A multiple approach based system for process planning in cold forging: some recent development and applications

Some recent developments of a program for sequence planning of rotational cold forged components are presented. The work is one main task of the BRITE Project "Integrated CAD/CAE System for Application in Cold Extrusion" and is aimed at the development of an integrated computer-aided environment for engineering cold forged parts. In this project the authors have collaborated with process designers of one Italian (Teksid) and three German companies. In this paper basic CAPP system categories are reviewed. In particular some limits of generative systems are highlighted to justify the approach presented, based on both automatic and iterative tools. Consequent upon the approach is the program architecture, which is discussed together with the main characteristics of the four modules composing the overall program. Afterwards, interactive process generation is described and functionalities available to generate new geometries are explained. At the end, some application examples are given.