Systematic Process Improvement of Sheet Metal Forming Processes

The design of a forming process of sheet metal forming parts is a complex issue. Many boundary conditions must be fulfilled and many considerations must be made to come to a successful solution. Elimination wrinkles and splits very often need contrary measures. Many times the approach to come to a successful solution is an iterative process which is also dependent on the person who deals with the job. Generally this job has been solved with help of simulation software. AutoForm developed a methodology, systematic process improvement, to systematically approach this job. The systematic process improvement is a standardized way to effectively design forming processes. This systematical approach reduces the number of loops, gives transparency of the different solution statements and makes it easier to pass the work to a colleague. As a result the development of a forming process can be done faster, more reliable and less dependent on individuals. The systematic process improvement will be illustrated on the design of forming process of an automotive part.