Sheet Metal - Making a Plug/Die Mold

[Krooncolter]

Hello,

I'm trying to make a plug and die for a sheet metal "skin" over a wood post.  The material is 19 gauge, aluma-kilned, extra deep draw.  Technically, the material is ASTM A1008 CS Type B cold rolled sheet AKDQ - a cold-rolled HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy) sheet with improved formability. Aluminum kilned, drawing quality.  The model that's provided is the wood core, and I need to make a tool to make the sheet that wraps the 5 sides, with the top, bottom, and backside  left open (perhaps with a 0.25 extra gap, that material will be trimmed). I'm at wit's end as to how to form these tools and could use some community help.

Thank you

File Link: https://a360.co/4hhlhAr

EDIT: Edited because MacOS likes to change my spelling into completely different words.

[seth.madore]

Are you asking about how to Design it or Manufacture it?

[Krooncolter]

Design.  Manufacturing is done by our sheet metal guy and he's confident the metal will form properly, I need to make the tooling.

EDIT: Well, maybe both.  I was thinking about driving the punch into the negative cavity with the sheet metal, but maybe someone with more metal forming background can come up with a better solution.  We have just about every tool imaginable, but these parts came from a 1930's vehicle, so I'm sure there's a "proper" way to recreate the manufacturing.

[Krooncolter]

My sheet metal guy is thinking that we can split the negative of the mold along the plane where the two radii meet and machine two halves, then join them with dowels or bolts or whatever so we can get crisp lines.  Another thought to add to the complexity.

[etfrench · Accepted solution]

Surface workspace Offset will give you the space for the sheet metal.

After a few extrudes and thickens the die is done:

[Krooncolter]

Sweet! Sheet metal guy says that looks great, and leaving the ends open is even better. I was having a hell of a time with getting the surfaces I was making for the rest of the mold to fill in properly.  I think the draft angle and the radii made extensions wonky for whatever reason.

Thank you!