Manufacturing Process Simulation – On Its Way to Industrial Application

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

Manufacturing process simulation (MPS) has become more and more important for aviation and the automobile industry. A highly competitive market requires the use of high performance metals and composite materials in combination with reduced manufacturing cost and time as well as a minimization of the time to market for a new product. However, the use of such materials is expensive and requires sophisticated manufacturing processes. An experience based process and tooling design followed by a lengthy trial-and-error optimization is just not contemporary anymore. Instead, a tooling design process aided by simulation is used more often. This paper provides an overview of the capabilities of MPS in the fields of sheet metal forming and prepreg autoclave manufacturing of composite parts summarizing the resulting benefits for tooling design and manufacturing engineering. The simulation technology is explained briefly in order to show several simplification and optimization techniques for developing industrialized simulation approaches. Small case studies provide examples of an efficient application on an industrial scale.

Authors

• Otten, Dennis Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Weber, Tobias A Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Arent, Jan-Christoph Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• finite element analysis
• manufacturing process simulation
• sheet metal forming
• autoclave manufacturing of composites
• Computer-Aided Engineering and Design
• Industrial Engineering
• Industrial Technology
• Manufacturing
• Structural Materials
• Structures and Materials