Mandrel Fillet Radius Tuning for Drape-Forming Stress Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drape forming processes often result in material wrinkling and stress due to regions of large double curvature or sharp corners in the mandrel shape, leading to reduced product strength and potential tearing.
Innovation Solution
A shape optimization system adjusts the radius of fillets in a parametric model to minimize the divergence of a unit vector field, optimizing the mandrel shape to reduce material tension and compression during the drape-forming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the mandrel includes regions of large double curvature or sharp corners to achieve complex object shapes, then the object shape complexity is improved, but the material uniformity and strength deteriorate due to wrinkling and stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the mandrel geometry before manufacturing by computing a unit vector field and its divergence to identify regions of large double curvature. This advance detection allows for preventive measures to be taken, such as adjusting material properties or processing parameters, before the wrinkling and stress issues actually occur during drape forming.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the computed divergence of the unit vector field to identify problematic regions on the mandrel surface. This computational feedback mechanism enables the system to detect areas where material will wrinkle or become stressed, allowing for corrective actions to be implemented in the manufacturing process or design phase.
2Shape
If the mandrel has sharp corners or large double curvature regions to achieve desired object geometry, then the object shape is improved, but material stress and wrinkling increase reducing product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system computes the unit vector field and its divergence in advance to identify regions of large double curvature before the actual drape forming process. This preliminary computational analysis enables proactive identification of problematic areas where material will not conform uniformly, allowing for design modifications or process adjustments to be made beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The computational model provides feedback by calculating the divergence of the unit vector field across the mandrel surface. This feedback mechanism highlights specific regions where the divergence indicates potential manufacturing defects, enabling targeted improvements to mandrel design or forming parameters to achieve better material conformity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a computing system that facilitates formation of an object comprises receiving manufacturing process data associated with an object to be formed via a drape-forming operation. The computing system receives a parametric model of the object. The parametric model facilitates specification of a radius of a fillet within a region associated with the object. The computing system determines, based on the parametric model of the object, a unit vector field associated with a surface of the object and the manufacturing process data. The computing system adjusts the radius of the fillet of the parametric model within the region to reduce an average divergence of the vector field to a minimum amount, and communicates output data associated with an adjusted parametric model to equipment configured to form a mandrel that facilitates formation of the object.