Blanking dies are used to produce very large numbers of identical parts from sheet metal. Due to the high volumes of parts produced, even small inefficiencies in material utilization per blank can lead to very large amounts of wasted material over a die's life. This paper develops an exact algorithm for orienting the blank in a die to maximize material utilization. The algorithm optimally nests convex or non-convex blanks on a strip and predicts both the orientation and strip width that minimize material usage. Technological constraints, such as blank orientation constraints due to planar anisotropy, are also incorporated.
| Number of Pages : | 6 |
| Published : | 11/01/1999 |
