ESI Group’s stamping simulation software chosen by Advanced Cam

Potsdam (Germany), Utica (Michigan, USA), and Paris (France), 5 October 2005 – ESI Group’s PAM-STAMP 2G is used by Advanced Cam, a die production designer for automotive components, to design ‘right first time tooling’ of automotive parts 50% faster. For Advanced Cam, meeting requirements for part quality, piece cost and delivery lead time demands an in-depth understanding of the stamping process, making ESI Group an ideal partner.

Advanced Cam relies on PAM-STAMP 2G simulations to provide customers with ‘right first time’ tool designs for automotive components in order to run production with a minimum of manufacturing risks. This cost-efficient, sheet-metal stamping simulation tool, developed by ESI Group (ISIN FR0004110310), covers the entire tooling process from quotation and die design through formability and try-out validation. PAM-STAMP 2G includes the modules PAM-DIEMAKER for rapid die creation, PAM-QUIKSTAMP for rapid stamping evaluation and PAM-AUTOSTAMP for forming-process validation, quality and tolerance control.

The latest progress in the software lies in the possibility to predict springback accurately, allowing effective die compensation to correct this effect. Using PAM-STAMP 2G, Advanced Cam modifies the tooling geometry at an early stage of the design phase in order to compensate for the effect of springback.

"The accuracy of the simulation from PAM-STAMP 2G and the precision of the graphical results make it the foundation of my business. We upgraded to PAM-STAMP 2G in January 2004, after five years of using the previous version, and found that, among other benefits, it runs much faster than the previous version. For example, a simulation that once took 10 hours to process now only takes half the time. Springback calculations run in minutes instead of hours. This enables us to modify tool design and achieve high-quality die tooling of automotive components," says Eric Wilhelm, owner of Advanced Cam Inc. (based in Utica, Michigan).

"Springback is a major problem in production, particularly with high-strength steel, as the part’s shape after springback may not be within tolerance and could be unsuitable for the intended application. The amount of springback depends upon the distribution of stresses at the end of the forming, which in turn results from the properties of the material and the geometry of the part," adds Dave Ling, Stamping Product Manager, ESI Group. "Using PAM-STAMP 2G, Advanced Cam modifies the tooling geometry to compensate for the effect of springback."

With PAM-STAMP 2G, Advanced Cam has been able to reduce the design cycle whilst increasing component quality and accurately predicting wrinkles, splits and springback. Through the use of simulation, manufacturing risks have been minimised, engineering changes and downstream problems have been reduced, and processing time is cut back with the MPP (Massively Parallel Processing) version.

About ESI Group’s Stamping Solutions

PAM-STAMP 2G offers a unique stamping-simulation value chain, from quick die design, through early feasibility, to final validation and quality control. The full range of features includes: parametric and surface-oriented binder and addendum generation with PAM-DIEMAKER; rapid and optimal feasibility analysis with PAM-QUIKSTAMP; highly accurate forming validation, surface defect visualisation, springback prediction and automatic die compensation with PAM-AUTOSTAMP; and a parallel version for time critical computation.

ESI Group’s stamping solutions extend to the design and simulation of tube hydroforming dies with PAM-TUBE, and part feasibility checks and rapid die creation integrated in PLM environment, with PAM-TFA and PAM-DIEMAKER for CATIA V5.

About Advanced Cam

Advanced Cam Inc. is a CAD/CAM/CAE facility with years of experience developing and engineering manufacturing solutions for the automotive and aircraft industries. Advanced Cam’s customers are involved in line-die, progressive die stamping and tool making for parts such as inner reinforcements, rails, inner doors and deck lids. They gather a uniquely qualified staff experienced in pre-construction engineering, die-build and try-out, mould machining, tooling and fixtures. This varied experience allows them to understand the specificities of customers’ projects and develop a regulated plan, foreseeing and eliminating problems and meeting expectations of each project’s individual needs.

About ESI Group

ESI Group is a pioneer and world-leading supplier of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the physics of materials. ESI Group has developed an entire suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications to simulate a product’s behaviour realistically during testing, to fine-tune the manufacturing processes in accordance with the desired product performance, and to evaluate the environment’s impact on product usage.

ESI Group’s products, which have a proven track record in manufacturing and have been combined in multi-trade value chains, represent a unique collaborative, virtual engineering solution, known as the Virtual Try-Out Space (VTOS), enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a continuous manner. By drastically reducing costs and development lead times, VTOS solutions offer major competitive advantages and make it possible to eliminate gradually the need for physical prototypes. This integrated protocol allows all the company’s solutions to work with each other and with applications developed by independent software vendors. By significantly reducing costs and development lead times and enabling product/process synergies, VTOS solutions progressively eliminate the need for physical prototypes during product development, thus offering major competitive advantages.

ESI Group is listed on the Eurolist compartment C of Euronext Paris, and generated sales of €60 million in 2004. The company employs almost 500 high-level specialists worldwide, and covers more than 30 countries.
Virtual Try-Out Space® and VTOS® are registered trademarks of ESI Group. All other products, names and companies mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

For further information, please go to: www.esi-group.com