Configure a Top Pad

Designate the tool or surface(s) and on your model for the top pad.

The top pad is attached to the top die with a spring or hydraulic cushion. The top pad grips the blank against the bottom die in order to maintain the proper positioning and avoid distortion of the blank during a forming operation. The configuration also involves selecting a top die to which the top pad attaches.
  1. From the tool set of an operation, select the Top Pad.
  2. On the guide bar, choose Part or Surfaces.
  3. If you choose Part, on the model, select an option from the table below based on your desired result, and then click to confirm.
    Option Result
    Assign If you have already designated a part as a top pad, choose assign. Click Assign to confirm.
    Offset If the part requires an offset, on the guide bar, select the Offset check box, then click Create, or click to confirm. In the microdialog, type in a value for the offset. The default is the sheet thickness plus 20%.
    Duplicate If you can create the top pad by copying a part, click Duplicate and the bottom binder will appear.
  4. If you choose Surfaces, on the model, select the surface(s) you want to designate as the top pad, and then click to confirm.
    Option Result
    Offset Click Offset to duplicate the surface(s) and offset them. In the microdialog, type in a value for the offset, then click to confirm. The default is the sheet thickness plus 20%.
    Duplicate Click Duplicate to make a copy of the selected surface(s).
    Partition Click Partition to remove the selected surface(s) and move them to a new part.
    Note: If you modify the blank thickness, you must reconfigure the tools created by offset.
  5. In the microdialog, click the option to apply a Force or maintain a Gap. For force, type in a value for the Initial Force and the Final Force, or click the Calculate the Medium Force button .
    Note: The gap value is the material thickness plus 20%.
  6. Define the stroke, velocity, and Coulomb friction coefficient.
    1. In the microdialog, to set the stroke value to the closed position of the tools, select . To specify a value, select the pencil tool , type in a value, and press Enter.
      Note: If you define the stroke value to be larger than the auto-calculated or closed position, the open position of the tool automatically repositions to match the stroke value to prevent a collision with the bottom die.
    2. To define the Coulomb friction coefficient, in the microdialog, enter a value next to the icon .
    3. Click to confirm.
  7. On the guide bar, click Attach Tool. The preselected top die is highlighted. Click to confirm or select a different top die.
  8. Click to confirm the configuration of the top pad.

Keyboard Shortcuts & Mouse Controls

To Do this
Add/remove from selection Ctrl+click
Reverse selection Ctrl+R