Robot Sheet Folding for 3D Forms With Curved Fold Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for bending or folding two-dimensional sheet materials into three-dimensional shapes are limited, requiring multiple parts and welding, and cannot incorporate volumes without additional folds, which restricts design and material usage.
Innovation Solution
A method using a computer device to define primary and secondary surfaces and create digital instructions for curve folding, allowing a two-dimensional sheet to be folded into a three-dimensional shape without piecing together multiple parts, using industrial robots for execution, enabling the creation of complex designs and volumes without additional folds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods are used to fold sheet material into three-dimensional shapes, then the material can be processed using traditional techniques, but multiple parts and welding are required which increases assembly complexity and reduces design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate parts into a single continuous sheet material that is folded into the final three-dimensional shape. The sheet material includes a first portion, second portion, and third portion that are connected and folded together without requiring separate components or welding operations, thereby reducing assembly complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet material is segmented into functional portions (first, second, and third portions) that can be independently folded along specific fold lines to create different sections of the three-dimensional shape, allowing complex geometries to be achieved through sequential folding operations rather than assembling multiple discrete parts
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional folding methods are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but volumes cannot be incorporated without additional folds which restricts design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fourth dimension by allowing the sheet material to be folded in multiple directions and layers, creating three-dimensional volumes within the folded structure. The first, second, and third portions can be folded relative to each other to enclose void spaces and create complex volumetric forms without requiring additional separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved fold lines and non-linear folding paths to create smooth transitions and complex geometries in the three-dimensional shape. The fold lines can follow curved trajectories rather than straight lines, enabling the formation of organic shapes and complex surfaces that would be impossible with conventional straight-fold methods
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple parts are used to create three-dimensional shapes, then design constraints are reduced, but material usage increases and production decentralization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional sections into a single continuous sheet material, eliminating the need for separate components that would require assembly. The first, second, and third portions are all part of the same sheet, reducing total material usage by eliminating overlaps, fasteners, and adhesive materials that would be required if separate parts were used
Solution Approach 2:
The single sheet material structure serves multiple functions simultaneously - it provides structural support, defines the three-dimensional shape, creates enclosed volumes, and enables customization through different folding patterns. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional reinforcing elements or separate structural components
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to material processing of a two-dimensional sheet like material into a desired three-dimensional shape object. In more detail, this disclosure presents a system, a computer device and an industrial robot for use in material processing of a two-dimensional sheet like material. The system may comprise one or more computer devices and one or more industrial robots in a distributed computing environment. A two-dimensional sheet like material may be provided to the industrial robot. Also, a digital instruction for the spreading and subsequent folding of the provided two-dimensional sheet by means of the industrial robot may be received from a computer device. The industrial robot may execute a thus received digital instruction to produce, or otherwise create, a desired design of a three-dimensional object from the provided two-dimensional sheet like material.