Material Property Determination From Part Shape for Balanced Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to optimally balance multiple material properties required for manufacturing parts, often leading to excessive quality, prolonged development times, and the need for trial and error due to focusing on individual properties rather than their interdependent balance.

Innovation Solution

A product information determining method and device that acquires material properties from part shape data and determines chemical compositions and manufacturing conditions to meet these properties efficiently, using a system that includes a controller, memory, and interfaces to process shape data and derive necessary manufacturing information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If catalog products are selected to meet multiple material properties simultaneously, then all required properties can be satisfied, but excessive quality occurs and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial property satisfactionVSAvoidproduct quality level

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the material selection process into two distinct phases: formability evaluation (using computer simulation on part shape) and strength verification (checking yield stress against requirements). This segmentation allows optimization for formability first, then verification of strength, avoiding the need to simultaneously satisfy all properties which causes excessive quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the approach from selecting materials based on multiple simultaneous property requirements to a sequential parameter optimization: first determining chemical composition and manufacturing conditions to achieve target formability properties, then adjusting or verifying strength parameters. This parameter change enables precise control over material properties without excessive quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If trial and error methods are used to determine material properties and manufacturing conditions, then accurate material determination can be achieved, but development time is prolonged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial property accuracyVSAvoiddevelopment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary computer simulation to determine formability requirements based on part shape before actual manufacturing. This preliminary action provides accurate target values for material properties, eliminating the need for repeated trial and error in subsequent manufacturing stages and significantly reducing development time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces physical trial and error testing with computer simulation for formability evaluation. This substitution allows accurate determination of material properties through virtual modeling rather than repeated physical experimentation, dramatically reducing development time while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of manufacture

If material is selected focusing only on formability from catalog, then formability requirements are met, but part strength requirements may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveformabilityVSAvoidyield stress

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where computer simulation results on formability provide target values that guide material selection, and subsequent strength verification provides feedback on whether yield stress requirements are met. This closed-loop feedback ensures both formability and strength requirements are satisfied without excessive quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality requirements to different aspects of material properties: formability properties are optimized to match actual manufacturing needs rather than maximum possible values, while strength properties are verified against specific requirements. This local quality approach prevents excessive quality in both formability and strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12523989B2Product information determining method, manufacturing method, system and product information determining device

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 JFE STEEL CORP

AI summary

A method and device capable of calculating required material properties from a part shape, and determining a set of manufacturing conditions for a material satisfying the material properties are provided. A product information determining method includes a property acquisition step (S300) for acquiring, based on input information including shape data on a part, material properties required to work a material of the part into the part; and a product information determination step (S400) for determining product information including chemical compositions and a set of manufacturing conditions to manufacture the material satisfying the material properties.