Manufacturing system and method

A computer-implemented method for determining machine control instructions for manufacturing an object having a potential {x} that is generated in response to a field {f} applied thereto, the method comprising:

• generating a computerized mathematical model of the object by discretizing a geometric model of the object into a plurality of finite elements and specifying values of the field {f} and potential {x} relative to the finite elements;
• calculating a material property matrix [k] based on the field {f} and potential {x};
• extracting material property coefficients from the material property matrix [k] for each finite element in the computerized mathematical model;
• comparing the extracted material property coefficients to material property coefficients for known materials to match the extracted material property coefficients to the material property coefficients for known materials;
• determining manufacturing equipment control parameters for each volume increment of the object based on the matched material property coefficients;
• and
• generating machine control instructions for controlling the manufacturing equipment in accordance with the manufacturing equipment control parameters to manufacture the object,
• wherein, if the matched material property coefficients correspond to a composite material, the manufacturing equipment control parameters comprise parameters for controlling composite manufacturing equipment and the machine control instructions comprise instructions for controlling the composite manufacturing equipment, and
• wherein the composite material comprises structural fibers laminated in a resin matrix into which an impurity is introduced, the amount of the impurity introduced into the resin matrix being controllably variable for the respective volume increments of the object.

A method for manufacturing an object for which a defined field {f} generates a potential {x} in response thereto, the method comprising:

• (1) generating a computerized mathematical model of the object by discretizing a geometric model of the object into a plurality of finite elements;
• (2) specifying values of the field {f} and the potential {x} relative to the finite elements;
• (3) calculating a material property matrix [k] based on the field {f} and the potential {x}, wherein the material property matrix [k] comprises a plurality of values each corresponding to one or more material property coefficients;
• (4) comparing each of the plurality of values in the material property matrix [k] to known material properties and, responsive to a match, selecting a corresponding manufacturing process parameter for a volume increment of the object, wherein the selected manufacturing process parameter is usable for controlling composite manufacturing equipment if the matched known material property is a material property for a composite material;
• (5) controlling the composite manufacturing equipment in accordance with the selected manufacturing process parameters to thereby manufacture the object,
• wherein the composite material comprises structural fibers laminated in a resin matrix into which an impurity is introduced, the amount of the impurity introduced into the resin matrix being controllably variable for the respective volume increments of the object.