A Fuzzy Logic Base for Selecting Optimal Clearance of Die-Cutting Process

Abstract

Currently, the sheet-metal parts, a both of thin sheet-metal and thick sheet-metal are increasingly fabricated in many industrial fields. To produce the sheet-metal parts in thin sheet-metal and thick sheet-metal, the conventional die-cutting theory is usually applied. However, with the same die-cutting process parameters, the comparison of cut-surface features between thin and thick sheet-metal parts has not been investigated yet. Therefore, in the present research, the comparison of the cut surface feature for die-cutting process in various materials thicknesses between thin and thick sheet-metal parts are investigated. The FEM simulation was used as a tool to investigate these cut surface features, and the laboratory experiments were also performed to validate the FEM simulation results and fuzzy logic model has been created as a tool to assist select the optimal clearance value which used data reference from experimental and FEM method. The experimental results agreed well with the FEM simulation results in terms of cut-surface features. The results that, to achieve a good cut-surface features, the die-cutting clearance should be selected to suit the material thickness and fuzzy logic model can achieve to select optimal the die-cutting clearance effectively.