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Autoform Manual Pdf
Autoform Manual 2016
| Auto Forms was a company based out of Elkhart, Indiana that performed convertible conversions on Firebirds. It is believed the conversions began in 1983 and were performed through early 1986 with just a few thousand converted total for all 4 years. We have recently discovered that Autoform was sanctioned by GM and as such did conversions on both Firebirds and Camaros. The conversions were performed at two different facilities: one in Elkhart, Indiana and the other in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The conversion took about two weeks and cost an estimated $5500. Auto Forms worked directly with participating Pontiac dealers and did not accept customers off the street. New cars were drop shipped to one of the facilities and then delivered to the dealer for delivery to the customer. Year by year production is also not known but its believed that about 600 total cars were built between 1983 and 1986 including both Firebirds and Camaros. The conversion used an extended rear decklid that extended through the rear seating area to the front seats. The decklid was formed with two bullet shaped bulges that sat immediately behind each seat that provided both support for the head rest but also served to enhance the euro style race car look. The decklid was comprised of a 2-layer fiberglass laminate and opened up and back from the front so the top could be retracted for stowage. The rear portion of the decklid functioned as a trunk lid swinging open an external chromed hinges support by the struts re-used from the original glass hatch. The design maintained the size and space of the original trunk. The top itself was an unusual design. The base piece was also a 2-layer fiberglass laminate which was less prone to warping than other single layer designs of the time. The hardtop roof was reinforced with heavy gauge steel brackets for extra support. For visual appeal the outer portion of the roof was covered with a convertible top material. Using a but of ingenuity the Autoform engineers used the upholstery from the removed back seat to create a headliner for the top. The rear window in the top was plastic. Interestingly, and unlike most convertible systems we are all familiar with, this design incorporated no automatic mechanism for raising and lowering the top. Its all done by hand. The hardtop swings up and down on a spring loaded steel arm that is part of a steel reinforcement cage that's installed vertically in the car behind the seats. The cage provided the necessary rigidity for the rest of the car that was lost when the top was removed. The cage welds into the vehicle at the door pillars and floor pan and is covered by a neat fiberglass cap. To further improve structural integrity sub-frame connectors were welded in and an X-member was added that bolted to the lift pads under the car. Bolting, rather than welding, it in allowed for transmission or exhaust work to be performed. After being lowered the top was stowed down inside a plastic tub installed in the rear seat area. The tub included access holes so you could get to the rear shocks. The upper body also received some visual accents to improve the overall cosmetic value of the package. The top of the windshield received a chrome plated steel reinforcement header attached with countersunk torx head screws. A fiberglass finishing rail was attached at the door pillars running back to the rear end of the fender and attached to the inside of the body with hidden screws. For weatherproofing internal drains were built into the rear deck/trunk cover system to channel water out the back end of the car. Factory weatherstripping was retained wherever possible. The fiberglass panels came in stock Firebird colors: black, beige and red. Below is the original address of the company. Please note they have been out of business for many years. Known addresses:
I was recently contacted by an individual that purchased a converted 1983 Z-28 new from AutoForm and they were able to provide me with a few names from the original company: VP - Mike Gibler, Production Supervisor - Charles Kohlman, Customer Supervisor - Tina Plecther and Supervisor - Brad Sherman. Author: Jimmy Means |
Autoform Manual
AutoForm´s software solutions form a comprehensive platform for the engineering, evaluation and improvement of the sheet metal forming processes. Designed for everyday real life applications, our software solutions increase engineering throughput and ensure optimal part production. 60 autoform cnc forming center 1. Location of presence sensing guard 10. Pedestal-mounted palmbutton station mute on-off lights (optional) 11. Footswitch 2. Right housing 13. Bed shoe (2) 4. Right cylinder 14. Operation / maintenance manual pocket 5. Counterbalance valves (2) 15. Left cylinder 6. Autoform pc control 16. AutoForm-DieDesigner is based on a fully associatively linked model of the entire die layout, which allows you to easily modify the part geometry as well as intermediate operations. As soon as you have determined an optimal die face design, surfaces can be exported and processed further in. AutoForm-DieDesigner has a clear and logical structure which enables you to work step-by-step, from the import of CAD part geometry to the complete die face design. This software gives you an in-depth understanding, allowing you to validate the process layout as well as sheet behavior during multiple operations. The automatic detection of part geometry features and the costing engine embedded in AutoForm-CostEstimator provide you with the ideal replacement for conventional Excel-based worksheets and tedious, manual calculations. With AutoForm-CostEstimator, you can produce tooling cost estimates much more consistently, reliably and rapidly, based on CAD part data and the stamping process.
