TPT March 2020

TUBE SOFTWARE & CONTROL SYSTEMS

Software for tube and pipe manufacture is an exacting tool for exacting people. In the decades since computer-aided design software became commonly used, engineering firms have benefited greatly from the reduced development time for new products. Lengthy and laborious calculations became the domain of the software, freeing up engineers’ time to create more products or refine existing ones. Meanwhile, process simulation software gave engineers another tool, one that assesses and verifies the capabilities of processes and process variations. The finite element method is used widely by industrial plants to simulate manufacturing operations, including metal forming operations. Using such systems makes the development of new products easier and reduces costs, allows forecasting out-of-specification conditions, and helps to identify possible risks in the forming operations.