fastblank for proe instructions.pdf

8/10/2019 FASTBLANK for ProE Instructions.pdf

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FASTBLANK for ProE Wildfire Instructions

Step 1Create Skin Geometry

To perform a sheet metal formability analysis on a part FASTBLANK ProE requires a skin (surface quilt)

representing the mid-plane, inner, or outer surfaces.

To create the skin geometry for use in the analysis, choose FTISkin from the

FastBlank menu.

Once the skinning function is open choose the yellow Select field to begin picking the surfaces from the

solid model or mid-plane model. Use the Propagate tangents checkbox to assist in selection. If the

propagation doesnt select all the appropriate surfaces, use the Ctrl key and select the surfaces that

need to be added.

Once the all surfaces for the skin are selected, click OK in the Select dialog , then

select the checkmark to create the skin geometry. A new leaf in the tree will be created

named SKIN_1.


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Step 2Setting Up the Analysis

To create the blank geometry, choose FTIBlank from the FastBlank menu.

Once the blanking function is open choose the Select field and pick the skin geometry created in step 1

from the tree.

NOTE: If you open the FTIBlank function directly after creating the skin, the skin geometry created will

automatically be selected for you.

Click the Materials button to reveal the options for material type, thickness, and thickness direction.


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Select the material type from the menu, enter the thickness (if not entered automatically), and define

the thickness direction. The thickness direction arrow should point in the direction of material thickness

and offset to the neutral fiber. A thickness definition of middle will result in no offset and there will be

no arrow for direction. The Next Face button allows you to move the location of the direction arrow to

different faces of the part model for better visualization of the direction.

Click the Mesh button to reveal the mesh generation parameters. Enter the Chord Deviation and Max.

Element Size and use the Fill All Holes checkbox to define if the holes should be filled during meshing.

Chord Deviation:

Chord deviation is a ratio between the local absolute sag and the local mesh edge length.

Chord Deviation = (local absolute sag value) / (local mesh edge length value)

Maximum Element Size:

Maximum element size defines the value for the maximum length of the local mesh edge.


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Click the Forming Process button to reveal the parameters. Select the coordinate system that defines

the punch direction and use the radio buttons to define the forming process as either Form or Draw.

You may need to create a coordinate system to define the punch direction. When creating this

coordinate system the z-axis should define the punch direction (the z-axis should be normal to the flat

state surface of the sheet metal component). The default forming process is set to Form.

This option allows you to input the type of process that you are using to manufacture the part. This will

influence the way the part deforms during forming and can affect the blank shape. You can choose

between a Draw Die and a Form Die.


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Draw Die

If you are forming a part using a draw die (as illustrated below left) you should use the Draw Die forming

process.

As material passes over the radius on the die, additional strain is added to the part due to the friction

between the part and the die and the bending and unbending process. These additional strains are not

present when a part is manufactured using a form die.

The friction and bending effects are automatically considered by FormingSuite when the Draw Die

setting is turned on. The Draw Die process formulation determines the areas of curvature on the part

and adds the required forces and strains to any material that would flow over them during forming.

Form Die

If you are forming a part using a Form Die (illustrated below right) you should use the Form Die forming

process. This process is typically used in progressive dies and simple flanging operations.

In this type of operation, the blank material is not pulled through a radius; it is simply bent around it. As

a result, there are no additional strains produced by friction.


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Click the Constraints button to reveal the options. You can apply constraints in the X, Y, or XY directions

to any faces or edges of the model. If you want to constrain a face or edge from moving in the X

direction, choose either the Edge or Surface field in the Displacement Constraint X field, then select the

faces or edges to constrain followed by the OK button in the Select dialog.

Step 3Solving and Creating the Blank

To solve the analysis and create the blank geometry, choose the green checkmark after

completing step 2.

After the checkmark is selected, the analysis will be run and the blank will be created in the tree and

displayed at the Z=0 location of the coordinate system selected.


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Step 4Blank Smoothing

The smoothing option allows you to simplify the boundary of the blank as either; none, b-spline, or line

and arcs. Without smoothing, the edges of the blank are represented by the mesh element line

segments.

To perform smoothing of the blank select FTIBlank Smooth from the

FastBlank menu (BLANK_1 must be active in the tree) or right-click on

BLANK_1 in the specification tree and select FTIBlank Smooth from the

menu to open the Smoothing settings dialog.

Smoothing Entities:

You can choose the smoothing method as either b-spline or line & arc. This

will reduce the number of line segments on the edge of the blank by

converting them into a b-spline or lines and arcs.

Tangency:

The Tangent Continue checkbox specifies whether or not you want the smoothing to maintain tangency

between entities. Uncheck the Tangent Continue checkbox if tangency does not need to be preserved

between the blank outline segments.

Tolerance:

Enter a positive tolerance that the calculated lines and arcs are allowed to deviate outside the original

blank outline. A negative tolerance determines how far the edge is allowed to deviate into the original

blank outline.

Arc Radius:

Enter a minimum arc radius size before a corner is created instead of an arc. The maximum arc radius

determines at what point a line will be created instead of an arc.

NOTE: If zero is specified for min or max arc radius, no limit will be applied. Using zero for max radius

will help ensure tangent continuity.

Tolerance and arc radius are only applied to line and arc smoothing; the b-spline option uses the

element nodes on the boundary to define the b-spline.


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Step 5Viewing Results

To view the thickness strain (percent change in material thickness due to forming), select FTIBlank

Results from the FastBlank menu (BLANK_1 must be active in the tree) or right-click on BLANK_1 in the

specification tree and select FTIBlank Results from the menu to open the thickness strain result plot.

To adjust the view of the result use the left mouse button to pan, the middle mouse button to rotate,

and the wheel of the middle mouse button to zoom.

By right clicking in the result window, you will also have options to Show Mesh and Filling Screen.

Thickness Strain:

The thickness strain plot displays the percentage change in material thickness after the forming process.

The percentage change in material thickness can be used to check for excessive thinning (negative

values) or thickening (positive values).


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Step 6Report Generation

To generate a report, which contains the material information, an active window screen capture, area,

perimeter, weight, and minimum rectangle zone select FTIBlank Report from the FastBlank menu

(BLANK_1 must be active in the tree) or right-click on BLANK_1 in the specification tree and select

FTIBlank Report from the menu. You will be prompted to save the file, which when completed will thenautomatically open in the browser window, this report will be created in htm format. You can also

create an Excel based report by choosing from the file type menu.


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Step 7Editing Analysis Parameters

Once the solution is completed, you have the ability to edit any of the parameters and re-run the

analysis. To edit any of the parameter, right-click on BLANK_1 in the specification tree and select

FTIBlank Edit from the menu. This will open the FASTBLANK function, which allows you to change any of

the parameters described in step 2, then select the green checkmark to re-run the analysis or select thered x to cancel.

Step 8Updating the Result

After making any geometrical changes to the model, you will need to update your blank analysis. To run

the update, right-click on BLANK_1 in the specification tree and select FTIBlank Update from the menu.

This will force FASTBLANK for ProE to re-run the analysis using the defined parameters and accounting

for the geometric changes made.

NOTE: This function will be grayed out unless a geometric change has been made that would require an

update.


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Appendix AInstallation

To install the software, download the installer fromwww.forming.com.The installer will automatically

perform the majority of the installation on your system. A few extra steps are required after running the

install program:

1)

Licensing: If you dont already have a license file, the installer will generate an email to

[email protected] a license. This email includes the required hardware id (called

a formingid). When you receive the license from FTI, perform the following steps:

a.

Save the file into the Licensing folder in your FASTBLANK for Pro/E installation folder

(typically C:\FTI\FASTBLANKPE\Licensing).

b.

Then run the LICENSE_MANAGER.exe program to configure the software to find the

license file.

c.

Choose Licensing Setup, then select Nodelocked License Fileand press Next. Specify the

license path (C:\FTI\FASTBLANKPE\Licensing\license.lic) and click Finish. You can also

use the LICENSE_MANAGER program to point the software to a server if you will be

using a network license.

2)

Configuring Pro/E to include FASTBLANK for Pro/E: In the installation folder (typically

C:\FTI\FASTBLANKPE), there is a file called protk.dat. Copy this file into the \text folder in your

Pro/E installation (for example C:\Program Files\proeWildfire 4.0\text). This file will tell Pro/E

how to find and include the FASTBLANK for Pro/E add-in. If a protk.dat file already exists in the

text folder, you can use a text editor to copy the contents of the new file into the existing file.
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