Composite Part Manufacturing Analysis via Surface Topology Grids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for designing and manufacturing composite parts lack integration of manufacturability analysis in the early stages of conceptual design, leading to potential manufacturing issues and increased costs due to insufficient consideration of surface topology and manufacturing constraints.
Innovation Solution
TruPLAN, a system and method that integrates design, manufacturing, and analysis tools to analyze surface topology, create manufacturing strategies, and optimize stacking processes, allowing for early evaluation of manufacturability and cost analysis through the creation of manufacturing topology grids and computation of strategy transitions and weights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manufacturability analysis is integrated early in conceptual design, then manufacturing issues and costs are reduced, but design process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs manufacturability analysis during the conceptual design phase, before final design decisions are made. This preliminary action allows potential manufacturing issues to be identified and addressed early, preventing costly rework later while integrating analysis tools into the existing design workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary manufacturability analysis layer between design conception and detailed manufacturing planning. This intermediary analysis evaluates surface topology and recommends optimal manufacturing strategies without requiring full integration of manufacturing execution systems into the design process
2Manufacturing precision
If surface topology analysis is performed to optimize manufacturing strategies, then manufacturing precision improves, but analysis time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the composite part surface into discrete regions based on topology characteristics such as curvature, slope, and feature types. Each segment is then evaluated independently for manufacturability, allowing parallel processing and reducing overall analysis time while maintaining precision in critical areas
Solution Approach 2:
The analysis applies different levels of detail and analysis depth to different regions of the surface based on their manufacturing complexity. High-curvature or critical features receive more detailed analysis while simple regions use standardized evaluation, optimizing the balance between precision and computational efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for designing and manufacturing of composite parts wherein the planner can design the part on a computer and analyze the entire work flow process from design to manufacture so as to determine the most efficient design and method of manufacture including resource costs including time, machines, material, labor and expenses.