CyberStamping: a Web-based environment for cooperative and integrated stamping product development

To cope with market changes and new trends, tool and die makers need a new form of cooperation with their customers. The main aim of this paper is: ( 1) to explore a new cooperative relationship between product customers and die makers ( or die suppliers); and ( 2) to develop a novel Web-based environment, which can provide powerful tools for cooperative stamping product development and a stronger integration of process chains of product development and die makers. First, based on the rational principles of early supplier involvement (ESI), the need for die suppliers to become involved in the early stages of stamping product development has been explored. Second, a Web-based environment, 'CyberStamping', is proposed to enable a new cooperative relationship between customer and die supplier to develop. The main functional modules of CyberStamping including partnership chain definition, die supplier selection, know-how share are described in detail. Finally, the CyberStamping prototype development is presented.