Software launched by Ubeco allows designers of roll form tooling to analyse their prospective tools on screen by creating a 3D representation of what would be the resulting tube.
This roll form simulation uses finite element analysis tools to map out all stages of the forming process between sheet metal and complete tube - highlighting any desin weaknesses or faults that would accur from the proposed tooling. Colour coding indicates the levels of stress infliction on each section of tube so the designer can quickly check whether these fall within permissible limits.
This Virtual Roll-forming Machine (VRM) package is said to complement Ubeco's existing Profil software - used to design tube forming tools. Based on a Windows platform, Profil provides the engineer with a speedy design outcome by automatically "designing the cross section pattern of the intermediate stages" of a shaped tube, rather than leaving him to perform this manually.
Ubeco's Roland Brandegger says the VRM software "allows the designer to verify the designed roll tool set by using the finite element analysis. We will be launching an enhanced version of this software at November's show in Chicago.
Ubeco (Germany)
Tel. +49 2371 9771 0
roland.brandegger@ubeco.com
www.ubeco.com