<strong>3D</strong>QUICKPRESS + SOLIDWORKS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIESThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniverisityUNIVERSITY LEADS THE INDUSTRY TO USE <strong>3D</strong> 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 <strong><strong>3D</strong>QuickPress</strong>.<strong>3D</strong> 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 <strong>3D</strong> 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 <strong>CAD</strong> systems ondie design to see which is more potential andoutstanding. Finally, he had chosen the locallydeveloped die design software “<strong><strong>3D</strong>QuickPress</strong>”as the preferable system to perform thestandard <strong>3D</strong> progressive die design. The first 20seats of <strong><strong>3D</strong>QuickPress</strong> were then installed inthe Digital Factory of the department in 2003and practiced in the subject of Tool <strong>Design</strong>,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 and<strong>Design</strong> should be the one and only one serialtopic delivered within the Hong Konguniversities.Almost the entire standard progressivestamping die design concept is illustrated swiftlyin <strong>3D</strong> <strong>SolidWorks</strong>-<strong><strong>3D</strong>QuickPress</strong> environment.Equipped with the basic <strong>SolidWorks</strong> 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 Tool<strong>Design</strong>. It has been proved to be highly effectiveand productive compared to that of studentswho have undergone the usual/conventionalworkshop training. By showing different <strong>3D</strong> 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 <strong>3D</strong> tooling design.In 2008, 68 students have opted to study thisTool <strong>Design</strong> subject in the first semester. Thesubject consists of 42 hours lectures includinghands-on practice of <strong>SolidWorks</strong>-<strong><strong>3D</strong>QuickPress</strong>and related studies. Advanced Mould and Die<strong>Design</strong> 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 <strong>Design</strong> andthe Advanced Mould and Die <strong>Design</strong> 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
<strong>3D</strong>QUICKPRESS IN TOOLING INDUSTRIES
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