Machining process simulation using Samcef superelement

In this paper, we present a new simulation tool for process engineers. During process design phases, several aspects of machining have to be taken into account. Classical CAD/CAM suites still lack some crucial issues. The goal of the developed tool is to predict the geometric errors of machined surfaces. For classical applications of the automotive domain, form errors are mainly due to the machined part and clamping system flexibility. They are modeled thanks to the FE method. The major peculiarity of the adopted model is to apply numerous load cases. To achieve a low computational coast, we have combined the SAMCEF superelement feature and a specific code to solve the reduced system. This original scheme allows solving efficiently large industrial applications.