1. Consolidate the position of 3D mold design

The three-dimensional design of molds is an important aspect of digital mold technology and the foundation for achieving the integration of mold design, manufacturing, and inspection. Japanese companies such as Toyota and General Motors have achieved 3D design of molds and achieved good application results. Some practices adopted in 3D mold design abroad are worth learning from. In addition to facilitating integrated manufacturing, the three-dimensional design of molds also has the advantage of facilitating interference inspection, allowing for motion interference analysis, and solving a difficult problem in two-dimensional design.

2. The simulation (CAE) of stamping forming process is more prominent

In recent years, with the rapid development of computer software and hardware, simulation technology (CAE) for stamping forming processes has played an increasingly important role. In developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany, CAE technology has become a necessary part of the mold design and manufacturing process, widely used to predict forming defects, optimize stamping processes and mold structures, improve the reliability of mold design, and reduce trial mold time. Many domestic automobile mold enterprises have also made significant progress in the application of CAE and achieved good results. The application of CAE technology can greatly save the cost of mold testing, shorten the development cycle of stamping molds, and has become an important means to ensure mold quality. CAE technology is gradually transforming mold design from experiential design to scientific design.

3. Digital mold technology has become the mainstream direction

The rapid development of digital mold technology in recent years is an effective way to solve many problems faced in the development of automotive molds. The so-called digital mold technology is the application of computer technology or computer Assistive technology (CAX) in mold design and manufacturing process. Summarize the successful experience of the application of computer Assistive technology in automobile die enterprises at home and abroad. The digital automobile die technology mainly includes the following aspects: ① Design for manufacturability (DFM), that is, consider and analyze manufacturability in design to ensure the success of the process. ② Assistive technology of mold surface design, develop intelligent surface design technology. ③ CAE assisted analysis and simulation of the stamping process, predicting and solving possible defects and forming problems. ④ Replace traditional two-dimensional design with three-dimensional mold structure design. ⑤ The manufacturing process of the mold adopts CAPP, CAM, and CAT technologies. ⑥ Under the guidance of digital technology, handle and solve problems that arise during mold testing and stamping production.

4. Rapid Development of Mold Processing Automation

Advanced processing technology and equipment are important foundations for improving productivity and ensuring product quality. It is not uncommon to find CNC machine tools with double worktables, Automatic tool changer (ATC), photoelectric control systems for automatic processing, and online measurement systems for workpieces in advanced automobile mold enterprises. CNC machining has evolved from simple surface machining to comprehensive machining of surface and structural surfaces, from medium to low speed machining to high-speed machining, and the development of machining automation technology is very rapid.

5. High strength steel plate stamping technology is the future development direction

High strength steel has been increasingly used in automobiles due to its excellent characteristics in yield strength ratio, strain hardening characteristics, strain distribution ability, and collision energy absorption. At present, the high-strength steel used in automotive stamping parts mainly includes paint hardened steel (BH steel), dual phase steel (DP steel), phase transformation induced plasticity steel (TRIP steel), and so on. The International Ultra Light Body Project (ULSAB) expects that 97% of the advanced concept vehicle models (ULSAB-AVC) launched in 2010 will be made of high-strength steel, and the proportion of advanced high-strength steel plates in vehicle materials will exceed 60%, of which the proportion of dual phase steel will account for 74% of vehicle steel plates.

The widely used soft steel series, mainly made of IF steel, will be replaced by high-strength steel plate series, and high-strength low alloy steel will be replaced by dual phase steel and ultra-high strength steel plate series. At present, the application of high-strength steel plates for automotive parts in China is mostly limited to structural and beam components, and the tensile strength of the materials used is mostly below 500MPa. Therefore, quickly mastering the stamping technology of high-strength steel plates is an important issue that urgently needs to be solved in China's automotive mold industry.

6. Timely launch of new mold products

With the development of high-efficiency and automation in automotive stamping production, the application of progressive dies in the production of automotive stamping parts will become more widespread. Progressive die is a high-tech mold product with high technical difficulty, high manufacturing accuracy requirements, and long production cycle. Multi station progressive die will be one of the key development mold products in China. Complex shaped stamping parts, especially small and medium-sized complex stamping parts that require multiple sets of stamping dies to be sequentially punched according to traditional processes, are increasingly using progressive die forming.

7. Mold materials and surface treatment technology will be reused

The quality and performance of mold materials are important factors that affect the quality, lifespan, and cost of molds. In recent years, in addition to the continuous introduction of various high toughness and high wear resistance cold work mold steels, flame quenched cold work mold steels, and powder metallurgy cold work mold steels, the use of cast iron materials in large and medium-sized stamping molds abroad is a development trend worth paying attention to. Ductile iron has good strength, toughness, and wear resistance, and its welding performance, machinability, and surface quenching performance are also good. Moreover, its cost is lower than alloy cast iron, so it is widely used in automotive stamping molds.

8. The Scientific and Informationization of Management is the Development Direction of Mold Enterprises

Another important aspect of the development of automotive mold technology is the scientific and information-based management. The scientific management has enabled mold enterprises to develop in the direction of Just in Time Manufacturing and Lean manufacturing. Enterprise management is more accurate, production efficiency is greatly improved, and ineffective institutions, links and personnel are constantly streamlined. With the advancement of modern management technology, many advanced information-based management tools, including enterprise resource management systems (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), project management (PM), etc., have been widely applied in mold enterprises.

9. Fine manufacturing of molds is an inevitable trend

The so-called precision manufacturing of molds refers to the development process and manufacturing results of molds, specifically manifested as the rationalization of stamping process and mold structure design, high precision of mold processing, high reliability of mold products, and strict technical management. Fine manufacturing of molds is not actually a single technology, and it is a comprehensive reflection of design, processing, and management technology. The implementation of precision manufacturing of molds not only relies on technological excellence, but also relies on strict management to ensure it.