M Ghatrehnaby - M.S Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Group, Mechanical Engineering Department, Amir Kabir University of technology, Tehran, Iran
B Arezoo - Assistance professor

Nowadays sheet metal products are one of the most frequently found parts in industry. Progressive dies have a special role in various methods of sheet metal production. The design process however, needs a considerable amount of time and expertise. Two important activities during a progressive die design are "Nesting" and "Piloting". In this paper a software which automates the nesting of different parts according to minimum scrap strategy is introduced. The software is also capable of choosing the most suitable existing holes or designing auxiliary holes on the scrap part of the strip for piloting purposes.

Progressive dies, Nesting, Piloting