8,601 research outputs found
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ALPHA_I, Remote Manufacturing, and Solid Freeform Fabrication
Alpha_l is a nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBs) based solid modeling system that
has been developed at the University of Utah over the past 10 years. In addition to being
useful in modeling objects that are described by simple rotation and extrusion operations,
the real power of Alpha_l is demonstrated in the modeling of complex parts with sculptured
surfaces. For the past several years, a major research thrust has been to use Alpha_l to
semi-automatically generate process plan information and numerical control code to manufacture
mechanical parts directly from the models. A long term goal is to support an on-line
remote manufacturing facility for producing prototype parts. Recently, a 3D Systems stereo
lithography machine has been added to the advanced manufacturing laboratory. The stereo
lithography process and other SFF techniques are of particular interest for supporting a
remote manufacturing facility in that these processes are inherently much safer than numerically
controlled machining. Special Alpha_l interfaces including a new slicing algorithm
are being developed for the SFF machine use. By generating a SFF part directly from
its NURBs description, Alpha_l should facilitate the manufacture of complex parts while
providing smoother surfaces.Mechanical Engineerin
A simple construction method for sequentially tidying up 2D online freehand sketches
This paper presents a novel constructive approach to sequentially tidying up 2D online freehand sketches for further 3D interpretation in a conceptual design system. Upon receiving a sketch stroke, the system first identifies it as a 2D primitive and then automatically infers its 2D geometric constraints related to previous 2D geometry (if any). Based on recognized 2D constraints, the identified geometry will be modified accordingly to meet its constraints. The modification is realized in one or two sequent geometric constructions in consistence with its degrees of freedom. This method can produce 2D configurations without iterative procedures to solve constraint equations. It is simple and easy to use for a real-time application. Several examples are tested and discussed
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An arbitrary mesh network scheme using rational splines
A C1 surface scheme is described which interpolates points defined on an arbitrary mesh network. The scheme involves the blending of strip ‘functions’ developed from a rational spline method. The rational spline provides interval and point tension weights which can be used to control the shape of the surface scheme
The development of a finite elements based springback compensation tool for sheet metal products
Springback is a major problem in the deep drawing process. When the tools are released after the forming stage, the product springs back due to the action of internal stresses. In many cases the shape deviation is too large and springback compensation is needed: the tools of the deep drawing process are changed so, that the product becomes geometrically accurate after springback. In this paper, two different ways of geometric optimization are presented, the smooth displacement adjustment (SDA) method and the surface controlled overbending (SCO) method. Both methods use results from a finite elements deep drawing simulation for the optimization of the tool shape. The methods are demonstrated on an industrial product. The results are satisfactory, but it is shown that both methods still need to be improved and that the FE simulation needs to become more reliable to allow industrial application
Smooth quasi-developable surfaces bounded by smooth curves
Computing a quasi-developable strip surface bounded by design curves finds
wide industrial applications. Existing methods compute discrete surfaces
composed of developable lines connecting sampling points on input curves which
are not adequate for generating smooth quasi-developable surfaces. We propose
the first method which is capable of exploring the full solution space of
continuous input curves to compute a smooth quasi-developable ruled surface
with as large developability as possible. The resulting surface is exactly
bounded by the input smooth curves and is guaranteed to have no
self-intersections. The main contribution is a variational approach to compute
a continuous mapping of parameters of input curves by minimizing a function
evaluating surface developability. Moreover, we also present an algorithm to
represent a resulting surface as a B-spline surface when input curves are
B-spline curves.Comment: 18 page
Hybrid Evolutionary Shape Manipulation for Efficient Hull Form Design Optimisation
‘Eco-friendly shipping’ and fuel efficiency are gaining much attention in the maritime industry due to increasingly stringent environmental regulations and volatile fuel prices. The shape of hull affects the overall performance in efficiency and stability of ships. Despite the advantages of simulation-based design, the application of a formal optimisation process in actual ship design work is limited. A hybrid approach which integrates a morphing technique into a multi-objective genetic algorithm to automate and optimise the hull form design is developed. It is envisioned that the proposed hybrid approach will improve the hydrodynamic performance as well as overall efficiency of the design process
Gradual Generalization of Nautical Chart Contours with a Cube B-Spline Snake Model
—B-spline snake methods have been used in cartographic generalization in the past decade, particularly in the generalization of navigational charts where this method yields good results with respect to the shoal-bias rules for generalization of chart contours. However, previous studies only show generalization results at particular generalization (or scale) levels, and the user can only see two conditions: before the generalization and after generalization, but nothing in between. This paper presents an improved method of using B-spline snakes for generalization in the context of nautical charts, where the generalization process is done gradually, and the user can see the complete process of the generalization
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