Computerized ply pattern generation
First Claim
1. A computerized ply pattern generation process to be used in the manufacture of industrial parts by stacking and joining a plurality of plies comprising:
- providing a 3-dimensional solid model of the part and a mid-surface thereof;
decomposing said part model into nested shells each having a thickness approximately equal to the net thickness of the plies;
unfolding said shells in sequence to respective planar patterns using a surface development procedure; and
determining contours of the planar patterns which are the boundaries of the respective plies.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computerized process to generate ply patterns for manufacturing industrial parts by stacking and molding a large number of plies is based on solid modeling. The outermost shell of the part is unfolded to a planar pattern using a surface development procedure. The part is decomposed based on the ply thickness; the shell with the ply thickness is removed from the solid model once the surface is unfolded. A set of ply patterns are formed by repeating the unfolding process until no more volume remains. More accurate patterns are produced in less time, especially plies for complexly shaped composite parts such as aircraft engine components.
84 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A computerized ply pattern generation process to be used in the manufacture of industrial parts by stacking and joining a plurality of plies comprising:
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providing a 3-dimensional solid model of the part and a mid-surface thereof; decomposing said part model into nested shells each having a thickness approximately equal to the net thickness of the plies; unfolding said shells in sequence to respective planar patterns using a surface development procedure; and determining contours of the planar patterns which are the boundaries of the respective plies. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computerized ply pattern generation process to be used in the manufacture of industrial parts by stacking and joining many plies comprising:
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providing a 3-dimensional solid model of the part and first and second curved outer surfaces and a curved mid-surface thereof; decomposing said part model into nested 3-dimensional shells by calculating distances from said outer surfaces to said mid-surface at a network of points and producing contours of said shells by interpolating along said distances; developing said shells in sequence to respective planar patterns using a surface development procedure and dividing every shell surface into 3-dimensional patches which are mapped to 2-dimensional unfolded surfaces and aligned; and determining contours of the planar patterns which are the boundaries of the respective plies. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computerized ply pattern generation process to be used in the manufacture of composite parts by stacking and pressure molding pre-impregnated plies comprising:
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providing a 3-dimensional solid model of the part and first and second curved outer surfaces and a curved mid-surface thereof; decomposing said part model into nested 3-dimensional shells having a thickness approximately equal to that of the plies, by calculating distances from said outer surfaces to said mid-surface at a network of points and producing contours of said shells by interpolating along said distances; developing said shells in sequence to respective planar ply patterns using a surface development procedure and dividing every shell surface into 3-dimensional patches which are mapped to 2-dimensional unfolded surfaces and aligned, said development procedure comprising integrating along patch borders and adjusting initial conditions to ensure that end points of different integration paths converge; and determining contours of the planar ply patterns which are boundaries of the respective plies. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification