Robust and Fast Simulation of Flexible Flat Cables

In this work we will present a novel approach to compute the potential energy and its derivatives of a shell discretized by finite elements. Afterwards a special solution strategy for quasistatic equilibrium problems with moving boundary conditions is presented. At the end numerical examples are shown, which demonstrate the benefits of this methods in simulating flexible flat cables

Variation simulation for composite parts and assemblies including variation in fiber orientation and thickness

All manufacturing processes are afflicted by geometrical variation, which can lead to defect products. A simulation tool for geometry assurance analysis is therefore important in the design process. The use of composites has recently increased drastically, but there is still a lack of understanding about the effects of variation in such parts. A method for predicting variation in subassemblies, including variation in fiber orientation and ply thickness for composites is presented. The approach is demonstrated on an industrial case and finite element analysis is used to calculate the deformation. In particular, contribution from variation in material properties to the variation in critical points is analyzed. The results indicate that material uncertainties have a small impact on the geometric variation for the test case

Geometry assurance integrating process variation with simulation of spring-in for composite parts and assemblies

Geometrical variation and deviation in all manufacturing processes affect quality of the final product. Therefore geometry assurance is an important tool in the design phase of a new product. In the automotive and aviation industries where the use of composite parts is increasing drastically, new tools within variation simulations are needed. Composite parts tend to deviate more from nominal specification compared to metal parts. Methods to simulate the manufacturing process of composites have been developed before. In this paper we present how to combine the process variation simulation of composites with traditional variation simulations. The proposed method is demonstrated on a real complex subassembly, representing part of an aircraft wing-box. Since traditional variation simulation methods are not able to capture the spring-in and the special deviation behavior of composites, the proposed method adds a new feature and reliability to the geometry assurance process of composite assemblies

Geometry Assurance Integrating Process Variation with Simulation of Spring-In for Composite Parts and Assemblies

Copyright © 2016 by ASME.Geometrical variation and deviation in all the manufacturing processes affect the quality of the final product. Therefore, geometry assurance is an important tool in the design phase of a new product. In the automotive and aviation industries where the use of composite parts is increasing drastically, new tools within variation simulations are needed. Composite parts tend to deviate more from nominal specification compared to metal parts. Methods to simulate the manufacturing process of composites have been developed before. In this paper, we present how to combine the process variation simulation of composites with traditional variation simulations. The proposed method is demonstrated on a real complex subassembly, representing part of an aircraft wing-box. Since traditional variation simulation methods are not able to capture the spring-in and the special deviation behavior of composites, the proposed method adds a new feature and reliability to the geometry assurance process of composite assemblies

Investigating the sensitivity of particle size distribution on part geometry in additive manufacturing

Selective laser melting process is a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process that finds applications in aerospace and medical industries for its ability to produce complex geometry parts. As the raw material used is in powder form, particle size distribution (PSD) is a significant characteristic that influences the build quality in turn affecting the functionality and aesthetics aspects of the end product. This paper investigates the effect of PSD on deformation for 316L stainless steel powder, where three coupled in-house simulation tools based on Discrete Element Method (DEM), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and Structural Mechanics are employed. DEM is used for simulating the powder distribution based on the different particle size distribution of the powder. The CFD is used as a virtual test bed to determine thermal parameters such as density, heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the powder bed viewed as a continuum. The values found as a stochastic function of the powder distribution is used to test the sensitivity of the melted zone and distortion using Structural Mechanics. Results showed significant influence of particle size distribution on the packing density, surface height, surface roughness, the stress state and displacement of the melted zone. The results will serve as a catalyst in developing geometry assurance strategies to minimize the effect of particle size distribution on the geometric quality of the printed part

LaBr3(Ce):LaCl3(Ce) Phoswich with pulse shape analysis for high energy gamma-ray and proton identification

A novel Phoswich design based on new generation scintillator crystals is presented. The detector composed from a combination of a LaBr3(Ce) with a LaCl3(Ce) crystal in one cylinder coupled to a photo multiplier tube has been tested both for incident gamma rays in the range of 0.3–6 MeV, as well as for high energy protons in the range 120–180 MeV. The Phoswich assembly has not significantly deteriorated the energy resolution, which for 662 KeV gamma rays gives a resolution of 4.5%, while for high energy protons (Ep=180 MeV) an energy resolution of 1% was obtained. It is shown that the signals from the two crystals can be separated in an event by event based mode. Using direct digitizing of the detector pulse an off-line pulse-shape analysis was performed built either on a total to tail or total to pulse height method in order to fully identify the incoming radiation. Our aim with this R&D is to in the future build a detector which is able to detect with good efficiency and resolution over a wide energy range; 0.1–30 MeV gamma rays and 20–400 MeV protons. Monte Carlo simulations made in order to design the next prototype are presented. & 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This work was partly financed by the Spanish Research funding agency under project CICYT FPA2007-62170, FPA2009-07387, and partly through FP7 by the Era-Net NuPNET via the project GANAS.Peer Reviewe

LaBr3(Ce):LaCl3(Ce) Phoswich with pulse shape analysis for high energy gamma-ray and proton identification

A novel Phoswich design based on new generation scintillator crystals is presented. The detector composed from a combination of a LaBr3(Ce) with a LaCl3(Ce) crystal in one cylinder coupled to a photo multiplier tube has been tested both for incident gamma rays in the range of 0.3–6 MeV, as well as for high energy protons in the range 120–180 MeV. The Phoswich assembly has not significantly deteriorated the energy resolution, which for 662 KeV gamma rays gives a resolution of 4.5%, while for high energy protons (Ep=180 MeV) an energy resolution of 1% was obtained. It is shown that the signals from the two crystals can be separated in an event by event based mode. Using direct digitizing of the detector pulse an off-line pulse-shape analysis was performed built either on a total to tail or total to pulse height method in order to fully identify the incoming radiation. Our aim with this R&D is to in the future build a detector which is able to detect with good efficiency and resolution over a wide energy range; 0.1–30 MeV gamma rays and 20–400 MeV protons. Monte Carlo simulations made in order to design the next prototype are presented