The production costs of a hydro-formed component primarily consist of the material costs, machine costs, employee wages and overhead. The cycle time required to hydro-form the components as well as the overall equipment availability influence machine costs. With these factors in mind, new tooling, presses and production concepts recently have been developed. The use of simulation software helps engineers make judgements with regard to feasibility, cycle time and output. In addition to smooth process performance, hydro-formers strive to reduce piece costs. To do so, shops can perform a sensitivity analysis that helps identify the influencing factors that offer the greatest potential for optimizing cost reductions, such as cycle-time improvement and an increase in equipment availability.
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