Metodología basada en la formulación matemática para el desarrollo de herramientas de asistencia al diseño de productos en la industria metalmecánica. Aplicación al diseño de matrices de extrusión

Abstract

There are still some product design and development processes

in the metal-mechanics industry that continue to be based

principally on similar experiences and on the designer’s own

experience. These designs are, in later phases, generally checked

and analysed by means of FEM (Finite Element Method)

simulations or other methods in order to verify whether they

are optimal. The creation of tools with which to assist design in

the initial phase is, therefore, a major step forward as regards

facilitating the attainment of good results in the shortest

possible time and with the least possible number of design

simulation-redesign iterations. The objective of this paper is

to provide a detailed description of a methodology based on

mathematical formulation for the creation of tools to assist in

the design of moulds or dies in the metal-mechanical sector.

The strategy is based on the value analysis of a multitude of

variables from a large number of proven optimal designs. The

result is an assistance tool that, by means of a mathematical

formulation, attempts to concentrate the experience and

know-how accumulated in many previous designs. This tool

can be quickly and easily applied in order to check and attempt

to adjust a new first design to the criteria of the accumulated

experience. An example of the application of the methodology

by means of an assistance tool with which to design aluminium

extrusion porthole dies is, therefore, shown. Several lines of

research, however, remain open as regards other applications of

the methodology and its improvement through the introduction

of artificial intelligence.