Optimizing Origami-Based Sheet Metal Parts Using Traversal Algorithms and Manufacturing Based Indices

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ala Qattawi
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Optimization Procedure ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
3D Geometry ◽  
Manufacturing Procedure ◽  
Metal Products ◽  
Manufacturing Alternatives

Origami-based sheet metal (OSM) folding techniques is a new emerging manufacturing procedure for sheet metal. In OSM the final part is folded into the desired 3D geometry using a sequence of folded bend lines. This process is enabled by creating material discontinues along the bend lines, either by laser cutting or by stamping. The objective of this paper is to optimize the design of OSM products while accounting for all possible flat patterns and accommodate manufacturing requirements for sheet metal products. OSM has an anticipated manufacturing benefits compared to traditional processes of sheet metal such as stamping; it requires minimal tooling and energy requirements thus is suitable for sustainable manufacturing alternatives. This paper discusses the implementation of optimization technique for OSM parts using a combination of traversal algorithm and manufacturing based indexes to reflect the requirements present in sheet metal industry. The outcomes of the optimization procedure resulted with topologically valid flat patterns with minimal scrap and wasted materials, in addition to minimal number of welded lines and fold line orientations in case of a robot effector is used to perform the fold. The work presented in this paper verified the validity of folding sheet metal using a single flat pattern into complex 3-D geometries from topological point view, in addition it highlights the major manufacturing concerns in folding sheet metal. This work also demonstrates a case study of optimizing a vehicular OSM part developed method.

An Algorithmic Approach to Streamlining Product Carbon Footprint Quantification: A Case Study on Sheet Metal Parts

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruisheng Ng ◽  
◽  
Zhiquan Yeo ◽  
Chee Wai Patrick Shi ◽  
Fatida Rugrungruang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Algorithmic Approach ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Metal Parts ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
Reduction Strategies

Sustainable manufacturing is increasingly being recognized as the direction for technological innovation and implementation in industry. However, to measure and guide technology conceptualization, development, and deployment decisions, a quantifying indicator that is easy to understand is required. The carbon footprint (CFP) is found to be an effective indicator, as its value reflects essential elements of sustainability in manufacturing: materials, energy, and waste treatment. The existing standards provide a general framework to guide CFP quantification but lack explicit formulas for easy adoption. This paper presents an algorithmic approach that aims to granularize the emission source to streamline CFP quantification. This approach pinpoints the direct and indirect contributions and the respective task owners, decentralizes the responsibilities in data collection, and ascertains the degree of control to set realistic targets for CFP reductions. A case study is carried out in a manufacturer of sheet metal parts. Results show that indirect emissions from materials, energy, and transport collectively contribute 27% of product CFP.With the algorithmic approach, carbon reduction strategies can be formulated by setting priorities and realistic targets and then delegating to the task owners the reduction of the CFP of their respective areas. The current work establishes a base that can help companies to adopt CFP quantification and formulate carbon reduction strategies.

Using Symmetry to Reduce Planning Complexity: A Case Study in Sheet-Metal Production

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Hua Wang ◽  
David A. Bourne
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Assembly Planning ◽  
Product Decomposition ◽  
Metal Production ◽  
Layout Planning ◽  
Significant Percentage ◽  
Metal Parts ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts

Abstract In this paper, we present an approach to recognize symmetries of bent sheet-metal parts at different manufacturing stages. This approach is based on Waltzman’s (Waltzman, 1987) 2D symmetry detection algorithm. 3D symmetry is recognized by considering its 2D symmetry and the associated bending transformations. We show, by recognizing that the part is symmetrical, that the planning complexity for processes in sheet-metal production can be greatly reduced. This paper is motivated by the fact that a significant percentage of sheet-metal parts are symmetrical. We have studied over 200 industrial parts and over 40% of them are symmetrical. Examples from sheet-metal nesting (layout planning), bending, stacking, product decomposition and assembly planning are discussed.

Fixture Layout Design of Sheet Metal Parts Based on Global Optimization Algorithms

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
YanFeng Xing
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Global Optimization ◽  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Optimization Algorithms ◽  
Layout Optimization ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
Fixture Layout Optimization ◽  
Dimensional Variation

Fixture layout can affect deformation and dimensional variation of sheet metal assemblies. Conventionally, the assembly dimensions are simulated with a quantity of finite element (FE) analyses, and fixture layout optimization needs significant user intervention and unaffordable iterations of finite element analyses. This paper therefore proposes a fully automated and efficient method of fixture layout optimization based on the combination of 3dcs simulation (for dimensional analyses) and global optimization algorithms. In this paper, two global algorithms are proposed to optimize fixture locator points, which are social radiation algorithm (SRA) and GAOT, a genetic algorithm (GA) in optimization toolbox in matlab. The flowchart of fixture design includes the following steps: (1) The locating points, the key elements of a fixture layout, are selected from a much smaller candidate pool thanks to our proposed manufacturing constraints based filtering methods and thus the computational efficiency is greatly improved. (2) The two global optimization algorithms are edited to be used to optimize fixture schemes based on matlab. (3) Since matlab macrocommands of 3dcs have been developed to calculate assembly dimensions, the optimization process is fully automated. A case study of inner hood is applied to demonstrate the proposed method. The results show that the GAOT algorithm is more suitable than SRA for generating the optimal fixture layout with excellent efficiency for engineering applications.

Optimum Positioning of Ports in the Limaçon Gas Expanders

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim A. Sultan ◽  
Carl G. Schaller
Keyword(s):  
System Performance ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Optimization Procedure ◽  
Operating Parameters ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Positive Displacement ◽  
Micropower Generation ◽  
Insight Into

Positive displacement expanders are quickly gaining popularity in the fields of micropower generation and refrigeration engineering. Unlike turbomachines, expanders can handle two-phase flow applications at low speed and flow rate levels. This paper is concerned with a simple-design positive displacement expander based on the limaçon of Pascal. The paper offers an insight into the thermodynamic workings of the limaçon gas expander and presents a mathematical model to describe the manner in which the port locations affect the expander performance. A stochastic optimization technique is adopted to find the locations, for the expander ports, which produce best expander performance for given chamber dimensions. The operating speed and other parameters will be held constant during the optimization procedure. A case study is offered in this paper to prove the validity of the presented approach, and comments are given on how various operating parameters affect system performance in the limaçon design.

Simplifying the Development and Usage of Fixtures for Sheet Metal and Composite Aircraft Parts

1998 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-373
Author(s):  
Daniel F. Walczyk ◽  
Vinay Raju
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Cad Model ◽  
Cnc Machine ◽  
Inexpensive Method ◽  
Actual Case ◽  
Metal Parts ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
Simplified Method

Based on a survey of small- to medium-sized companies that supply sheet metal parts to the major aircraft manufacturers, there is a need for a more simplified, flexible and inexpensive method to design, fabricate and register part fixtures used for CNC post forming operations (e.g., trimming, drilling). Consequently, a method has been developed that bases fixture development completely on the CAD model, eliminates the need for datum surfaces and registration features on the CNC machine workbed, and makes fixture fabrication as easy and inexpensive as possible while still maintaining high geometrical accuracy. Practical implementation of this simplified method and an actual case study are discussed. [S1087-1357(00)00102-7]

An Approach to Automate and Optimize Concept Generation of Sheet Metal Parts by Topological and Parametric Decoupling

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Patel ◽  
Matthew I. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Graph Grammar ◽  
Topological Optimization ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Metal Parts ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
Rectangular Patch ◽  
Engineering Design Problems

This paper describes an approach to automate the design for sheet metal parts that satisfy multiple objective functions such as material cost and manufacturability. Unlike commercial software tools such as PRO/SHEETMETAL, which aids the user in finalizing and determining the sequence of manufacturing operations for a specified component, our approach starts with spatial constraints in order to create the component geometries and helps the designer design. While there is an infinite set of parts that can feasibly be generated with sheet metal, it is difficult to define this space systematically. To solve this problem, we have created 108 design rules that have been developed for five basic sheet metal operations: slitting, notching, shearing, bending, and punching. A recipe of the operations for a final optimal design is then presented to the manufacturing engineers thus saving them time and cost. The technique revealed in this paper represents candidate solutions as a graph of nodes and arcs where each node is a rectangular patch of sheet metal, and modifications are progressively made to the sheet to maintain the parts manufacturability. This paper also discusses a new topological optimization technique to solve graph-based engineering design problems by decoupling parameters and topology changes. This paper presents topological and parametric tune and prune ((TP)2) as a topology optimization method that has been developed specifically for domains representable by a graph grammar schema. The method is stochastic and incorporates distinct phases for modifying the topologies and modifying parameters stored within topologies. Thus far, with abovementioned sheet metal problem, (TP)2 had proven better than genetic algorithm in terms of the quality of solutions and time taken to acquire them.

Feature Recognition and Parameterization Methods for Algorithm-Based Product Development Process

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Weber Martins ◽  
Reiner Anderl
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Feature Recognition ◽  
Mathematical Optimization ◽  
Product Development Process ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
Cad Models ◽  
Feature Based ◽  
Metal Products

The algorithm-based product development process applies mathematical optimization tools in the conceptual steps of the product development process. It relies on formalized data such as initial loads and boundary conditions to find the best product solution for optimized bifurcated sheet metal parts. Previous research efforts focused on the automation of CAD modeling steps. Current algorithms are able to generate the CAD models of optimized bifurcated sheet metal products automatically, however, they are rough with low-level of detail and abstraction. Consequently, CAD models are embodied and detailed manually in a partly iterative and time-consuming process to include parameters, constraints and design features. Hence, this paper introduces feature recognition and parametrization methods for the algorithm-based product development of bifurcated sheet metal products. It proposes the inclusion of a pre-processor to analyze the solution graph resulted from topology optimization before the generation of CAD models. Algorithms that derive the geometric shape from the solution graph by recognizing features as well as assigning parameters are introduced. Then, feature-based CAD models of bifurcated sheet metal products are automatically generated. The proposed methods and algorithms are implemented with Python and validated with a use-case. Benefits and limitations of the proposed methods are discussed.

Fixture Layout Optimization Based on Social Radiation Algorithm

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Xing ◽  
Jun Ni ◽  
Shuhuai Lan
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Layout Design ◽  
Metal Parts ◽  
Sheet Metal Parts ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
The Social ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Fixture Layout Optimization

Sheet metal parts easily deformed during clamping and welding, and fixture layout design is very difficult because it takes a long time to calculate and read displacements of all nodes. This paper proposes a method to optimize fixture scheme by a social radiation algorithm (SRA). Firstly unfeasible candidate nodes are eliminated by some rules according to manufacturing experiences. Afterwards some feasible zones are optimized by SRA. Finally the best fixture layout is obtained through selecting the feasible nodes among the optimal zones. A case study of guiding gutter is used to illustrate the proposed method, and the results show that the social radiation algorithm has better efficiency and higher accuracy than the genetic algorithm.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document