Method and apparatus for modeling and forming fiber-reinforced composite objects

A computer-implemented method for modelling and forming a fiber-reinforced plastic composite object comprising one or more fiber tows, comprising:

• acquiring a digital model comprising two or more spatial dimensions of an object to be manufactured;
• forming a three-dimensional model decomposition of the object to be manufactured, wherein forming the three-dimensional model decomposition comprises segmenting at least a portion of the digital model comprising two or more spatial dimensions into one or more surface-based component models;
• reading from a computer memory a lower limit on a radius of curvature of a path of the one or more surface-based component models, wherein a fiber tow follows the one or more paths continuously, and storing in memory a tow twist at one or more locations along the one or more paths;
• highlighting, on a computer display presenting one or more views of the surface-based component models, the one or more paths, wherein the radius of curvature is lower than the radius of the lower limit;
• and
• forming, on a surface of the one or more surface-based component models, the one or more paths, each comprising one or more elongate fiber tow models.

A system comprising:

• one or more computer processors;
• and
• memory with executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
• receive a digital model comprising two or more spatial dimensions of an object to be manufactured;
• form a three-dimensional model decomposition of the object to be manufactured, wherein forming the three-dimensional model decomposition comprises segmenting at least a portion of the digital model comprising two or more spatial dimensions into one or more surface-based components;
• highlight, on a computer display presenting one or more view of the surface-based components, one or more of the tow path wherein the radius of curvature is lower than the radius of curvature lower limit stored in memory;
• and
• form, on a surface of the one or more surface-based component models, one or more paths comprising one or more elongate fiber tow models, wherein forming the one or more path comprises reading from a computer memory a lower limit on the radius of curvature of the path wherein a fiber tow follows the path continuously, and storing in memory the tow twist at one or more location along the path.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

• acquire a digital model comprising two or more spatial dimensions of an object to be manufactured;
• form a three-dimensional model decomposition of the object to be manufactured, wherein forming the three-dimensional model decomposition comprises segmenting at least a portion of the digital model comprising two or more spatial dimensions into one or more surface-based components;
• highlight, on a computer display presenting one or more view of the surface-based components, one or more of the tow path wherein the radius of curvature is lower than the radius of curvature lower limit stored in memory;
• and
• form, on a surface of the one or more surface-based component models, one or more paths comprising one or more elongate fiber tow models, wherein forming the one or more path comprises reading from a computer memory a lower limit on the radius of curvature of the path wherein a fiber tow follows the path continuously, and storing in memory the tow twist at one or more location along the path.