components are stamped in the soft stage at elevated temperatures and quenched after forming to achieve a martensitic structure resulting in a very high strength of 1500 MPa.
Hot forming is a temperature and time dependent process and therefore its simulation is obviously more complex compared to conventional stamping processes. AutoFormplus R1 has been enhanced to include thermo-mechanical processes, making it possible to simulate hot forming.
Dr. Waldemar Kubli, CEO of AutoForm Engineering, stated: “We are glad that our solution for hot forming brings a new set of benefits to our users. By applying our innovative technology, they can effectively simulate the hot forming process. Thus, components with high strength, high geometrical complexity and minimized springback effects can be produced in shorter time at lower cost. Despite the complexity of hot forming processes, AutoForm has succeeded in developing a hot forming solution which offers AutoForm users the level of user-friendliness they are accustomed to.”
