Additive 3D Core CAD Design for Curved Composite Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current core design techniques for composite parts are tedious, error-prone, and imprecise, especially for parts with compound curvature characteristics, leading to ineffective control of physical properties such as thickness, stiffness, and thermal characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system and method for designing additive 3D cores using a CAD model, which determines the under-core ply and core footprint, computes the bottom core surface, and accesses core design parameters like thickness and shape parameters to construct a precise 3D core design for additive manufacturing, enabling precise fit and enhanced control of composite part characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional core design techniques are used for composite parts with compound curvature characteristics, then the design process becomes tedious and error-prone, but manual trial-and-error methods are easier to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical design processes with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to compute core geometries. The system substitutes human operators performing trial-and-error adjustments with automated computational methods that calculate precise core designs based on input parameters, thereby improving precision while managing complexity through software automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter-driven design where core geometry is determined by changing and optimizing specific parameters such as thickness, curvature radius, and material properties. The system allows users to input design parameters and automatically computes the resulting core geometry, enabling precise control over core characteristics without manual iteration.
2Reliability
If traditional core design methods are used, then trial-and-error approaches are simpler, but control over physical properties like thickness and stiffness becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system computes core designs based on specified physical property requirements and allows users to review and adjust the results. The system provides feedback on how design parameters affect physical properties such as thickness, stiffness, and thermal characteristics, enabling reliable control through iterative refinement based on computational results rather than physical trial-and-error.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary computational analysis to predict core behavior and physical properties before manufacturing. The system calculates and evaluates multiple design options in advance, allowing users to select the optimal design before production begins, thereby ensuring reliable control over physical properties without wasting time on physical prototypes.
3Measurement precision
If automated CAD-based core design is implemented, then design precision and accuracy improve, but the complexity of the design system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal CAD-based design system that can handle various core geometries, materials, and composite part configurations through a single integrated platform. The system provides multi-functional capabilities including geometry computation, physical property analysis, and design optimization, thereby achieving high precision while managing complexity through consolidation of functions into one system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses digital modeling and virtual prototyping to create accurate representations of core designs before physical manufacturing. The system computes and visualizes core geometries in the digital domain, allowing for precise measurement and evaluation without physical prototypes, thereby achieving high measurement precision while avoiding the complexity of physical testing setups.
Data Source
AI summary
A system may include a 3D core design engine and a 3D core printing engine. The 3D core design engine may be configured to determine, in a CAD model, an under-core ply of a composite part and a core footprint on the under-core ply specified for an additive 3D core to be manufactured via additive manufacturing for insertion into the composite part, compute a bottom core surface of the additive 3D core from the under-core ply and core footprint, access core design parameters for the additive 3D core; and construct an additive 3D core design in the CAD model based on the computed bottom core surface and the core shape parameters. The 3D core printing engine may be configured to store the additive 3D core design to support subsequent manufacture of the additive 3D core via additive manufacturing.