3DQuickPress SolidWorks - 3D CAD/CAM Design Software

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESResearch Tool & Die Works, Inc.MANUFACTURER OF MARINE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS HARDWARE3DQuickPress helps RTD to increase productiverate by introducing a 3D design environment.Research Tool & Die Works (RT&D) is amanufacturing firm with over fifty yearsexperience in marine electrical systemshardware. Their modern plant in Carson, LosAngeles, California, serves as the corporateheadquarters and state of the artmanufacturing facility. It houses some of themost advanced fabrication equipmentavailable. RT&D provides competitive diedesign and metal stampings such as cabletrays, degaussing cable hangers, EMI Bondinghardware, light hangers, stuffing tubes, andmore.Kevin Perrault, Vice President of RT&D,acquired the 3DQuickPress software in April,2005. “Manufacturing in US and California hasdeclined a lot in the last ten years. With goodideas and experience in stamping, we continueto grow and expand our business coveragearound the world. Being a global player in themetal stamping industry, we have to be fast,accurate, and cost effective. We are using allpossible technologies to enable us to be fasterand better than our competition. Before Istarted working full-time at RT&D, the companyhad invested in SolidWorks software.In a testing period of six months, the tooldesigner learned how to use the software andtried to apply it in tool design jobs. Theintricacy of the software is good for partsdesign, but requires much more specializationto do die design. My goal is to use SolidWorksas a day-to-day design tool. 3D part filecommunication is emerging as a standardcommunication protocol between ourcustomers.SolidWorks is a good common interface, and touse it in the downstream application such astool design is our next logical step. If we keepon using the same approach without change,we will lose out. Speeding up the productiontime is not an option. We managed to completethis 2D to 3D transition in a year.” RT&D is afull service shop housing tooling, press, andproduct services departments, and a staff forceof over seventy. “In the stamping industry, theturnover rate is less than four years. Most ofour staff have been working at RT&D overtwelve years and many of them have beenhere for over twenty years.Machinists in CNC workshop.“Our experience and modern manufacturingtechnologies are the foundations of oursuccess. We started to use Mazak fifteen yearsago. Since that time, we have kept the steadyincrease of CNC machines in terms of numberand precision. To optimize our labor cost, weincreased the use of progressive stampingsmany years ago. Today, my die design iscreated 100% as 3D and we are in a muchbetter position in utilizing our CNC machines.Our next step is to promote the 3D tool designapproach to all our tool designers. I am comingfrom a background of computer graphics.Using 3DQuickPress in SolidWorks is verynatural to me. Having achieved the firstmilestone in using 3D tool design, we are nowvery confident to share the skill sets with ourtool design department. “A new user of3DQuickPress will achieve competence withinone or two months in our company. Theefficiency we have gained using 3DquickPressis incomparable. Before having 3DQuickPress,we could hardly finish a tool design in 3D. Inthe last six months, we managed to completemore than ten projects using 3DQuickPress.The final die set.3DQuickPress brings to RT&D not just a 3Ddesign tool, itself is a 5D design process,”shared Robert Konczal, President of STS, thedistributor of 3DQuickPress in North America.“Stamping industries today need 3Dcommunication and design power, plus 2Dmachining and production environment.“The rich contents of 3DQuickPress enable ourcustomers to solve their design problem in agood balance of 3D and 2D.Production-ready-libraries, auto drafting, andautomated assemblies are put together in3DQuickPress to provide our users a highperformance mode. It is not difficult to achievea time reduction of 75% in tool design after ourcustomers have migrated completely into a3DQuickPress production design environment.”Kevin agreed, “By making use ofProduction-Ready-Libraries, we manage tocomplete a die design process within a fewhours. That same process used to take us acouple of weeks using a 2D approach.”7

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESBermo, IncBERMO IMPROVES DIE DESIGN THROUGHPUT AND ACCURACY WITHIN SOLIDWORKS AND 3D QUICKTOOLS“ As designers, we’re able to do a largervolume of work and eliminate human error.As a company, we’re also making betteruse of our materials. The overall result is asignificant improvement in performance. ”Jay Suhsen,Manufacturing Engineer, Bermo, Inc.Wireframe lower die set.If it starts out as sheet metal, Bermo Inc. makes it, whether it’s a staircaseleading up to a Kenworth cab, a fan shroud for a Detroit auto maker, or anyof a multitude of stamped, bent, punched, pressed, and extruded parts thatgo into Toro mowers, Polaris snowmobiles, or John Deere tractors.The $26 million Circle Pines, Minn., company bids competitively for thiswork and profits when it can perform more efficiently and intelligently thanits global competitors. In 2006, these imperatives led the company to adopt3D CAD software from SolidWorks Corporation and 3D tool & die designsoftware from 3D QuickTools Ltd.“You can’t afford to stack up a lot of errors,” says Suhsen. “The flat blankneeds to be very precise, and we don’t have time to develop multipleprototypes.”Getting the flat blank right used to take an hour and a half and the striplayout two to three hours for a typical straightforward part. It required a lotof checking afterwardand still allowed human error. Since there is no timefor prototypes, Bermo would start production and check the first few parts.If they were okay, the press would keep running. If not, it was time toredesign the part and hopefully cut losses.These tools help Bermo deal with the complexity in manufacturing parts asostensibly simple as, say, a bracket for a snowmobile suspension system.Although the order comes to Bermo as a 3D CAD model, the physical partwill start out as a length of rolled sheet metal – steel, aluminum, brass, orcopper – run progressively through a series of dies in massive pressesapplying up to 600 tons of force on the Bermo factory floor.THE MANY FACETS OF UNFOLDING DESIGNSManufacturing engineers like Bermo’s Jay Suhsen need a way to virtuallyunfold the design into a strip that can be cut from the rolled sheet metal.They need to lay out the strip in a way that makes the most economical useof materials; create the tooling that will precisely bend, punch, stamp,extrude and cut the piece; and determine the optimum progression ofprocesses to create the finished part.In the old days, much of this work was done from two-dimensional plans,intensive hand calculations, and a heavy dose of what Suhsen terms“black magic.” None of it was straightforward. What looks to a consumerlike a simple bend, for example, is a process that consumes space fromadjacent planes, affecting .002-inch tolerances and distorting many partfeatures.“Today, with SolidWorks and 3DQuickPress software, the flat blank cantake less than a minute, the strip layout under an hour, and there are noerrors,” says Suhsen. “3DQuickPress takes a part model designed inSolidWorks and virtually unfolds it on the computer screen into the flatblank. It unfolds models that most CAD programs couldn’t. We don’t spendtime checking and double-checking any more because we haven’t found asingle case where 3DQuickPress unfolding has been wrong. It’s just rightthe first time.”ECONOMY MATTERSThe flat blank is only step one. The next step is virtually positioning multipleflat blanks on the unrolled sheet so they make the best use of the expensivematerial.Bad decisions here can cost thousands of dollars over ahigh-volume part run. Consequently, Bermo uses 3DQuickPress’soptimize command to position the flat blank in the strip in the mosteconomical position possible, often automatically “nesting” parts – think ofthe yin yang symbol – to minimize waste. This spares Suhsen and hiscolleagues time, tedium, trial, and error. “We’re trying to pinch every pennyto beat competitors, and this is one effective way to do it,” he says.“3DQuickPress is always right.”8

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESBermo, IncBERMO IMPROVES DIE DESIGN THROUGHPUT AND ACCURACY WITHIN SOLIDWORKS AND 3D QUICKTOOLSFor small quantities, a run of 1,200 parts or fewer, Bermo sends unfoldedpart files to any of five 4,000-watt lasers using SigmaNEST ®programming software. Because SolidWorks interoperates seamlesslywith SigmaNEST, Bermo no longer has to convert files to neutral formats,which can introduce stray files and, consequently, more chance for er ror.screen become perfect circles after the part is formed,” Suhsen says. Inaddition to automating strip, tool and die development, 3DQuickPress addspecialized design capabilities to the SolidWorks environment, such as theability to create a slot, set electrical discharge machining (EDM) startholes, close gaps, and replace splines – all automatically.For high-volume runs of up to 100,000 or more parts, the first step afterstrip layout and optimization is deciding the progression of stamping,pressing, piercing, punching, and cutting the strip will undergo. Most stripsundergo eight to 12 separate processes from blank sheet metal to finishedpart. 3DQuickPress automates this decision-making, helpingmanufacturing engineers plan the progression from die station to diestation, with each action preserved in subsequent stations in the3DQuickPress application. “If three holes were punched in station 3, thoseholes will be present in station 12,” says Suhsen. “You don’t have to drawthe holes over and over at each station. With 3DQuickPress, I can simplydrag and drop functions to the station where I think it works best. This iswhere the expertise of the engineer really matters, and 3DQuickPresshandles all the busy work.”At this stage, the engineer submits the strip and die progression to arigorous team-wide design review. “The strip is the roadmap to success,”Suhsen says. “Put a bunch of people in a room scrutinizing it, and youcome out of that room with a lot of good ideas. It used to take all day toincorporate their recommendations. Now I just drag and drop toincorporate their ideas.”“SolidWorks and 3D QuickTools software have a symbiotic, seamlessrelationship,” according to Suhsen. “They have similar menus and featuremanagers, making it easy to run both at the same time and leverageexisting knowledge from one application to the other. With 3D modelsbeing so complex these days, we need 3DQuickPress more than ever justto develop the strip. Before, if you couldn’t draw a product on paper, youcouldn’t propose the product, so there was a limit to the complexity of partdesigns we unfolded. With the third dimension and solid modeling, thingshave gotten far too complex for the manual unfolding of parts.” Ascomplexity soars, so do the benefits of using the right software.“As designers, we’re able to do a larger volume of work and eliminatehuman error,” he says. “As a company, we’re also making better use of ourmaterials. The overall result is a significant improvement in performance.That said, we’re still in the infancy stage. We don’t think we’re as good aswe’re going to get. We’re still learning what these tools can do for us.”Bermo relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Symmetry Solutions Inc.and Strategic Technology Solutions (STS) for ongoing software training,implementation, and support.SMART TOOLS FOR INTELLIGENT DIE DESIGNFinally, the engineer creates the tooling and dies to execute the dieprogression, selecting from a vast production-ready library (PRL) in3DQuickPress populated at Bermo by Dayton tools. “They’re not just dumblibrary parts,” says Suhsen. “3DQuickPress grows selected tools to thesize of the sketch and places them in the correct z (vertical) axis. Toolingselection associates with the original strip design as well as its place in thedie progression. Click on a hole, for example, and the softwareautomatically defines the correct punch, dictating the right part number andlength. When the punch and die designs are complete, theSolidWorks/3DQuickPress data flows to the CNC-driven machines that cuttooling bases from two-inch-thick metal plates. These plates are then fittedwith selected tools and precision-mounted on the press.”When Bermo is making a part with especially complex drawn surfaces,Suhsen’s team uses another 3D QuickTools application. 3DQuickFormunfolds complex drawn surfaces such as the snowmobile seatback mountBermo recently made. 3DQuickForm calculates curves, performs finiteelement analysis on the part, and assists the designer in determining thenecessary tooling. “It’s pretty amazing when egg-shaped holes on theDie set of Bermo, Inc.9

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESBerkshire Manufactured Products, IncHIGH VALUE PRECISION STAMPING EMPOWERED BY ACCURATE DIE DESIGNBerkshire Manufactured Products, Inc. is aprecision metal stamping, machining and fabricationcompany serving aircraft engine, aerospace,communications, medical and other markets inNewburyport, MA. Berkshire today has 2 buildings and140 employees with exports to Asia, Australia,Europe, and Canada. Emphasizing “Capable,Integrated, Precise,” the company has been a primarysupplier to domestic & international aerospace and jetengine industries since 1958. In 2004, Berkshire wasnamed as one of the 24 companies in five NewEngland states to supply components to theAmerican-built US101 medium-lift helicopter, which isbetter know as “Marine One”. Applying leadingmanufacturing philosophies and being certified byAS9000, Berkshire delivers customers withcompetitive price and superb quality. Powerful CADtechnologies have been well practiced and have keptevolving; the company and the tool design teamcontinue to apply the latest CAD technologies toachieve competitive edge over competition.CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGIESBerkshire’s senior tool designer, Peter Meymarisjoined the tooling industry 30 years ago. Together withBerkshire, he went through the rapid change of tooldesign technologies from 1980. “I learnedmini-computer based CAD/CAM in 1981. My firstprogressive die design job was modeled all in minicomputer. It took me 6 weeks. The system clawed butluckily I finished the project. PTC later gave arevolution to this design industry by offering parametricapproach. After a decade, SolidWorks tuned up thisapproach to suit our need by offering a quick learningcurve and 3D power,” said Meymaris, “I also used todesign in Cadkey.The change from Cadkey toSolidWorks was a big one but this gave me a betterfoundation too. SolidWorks applies the latesttechnologies like parametric, configuration, andpowerful assembly utilities.Visualization and view management is very useful forme to debug in cases like a cam in a station.SolidWorks helps our company to take different jobsfrom companies using different CAD systems. Thequality of the built-in translators of SolidWorks is good.This is important to contract manufacturers like us.Most of our works come from aerospace with complexshape. For nearly 20% to 30% of our works we need touse 3DQuickForm,a companion product of3DQuickPress, to unfold. I can find the blank contourand the thinning within 5 minutes. More complex partscan take a few hours to unfold. I can directly apply theblank contour for the detail strip design. Theintegration of 3DQuickForm with 3DQuickPress makesit a pleasure to conduct the formability test right atevery complex forming station. Before weimplemented SolidWorks / 3DQuickPress designsystems, we had a lot of guess work plus our bags oftricks. It was slow and incurred uncertainties. WithSolidWorks / 3DQuickPress technologies, we canvisualize the design, and the problems. Our time isused to figure out the best layout strategy rather thanwasting it on the laborious work in modeling anddrafting. 3DQuickPress uses the best-in-class stripdesign approach. Two years ago, the companyintroduced deep draw calculator. This added theempirical approach to conventional finite elementmethod. Deep draw calculator is very practical formodeling symmetric parts. By combining bothanempirical method and finite element modeling,I have all the freedom to finish my job in time withaccuracy.”CONTRIBUTION OF TECHNICAL SUPPORTSuccessful implementation of SolidWorks /3DQuickPress involved much professional supportfrom Computer Aided Product and STS. “STS givesfast and reliable support in 3DQuickPress. Everyone inSTS has a very good attitude and they are greatpeople to work with,” said Meymaris. In order toappreciate the powerful SolidWorks / 3DQuickPresssoftware, Berkshire used a number of high endworkstations from DELL Computer. All of them areequipped with lot of memory, a fast graphicaccelerator, multi-core to achieve a good balance ofgraphics, CPU, memory and I/O. Meymaris shared hisrecord in achieving 290 designs in 230days as a resultof experienced die design, good hardware, plusproductive software like SolidWorks / 3DQuickPress.With more die makers implementing SolidWorks and3DQuickPress in Massachusetts, Meymaris can nowshare and exchange experience with other3DQuickPress users. Because of this Berkshire relieson authorized SolidWorks reseller Computer AidedProduct, Inc and Strategic Technology Solutions (STS)for ongoing software training, implementation, andsupport. For more than 45 years, Berkshire has built asuperior reputation for the manufacture of complexprecision stamping and machined components.Working with conventional metals, high temp alloys,titanium, kovar, plastics and other materials, Berkshiremanufactures production and prototype parts fordomestic and international markets in aircraft,aerospace, high tech, communications, medical andnumerous other industries.Die design of Berkshire Manufactured Products, Inc.With more die makers implementing SolidWorks and3DQuickPress in Massachusetts, Meymaris can nowshare and exchange experience with other3DQuickPress users. Because of this Berkshire relieson authorized SolidWorks reseller Computer AidedProduct, Inc and Strategic Technology Solutions (STS)for ongoing software training, implementation, andsupport. For more than 45 years, Berkshire has built asuperior reputation for the manufacture of complexprecision stamping and machined components.Working with conventional metals, high temp alloys,titanium, kovar, plastics and other materials, Berkshiremanufactures production and prototype parts fordomestic and international markets in aircraft,aerospace, high tech, communications, medical andnumerous other industries.10

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESNara Mold & Die Co. Ltd.HIGH QUALITY, LOW COST AND ON TIME DELIVERY“ Auto parts industries demand very highprecision tooling and metal parts. Weintroduce 3DQuickPress in order to meet thisrequirement. ”Kim Jin-il,Research Engineer, Nara Mold & Die Co. Ltd.“Our production quality and time compression is improved much after weimplemented 3DQuickPress. In particular, we optimize the tool design inthe pre-production phase. Many try-outs and design errors are eliminated.We completed our full deployment of SolidWorks and 3DQuickPress thisyear. Our tool design in 3D can be evaluated to avoid manufacturingproblems in a virtual 3D environment. It simply speeds up our productionand reduces our costs,” said Mr. Kim Bo-whan. “Nara started to applyCAD/CAM technologies in 1984. Our company built up lots of experiencein selecting the right CAD/CAM systems, as well as applying them in ourunique production environment. Introducing 3DQuickPress to solve ourtool design problem is proven now. Using the right tools to improve ourproduction quality is the most straight forward approach,” emphasized byMr. Kim Bo-whan.introduce 3DQuickPress in order to meet this requirement. Nara hascustomers all over the world. They are inclined to 3D design than 2Dapproaches,” said Mr. Kim Bo-whan to elaborate the background of using3DQuickPress.Korean starts to apply 3Dtechnologies to facilitate themanufacture of metal toolingrecently. This trend isaccelerating to react for theincrease in projects comingin 3D formats nearly in allindustries ranging from autoparts, electronics, etc. It is anatural request from productmanufacturers to demandPress die of Nara.their tooling suppliers to usea compatible 3D system to communicate effectively that results a moreresponsive overall production process. 2D has been a standard for tooldesign in the past. It is a proven technology but inheriting thecharacteristics of tedious, complicated, and induced errors. To use 2Ddesign and drafting tools to describe a complex metal part is difficult. In thecontrary, 3D design tools yield 2D drawing output swiftly and naturally.Design errors in the die assemblies can be spotted out instantaneously.Users can do interference checking quickly in the virtual space.Customer visit to Nara in 2007.3D IS THE COMMON LANGUAGE“In tool design process, we are competing with time in seconds,” said Mr.Kim Jin-il. Before 3DQuickPress era, we rectified design errors only afterwe had finished our first try-out. It might require us to redo the tool designor die cutting in the worst cases. 3DQuickPress helps us to spot out errorsthree-dimensionally. The ultimate benefits bring us higher production rateat better quality,” said Mr. Kim Jin-il, senior die designer. “Auto partsindustries demand very high precision tooling and metal parts. WeNara began to use the first seat of 3DQuickPress in February 2007. Itsextensive usage yields a very high productivity in auto part production.Within 18 months of implementation, Nara was satisfied with the progressand expanded its usage to more tool designers. With the successfulimplementation of 3DQuickPress, other tool & die companies are payingattention to the benefits of 3D design processes.These benefits are not limited to auto partsindustries, other industries likeelectronics, and electricalappliances also yieldthe same degree ofbenefits.Die set design of Nara.11

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESNara Mold & Die Co. Ltd.HIGH QUALITY, LOW COST AND ON TIME DELIVERYBACKGROUND OF NARA MOLD & DIENara Mold & Die is specialized in tool & die business with major productioncapacity to serve the Korean domestic auto parts industries as well asexport tooling for electronicparts. Established in 1999as a LG spin-off company,Nara engaged in providingtools and dies to other LG’ssubsidiaries. Once Naraestablished a decentmanagement structure, thecompany headed for autoparts venture just in a fewyears from its start up.Lawn mowing machine seat panel.Following the businessglobalization of car companies and their world-wide sourcing policies, Narareceived more business in export dies and molds. Auto parts sector hasbeen boomed up to 70% of Nara’s total income which is much bigger thanthe original electronic parts business. Export mold and die increased to60% of the company’s gross production.3DQuickPress is architected to meet all the needs inmanufacturing drawing detailing.1999 Appointed as an excellent technology company from Korea Technology Credit Guarantee Fund2000 Designated as an excellent technology company by Small and Medium Business Administration2006 Designated as a Specialized Company for Parts and Material2007 Obtained a Certificate of Technical & Innovative BusinessThe annual income was US$ 1 million back to 1999. Right after the firstyear operation, Nara reached the 10 folds milestone. By 2004, the exportbusiness increased to US$ 2 million. This marked Nara as an exportoriented company. Nara selected 3DQuickPress as their tool designsystem because of the popularity of 3DQuickPress as a 3D tool designsystem in the industries.Nevertheless, SolidWorks, as the 3DQuickPress platform, allows Nara totake 3D geometries from many CAD files in different industries. Being aGold Product running on SolidWorks with seamless integration,3DQuickPress is easy to use. Within 18 months of implementation, Naraalso provided feedback on a number of key features which are importantfor auto parts tooling. Through the two-way technical exchange with Nara,it empowered 3DQuickPress with unique modeling features withoutsacrificing ease-of-use feature. This benefits the world-wide3DQuickPress customers as well.The Nara’s success story comes sooner with the presence of a committedservice provider, WEBS. Being the Korean SolidWorks top reseller and3DQuickPress support centre, WEBS delivered tailor-made trainings onSolidWorks and 3DQuickPress. WEBS also worked closely with Nara todevelop tools in SolidWorks API to automate design workflow in Nara. Asthe top Korean die makers, Nara possesses the strength and vision todevelop new ways of doing business in metal stamping industries.Accepting the changes and applying the changes to allow Nara to cater forthe most stringent demand from customers. The open attitude of Nara willanchor the company as leader in the global die manufacturing industries.12

Best-in-classF ORMING S IMULATIONQuick + AccuratePowered by ESI technologies:Key Features:Handle complex blank shapes and forming featuresSupport multiple-stage forming simulationPart unfolded to non-planar initial blankSupport Flanging8XX

3DQUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniverisityUNIVERSITY LEADS THE INDUSTRY TO USE 3D TOOLING DESIGNPOLYU - THE KEY TECHNICAL UNIVERSITYThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University islocated at the center of Hong Kong, adjacent tothe first tunnel linking Hong Kong Island andKowloon Peninsula. Its predecessors, the HongKong Polytechnic, the Hong Kong TechnicalCollege, and the Government Trade School,were the motherland of the most successfulindustrial entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. Theboom of Hong Kong manufacturing industries,which later triggered the flex of Chinamanufacturing muscles, was mostly contributedby her engineering graduates.Progressive die developed using 3DQuickPress.3D TOOL IS THE TRENDDr. L.C. Chan, Associated Professor of theDepartment of Industrial and SystemsEngineering, formerly known as Department ofManufacturing Engineering, has been involvedactively in metal stamping and tool designprojects since he started his consultancy worksin the Hong Kong Productivity Council. The keyresearch areas of Dr. Chan are metal forming,precision tool design and process simulation. Asearly as 2000, Dr. Chan had envisioned therewould be a need for students to learn 3D toolingdesign. Meanwhile, lots of manufacturersshared with him that the current 2D design inmetal tooling had been saturated and reachedits limits. Unless there were breakthroughtechnologies which can aid the tooling designcapabilities, otherwise, the industries wouldsoon lose the momentum to grow.Later in 2002, Dr. Chan had conducted anintensive study on nearly all CAD systems ondie design to see which is more potential andoutstanding. Finally, he had chosen the locallydeveloped die design software “3DQuickPress”as the preferable system to perform thestandard 3D progressive die design. The first 20seats of 3DQuickPress were then installed inthe Digital Factory of the department in 2003and practiced in the subject of Tool Design,which is a unique subject in the degree coursesof BEng(Hons) in Industrial and SystmeEngineering and BEng(Hons) in ProductEngineering With Marketing, for learning andteaching purpose. Furthermore, the abovesubject together with the Advanced Mould andDesign should be the one and only one serialtopic delivered within the Hong Konguniversities.Almost the entire standard progressivestamping die design concept is illustrated swiftlyin 3D SolidWorks-3DQuickPress environment.Equipped with the basic SolidWorks skill set,students can quickly unfold metal part andcomplete the strip development within a fewhours after lecturing them with sufficientbackground knowledge in the subject of ToolDesign. It has been proved to be highly effectiveand productive compared to that of studentswho have undergone the usual/conventionalworkshop training. By showing different 3D diestructures, students are able to understand thegeneral construction and characteristics ofdifferent parts of the die. No doubt the teachingefficiency is improved substantially.Dr. Chan had envisioned the need forstudents to learn 3D tooling design.In 2008, 68 students have opted to study thisTool Design subject in the first semester. Thesubject consists of 42 hours lectures includinghands-on practice of SolidWorks-3DQuickPressand related studies. Advanced Mould and DieDesign will also be conducted in the secondsemester for students to further develop astronger aptitude towards tooling designwhereas this subject normally has over 15students to enroll. Based on the observations inlast few years, students graduated from theabove course with the option of Tool Design andthe Advanced Mould and Die Design are able tosecure their engineering related jobs faster thanothers in the similar discipline because of theirstronger background knowledge in toolingdesign. From the factory owner’s point of view,students with tool design fundamentalknowledge will be given higher priority to jointheir companies regardless of their ages andfields of study.14

3DQUICKPRESS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIES

About 3D QuickTools Limited3D QuickTools Limited is the developer of 3DQuickPress, 3DQuickStrip, and 3DQuickFormto provide the most advanced and comprehensive 3D die design systems in the SolidWorksGold Partner environment. The company has been providing high quality die designsolutions since 1994. The flagship product, 3DQuickPress, is integrated with SolidWorksaiming at ultimate performance; ease of use and short learning curve to enable toolingengineers to use the power of 3D design. It provides solutions ranging from blankingdevelopment, strip layout design to die set structure design.www.3dquicktools.comUnit 115, No.5 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, N.T., Hong KongTel: +852 2788 2832 Fax: +852 2777 6676SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. 3DQuickPress, 3DQuickStrip, 3DQuickForm is a trademark of 3D QuickTools Limited. All other company logos, productnames are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. All right reserved © 2009 3D QuickTools Limited. Image courtesy of: Bermo, Inc., Bershire ManufacturedProducts, Inc., Godrej Tooling Division, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Nara Mold & Die Co. Ltd., Precision Tooling & Stamping, Inc., Research Tool & Die Works, Inc.