Performing and communicating sheet metal simulations employing a combination of factors
AssigneeMagna International Inc.
InventorsThomas James Oetjens, Thomas Lome Chartrand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sheet metal is provided as a template to create a finished product. After various metal transformation techniques are performed on the sheet metal, the sheet metal may be converted to the finished product. The sheet metal manipulation may encompass different techniques, such as thinning, bending, cutting, and the like. The manipulated sheet metal may be sourced for various products, such as a body of a vehicle. The aspects disclosed herein combine various tests employed to detect the integrity of the sheet metal transformation into a singular output.
Claims14
A system for simulating a sheet metal transformation, comprising:
- a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for the simulation;
- a processor that executes the program of instructions;
- a materials interface module to retrieve, from a persistent store associated with the processor, a plurality of sheet metal properties data associated with materials employed with a sheet metal simulated via the sheet metal transformation to produce a transformed sheet metal;
- a formula interfacer to interface with an application associated with the sheet metal transformation to retrieve, from the persistent store, a plurality of formulas associated with, at least, an intended transformation corresponding to the sheet metal transformation, the formula interfacer being configured to combine more than one sheet metal transformation test;
- a formability interfacer to retrieve, from the persistent store, a parameter associated with a threshold of thinning and cracking associated with the transformed sheet metal;
- and
- an analyzer associated with the formability interface, the analyzer being configured to generate, per predefined demarcated zones of the sheet metal, data corresponding to transformed sheet metal response for each of the demarcated zones, wherein the analyzer generates the data using the plurality of sheet metal properties data, the plurality of formulas, and the parameter.
A method for simulating a sheet metal transformation, comprising:
- retrieving, from a persistent store, an electronic representation of materials associated with a sheet metal to undergo the sheet metal transformation;
- employing a plurality of variables with a plurality of sheet metal transformations tests to provide a single set of output data for the transformed sheet metal;
- retrieving, from the persistent store, a parameter associated with a threshold of thinning and cracking associated with the transformed sheet metal;
- and
- performing a commercial formability simulation based on the electronic representation of the materials, the parameter, and the plurality of received variables,
- wherein the retrieving, the employing, and the performing is performed on a processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.