Simulation Of Manufacturing Processes Research Articles

FE Simulation of Truck Tire Manufacturing Process

Pneumatic Tires are one of the most important components in automobiles whether in aviation, 2/3/4 wheels drive or industrial applications. The tire is a complex assembly of numerous products which are assembled on a drum and then cured in a press under heat and pressure. Michelin being one of the premium tire manufacturing company, emphasize on use of latest technology at every stage of Tire manufacturing. The complex tire manufacturing process, from design conception till final assembly is currently simulated at Michelin using inhouse CAD/FEA simulation software. Use of FEA tools in manufacturing process simulation allows engineer to iterate over different mixes and evolving designs. In current scope, pre-defined FE template is developed for Michelin to simulate physical truck tire manufacturing process to allows user to perform automated FE iterations on iterative designs, materials etc improving the result output and increasing the productivity of user. Truck tire manufacturing process from green tire to cured tire is simulated as large displacement, 2d axisymmetric FE analysis with viscous or viscoelastic materials. Results of FE simulation are compared with that of Tire architect post manufacturing to marks effectiveness of FE analysis.

Modeling and simulation of the furniture manufacturing and assembly process in the arena simulation software

The article describes issues related to creating discrete simulation models for the implementation of the furniture manufacturing and assembly process in a furniture company. The methodology of the manufacturing system analysis was presented, which is aimed to support the appropriate approach to the construction of simulation models. The scope of the work includes the technological identification of the furniture manufacturing and assembly process in real production conditions, on the basis of which the appropriate simulation model was built. The course of the process was analyzed in the Arena software on the basis of a computer simulation based on reports. As a result of the simulation of the manufacturing process with the use of information from report of usage, an area for improvement was located. The re-analysis of the material flow made it possible to propose a change in the input parameters for the simulation model in the indicated area. The results of the second simulation show significant changes in the effective use of workstations and increase in the efficiency of the production line. In practice, it can be the basis for introducing simulated changes in the production system.

Desarrollo de formulaciones de PUR más sostenibles para aplicaciones estructurales

The industry decarbonization has become in a fundamental challenge for the industries such as automotive or wind power. In this way, the structural components lightening is one of the principal issues for material manufacturers. For this objective, the composites are a competitive alternative, due to their unique relation between their strength and weight. Among the different structural composite part fabrication processes, liquid composite moulding (LCM) is one of the most interesting, due to its efficiency in terms of costs, time and energy consumption. In this sense, resins with fast cure and low viscosity are gaining attention, among them polyurethanes are of particular interest. This family of polymers is characterized by its great versatility, among them high-performance thermosetting polyurethanes (PUR). The advantages offered by PUR-based technology are great fatigue resistance, low viscosity and fast cure. However, the commonly used PUR’s for structural applications have some environmentally drawbacks, such as their components petrochemical origin and their low recyclability. For this reason, the aim of this work was the development of a more sustainable PUR formulation with the required mechanical properties for structural applications and suitable processability for LCM processes. Because of that, this work has focused on the analysis, synthesis and characterization of new PUR formulations and also the manufacturing process simulation and optimization.

An efficient and high-fidelity local multi-mesh finite volume method for heat transfer and fluid flow problems in metal additive manufacturing

The multi-scale and nonlinear feature of additive manufacturing problems poses great challenges to numerical algorithms regarding computational efficiency and fidelity. In this work, we propose a novel local multi-mesh finite volume method for heat transfer and fluid flow problems in the additive manufacturing process. In this method, two sets of meshes (coarse base mesh and finer overlay mesh) are used to resolve the macroscopic temperature field of the whole domain and the mesoscopic heat transfer and fluid flow problem within a relatively small region covering the melt pool, respectively. The interaction between the base mesh and the overlay mesh is handled by the Dirichlet boundary conditions on the interface following the refinement-by-superposition idea, such that the powder-scale simulation is available with high efficiency. The finer mesh with cells of sub-powder size uses the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian description and moves with the heat source to keep coverage of the region with high solution gradients. According to the moving feature of the finer mesh, a particle-volume fraction conversion scheme is introduced to update the material distribution. The local multi-mesh finite volume method is further combined with the discrete element method as well as a surface reconstruction method to alternatively solve the powder layering process and the laser melting process. A set of numerical cases is presented, and the numerical results are compared with analytical and experimental data from the literature, with good agreement in cases where such data is available. Moreover, the computational efficiency of the proposed method is proved to be dozens of times (16∼50 for the given size ratios of the melt pool to the whole domain) of the finite volume method using a uniform structured mesh. It is expected to be a powerful tool for efficiently achieving powder-scale simulation of the additive manufacturing process and other similar multi-scale problems.

(Digital Presentation) 3D Electrochemical Model Revealing Electrode Manufacturing Parameters’ Effects on Battery Performance

Electrode manufacturing is in the core of Li-ion battery manufacturing process. The electrode mesostructure and the associated electrochemical performance is determined by the adopted manufacturing parameters. However, in view of the strong interdependencies between these parameters, evaluating their influence on the performance is not a trivial task, and our ERC-funded ARTISTIC project1,2 is providing a theoretical framework to rationalize and optimize the manufacturing process of Li-ion battery cells. Over the years, the discussion of importance of electrode mesostructure in cell behavior has become increasingly lively. Many modeling researchers have been conducted studies to explain the influences of electrode mesostructure on its electrochemical performance3–6. However, many studies did not include manufacturing parameters as inputs, which hinders universality in regards of these electrochemical models’ application. With the aim of going into the scope of real electrode manufacturing parameters, we present here a calibrated 3D-resolved electrochemical model for NMC111-electrodes which reveals how slurry formulation and compression rate affect the electrode performance. A series of electrodes with different formulations and compression rates were manufactured. Corresponding models were built based on the basis of these manufacturing parameters, using the manufacturing process simulation workflow previously developed in ARTISTIC7. The results of simulations and experiments were compared individually. We found that one of the major factors affecting the electrode performance is the carbon-binder domain (CBD) distribution, which highly changes the conductive network within the electrode. A well-connected conductive network throughout the electrode is vital for ensuring full utilization of active material. Other features such as porosity, tortuosity factor, active material particle packing, and etc. also play important roles in different ways. This work provides systematic insights on the essence of how electrode manufacturing process takes effect on electrode performance, through a digital twin experimentally validated under multiple experimental conditions.References Artistic http://www.erc-artistic.eu/. Artistic http://www.erc-artistic.eu/scientific-production/publications.X. Lu et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 14, 5929–5946 (2021).M. E. Ferraro, B. L. Trembacki, V. E. Brunini, D. R. Noble, and S. A. Roberts, J. Electrochem. Soc., 167, 013543 (2020).X. Lu et al., Nat. Commun., 11, 2079 (2020).L. S. Kremer et al., Energy Technol., 8, 1900167 (2020).T. Lombardo et al., Batter. Supercaps, 5, e202100324 (2022).

A Manufacturing Process Simulation of Toughened Cyanate-Ester-Based Composite Structures with Respect to Stress Relaxation.

The objectives of this study were to experimentally determine the effects of the stress relaxation of a cyanate-ester-based composite, derive and integrate constitutive equations into commercial FEM software, and apply this approach to understand the formation of residual stress in a typical aerospace structure—namely, a stiffened panel. In preliminary studies, a cyanate-ester-based composite with increased fracture toughness for high-temperature applications was developed. High curing temperatures up to 260 °C will inevitably lead to high process-induced stresses. To assess the magnitude of impact on the development of internal stresses, the relaxation behavior of the neat resin was measured and characterized. The system was toughened, and the effect of stress relaxation increased as the temperature got closer to the glass transition temperature of the toughener, which was approximately 240 °C. With the use of an incremental linear viscoelastic model, the relaxation behavior was integrated into a process model with a holistic approach. A stiffened panel was manufactured and used as the validation use case. The displacement field was validated with an optical 3D measuring system, and good agreement was found between the simulated and experimental results. The maximum difference between the elastic and the viscoelastic solution was found to be 15%. Furthermore, the stress magnitude in the transverse material direction resulted in a more critical value higher than the material strength.

Formability Assessment of Variable Geometries Using Machine Learning - Analysis of the Influence of the Database

Surrogate modelling has proven to be an effective strategy for time-efficient analysis and optimisation of expensive functions such as manufacturing process simulations. However, most surrogate approaches generate problem-specific “one-off” models, which cannot be reused in other, even similar scenarios. Hence, variations of the problem, e.g. minor geometry changes, instantly invalidate the surrogate. Image-based machine learning (ML) techniques have been proposed as an option to train a surrogate for variable geometries. However, it is currently unclear how to construct a sufficiently diverse set of generic training geometries and what effect different databases have. This work investigates the effect of different databases on the prediction accuracy of an ML-assessment of component manufacturability. The considered use-case is textile forming (draping) of a woven fabric. Sampling plans generate different numbers of training geometries, which are in turn evaluated in draping simulations. An image-based ML-algorithm is trained on these process samples and evaluated on a set of validation geometries. Results show that the diversity of the training geometries has a greater impact on the prediction accuracy than the number of samples. The results also hint that a comparably low number of geometry samples suffices to give meaningful results. With these findings, ML-techniques are considered a promising and time-efficient tool for manufacturability assessment at early stages of part and process design.

Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit

Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit

Simulation of the multi-beam electron-beam wire-feed additive manufacturing process in a vacuum

The paper considers modelling the wire deposition process with vertically fed wire by several symmetrically acting heat sources. We proposed the mathematical model to describe the above process, considering surface tension force, Marangoni force, vapor pressure force, and heat loss on evaporation. To solve the mathematical model, we use the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. We carried out a series of numerical experiments for modelling the melting process of vertically fed wire with two symmetrically acting heat sources with different power and direction of action of heat sources. We found that vertical wire feeding provides uniform heating with the absence of shaded areas and flexible control of heat input into the metal. On the other hand, the weld bead geometry characteristics significantly depend on the heat sources’ power and direction.

Application of a Digital Twin for Manufacturing Process Simulation

Due to the growing market demand and increasing customization of products, the enterprises have to increasingly adapt to the prevailing market conditions. However this adaption should be conducted with the lowest production costs and the best possible utilization of resources. One of the ideas, to obtain that, may be an attempt to implement the so called digitization and a digital twin for the enterprise. The article presents the possibilities of enterprise digitization and problems that the enterprises have to deal with, in order to better organize and plan the production process in the modern, dynamically changing environment.

Regularization of shear banding and prediction of size effects in manufacturing operations: A micromorphic plasticity explicit scheme

Good quality manufacturing operation simulations are essential to obtain reliable numerical predictions of the processes. In many cases, it is possible to observe that the deformation localizes in narrow areas, and since the primary deformation mode is under shear, these areas are called shear bands. In classical continuum mechanics models, the deformation localization may lead to spurious mesh dependency if the material locally experiences thermal or plastic strain softening. One option to regularize such a non-physical behavior is to resort to non-local continuum mechanics theories. This paper adopts a scalar micromorphic approach, which includes a characteristic length scale in the constitutive framework to enforce the plastic strain gradient theory to regularize the solution. Since many manufacturing process simulations are often assessed through finite element methods with an explicit solver to facilitate convergence, we present an original model formulation and procedure for the implementation of the micromorphic continuum in an explicit finite element code. The approach is illustrated in the case of the VPS explicit solver from ESI GROUP. According to the original formulation, we propose an easy way to implement a scalar micromorphic approach by taking advantage of an analogy with the thermal balance equation. The numerical implementation is verified against the analytical solution of a semi-infinite glide problem. Finally, the correctness of the method is addressed by successfully predicting size effects both in a cutting and a bending tests.

Modeling and Simulation of Additively Manufactured Cylindrical Component Using Combined Thermomechanical and Inherent Strain Method with Nelder-Mead Optimization.

This research concerns on the application of combined thermomechanical-inherent strain method (TMM-ISM) in predicting the distortion of additively manufactured component. The simulation and experimental verification were conducted in the form of vertical cylinder using selective laser melting, which was subsequently cut in the middle section. The setup and procedure of simulation approaches followed the actual process parameters such as laser power, layer thickness, scan strategy, and temperature dependent material, including flow curve retrieved from specialized computational numerical software. The investigation began with virtual calibration test using TMM, followed by manufacturing process simulation using ISM. Based on the maximum deformation result of simulated calibration and accuracy consideration from previous equivalent study, the inherent strain values used in ISM analysis were obtained using self-developed optimization algorithm with direct pattern search Nelder-Mead method in finding the minimum error of distortion using MATLAB. The error minima were measured between transient TMM-based simulation and simplified formulation in calculating the inherent strain values with respect to longitudinal and transverse laser directions. Furthermore, the combined TMM-ISM distortion results were compared to fully TMM with equivalent mesh number and verified based on experimental investigation conducted by renowned researcher. It can be concluded that the result of slit distortion from TMM-ISM and TMM showed good agreement with the error percentage of 9.5% and 3.5%, respectively. However, the computational time for combined TMM-ISM was reduced tremendously with only 63 min if compared to TMM with 129 min in running full simulation on solid cylindrical component. Hence, combined TMM-ISM-based simulation can be considered as an alternative method to replace time-consuming and cost-intensive calibration preparation and analysis.

Numerical Simulation of Tube Manufacturing Consisting of Roll Forming and High-Frequency Induction Welding.

This paper presents a fully coupled three-dimensional finite element model for the simulation of a tube manufacturing process consisting of roll forming and high-frequency induction welding. The multiphysics model is based on the dual mesh method. Thus, the electromagnetic field, the temperature field, the elasto-plastic deformation of the weld bead, and the phase transformations within the material can be simulated for a moving tube without remeshing. A comparison with measurements shows that the geometry of the welded tube and the weld bead, the force on the squeeze rolls, the temperature along the band edges, and the hardness distribution within the heat-affected zone can be simulated realistically.

Development of the Platform for Three-Dimensional Simulation of Additive Layer Manufacturing Processes Characterized by Changes in State of Matter: Melting-Solidification.

A new platform for three-dimensional simulation of Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) processes is presented in the paper. The platform is based on homogeneous methods—the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) with elements of Cellular Automata (CA). The platform represents a new computer-based engineering technique primarily focused on Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology. Innovative computational strategies and numerical algorithms for simulation and analysis of entire powder bed-based technology with changes in state of matter (melting-solidification) are presented in the paper. The models deal mainly with heat transfer, melting and solidification, and free-surface flow. Linking LBM and CA into a complex holistic model allows for complete full-scale simulations avoiding complicated interfaces. The approach is generic and can be applied to different multi-material powder bed-based SLM processes. A methodology for the adaptation of the model to the real material (Ti-6Al-4V alloy) and processing parameters is presented. The paper presents the first quantitative results obtained on the platform and shows the ability of the model to simulate and analyze a very complex technology, entirely without a complicated interface between the sub-models. It solves the large-scale problem connected with computer-aided design and analysis of new multi-passes and multi-materials processes.

Experimental validation of a quasi-transient coupling approach for the modeling of heat transfer in autoclave processing

Structural aerospace composite parts are commonly cured through autoclave processing. To optimize the autoclave process, manufacturing process simulations have been increasingly used to investigate the thermal behavior of the cure assembly. Performing such a simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with finite element method (FEM) model can be used to deal with the conjugate heat transfer problem between the airflow and solid regions inside the autoclave. A transient CFD simulation requires intensive computing resources. To avoid a long computing time, a quasi-transient coupling approach is adopted to allow a significant acceleration of the simulation process. This approach has been validated for a simple geometry in a previous study. This paper provides an experimental and numerical study on heat transfer in a medium-sized autoclave for a more complicated loading condition and a composite structure, a curved shell with three stringers, that mocks the fuselage structure of an aircraft. Two lumped mass calorimeters are used for the measurement of the heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) during the predefined curing cycle. Owing to some uncertainty in the inlet flow velocity, a correction parameter and calibration method are proposed to reduce the numerical error. The simulation results are compared to the experimental results, which consist of thermal measurements and temperature distributions of the composite shell, to validate the simulation model. This study shows the capability and potential of the quasi-transient coupling approach for the modeling of heat transfer in autoclave processing with reduced computational cost and high correlation between the experimental and numerical results.

A Gaussian Process-Based Extended Goldak Heat Source Model for Finite Element Simulation of Laser Power Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process

A Gaussian Process-Based Extended Goldak Heat Source Model for Finite Element Simulation of Laser Power Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process

Towards Geometry Prediction in Additive Manufacturing by Considering Variation in the Inherent Strain

The inherent strain method is commonly employed to predict part distortion in the additive manufacturing (AM) process simulations. However, mean inherent strain values are considered which could hinder the prediction accuracy. Therefore in this paper, variation in inherent strain values are considered to predict the geometric distortion. In the first step, a five layer mesoscale thermo-mechanical model is employed to estimate the varying inherent strain values in each of the five layers. This serves as an input to the inherent strain method to predict geometric distortion at the part level. A comparison between mean versus varying inherent strain approach is shown to highlight the differences in geometric distortion prediction accuracy.

Mobile Robots’ Collision Prediction Based on Virtual Cocoons

The research work presents a collision prediction method of mobile robots. The authors of the work use so-called, virtual cocoons to evaluate the collision criteria of two robots. The idea, mathematical representation of the calculations and experimental simulations are presented in the paper work. A virtual model of the industrial process with moving mobile robots was created. Obstacle avoidance was not solved here. The authors of the article were working on collision avoidance problem solving between moving robots. Theoretical approach presents mathematical calculations and dependences of path angles of mobile robots. Experimental simulations, using the software Centaurus CPN, based on colored Petri nets, has shown, that the possible conflict can be predicted in advance using calculations of the angle of movement of two possibly colliding cocoons. Authors of the paper presents and explains experimental simulations, where robots are moving in different path angles, which intersects each other. Proposed collision avoidance algorithm solves collision avoidance task using several possibilities. Software Centaurus CPN gives possibility to stop simulation of manufacturing process in the place where it finds possible collision between two cocoons. In order to check correctness of proposed collision prediction and avoidance algorithm, further simulation is done step by step, while situation is solved. Simulated manufacturing process is continued till new possible collision is obtained.

Accurate Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion simulation through a fluid-solid coupled modeling

The need for an increase of production rate in aerospace industry implies a growing interest in composite manufacturing process simulation with a strong requirement on predictive accuracy. In this context, ESI enhanced its PAM-COMPOSITES software introducing fluid-solid coupled approach in PAM-RTM module in order to simulate more accurately Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI) process. VARI consists in impregnating a dry preform laid on a rigid mold and placed under a distribution medium and a vacuum bag. During the impregnation resin flows preferentially into the distribution medium and then in the preform which may undergo deformations due to the flexibility of the vacuum bag. Usual 2.5D approaches, using shell elements with thickness depending on resin pressure, cannot account for resin flow through the thickness due to permeability and fiber fraction gradients implied by the material used and/or solid mechanics effects (such as compression in curvatures). ESI new approach, resulting from several years of collaboration with academics, consists in a 3D finite element modeling. It is based on the coupling of resin flow, governed by Darcy’s law, with the preform behavior, considered as porous medium undergoing deformations, through Terzaghi’s principle. Thus it results in more predictive filling time and properties (thicknesses, fiber volume contents, geometry) of the final product.

Design, Simulation and Optimization of an Additive Laser-Based Manufacturing Process for Gearbox Housing with Reduced Weight Made from AlSi10Mg Alloy

The gas turbine engine’s (GTE) development aims for the increasing the efficiency, strength, reliability and safety of its components. To create competitive engines, housing parts and components with high functionality and reduced weight are needed. Especially difficult in the design and production are the gearboxes for aviation GTE. Traditional technologies based on precision casting or material forming operations have significant limitations due to the complexity of fulfilling multiple different requirements. Nowadays, one of the progressive production techniques is additive manufacturing. The article presents the results of computational and experimental studies that substantiate the applicability of laser additive technology to reduce the mass of body parts by up to 15% while ensuring their strength properties. The physical and mechanical characteristics of aluminum alloys acceptable for the manufacturing of housing parts were analyzed. The necessary characteristics of the powder alloy of the Al-Si system and the technological parameters of the L-PBF of the modified housing of the gear reducer are established. Using the finite element method (FEM) the L-PBF process was numerically simulated and the technological modes for synthesis of the AlSi10Mg alloy powder were optimized. With the help of a serial 3D printer ProX320DMP, the prototype of a gear housing was manufactured.