Modeling and Optimization of End Effector Layout for Handling Compliant Sheet Metal Parts

Material handling of compliant parts is one of the most critical and underresearched problems in the sheet metal stamping industry. The fundamental shortcoming of currently studied material handling systems for sheet metal stamping is the lack of analysis of its impact on part dimensional quality and production throughput. This paper addresses this problem by development of a generic methodology for modeling and optimization of part holding end-effector layout in order to minimize part dimensional deformation during handling operations. The methodology extends the design of “N-2-1” fixturing layout by adding part movability conditions. It considers part CAD model, handling direction and motion kinematic parameters to determine the best end effector layout. This methodology is realized by integrating FEM part and loading modeling with the optimization algorithm. It can be implemented into the design stage of a stamping line so that the trial and error process, which is current industrial practice, can be greatly shortened and the production throughput increased. Experimental results verify the proposed part holding end-effector layout methodology.

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Modeling and Optimization of Fixture for Handling Compliant Sheet Metal Parts

10.1115/imece1999-0791 ◽

1999 ◽

Author(s):

D. Ceglarek ◽

H. F. Li ◽

Y. Tang

Keyword(s):

Sheet Metal ◽

Material Handling ◽

Design Stage ◽

End Effector ◽

Industrial Practice ◽

Modeling And Optimization ◽

Sheet Metal Stamping ◽

Sheet Metal Parts ◽

Metal Stamping ◽

Compliant Parts

Abstract Material handling of compliant parts is one of the most critical and underresearched problems in the sheet metal stamping industry. The fundamental shortcoming of currently studied material handling systems for sheet metal stamping is the lack of analysis of its impact on part dimensional quality and production throughput. This paper addresses this problem by development of a generic methodology for modeling and optimization of part holding end-effector fixture layout in order to minimize part dimensional deformation during handling operations. The methodology extends the design of “N-2-1” fixturing layout by adding part movability conditions. It considers part CAD model, handling direction and motion kinematic parameters to determine the best end effector layout. This methodology is realized by integrating FEM part and loading modeling with the optimization algorithm. It can be implemented into the design stage of a stamping line so that the trial and error process, which is current industrial practice, can be greatly shortened and the production throughput increased. Experimental results verify the proposed part holding end-effector layout methodology.

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A Dexterous Part-Holding Model for Handling Compliant Sheet Metal Parts

Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.1406953 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 124 (1) ◽

pp. 109-118 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

H. F. Li ◽

D. Ceglarek ◽

Jianjun Shi

Keyword(s):

Production Rate ◽

Sheet Metal ◽

Material Handling ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Element Analysis ◽

End Effector ◽

Metal Parts ◽

Sheet Metal Parts ◽

End Effectors

Material handling of compliant sheet metal parts significantly impacts both part dimensional quality and production rate in the stamping industry. This paper advances previously developed material handling end effector layout optimization methodology for rigid point end effectors [1] by developing a dexterous part-holding end effector model. This model overcomes the shortcomings of the rigid point part-holding end effector model by predicting part deformation more accurately for various modes of deformation and for a set of part-holding end effector locations. This is especially important for handling systems which utilize vacuum cup end effectors widely used for handling of large sheet metal parts. The dexterous end effector model design method and an algorithm for estimation of model parameters are developed. The algorithm combines data from design of computer simulations and from the set of experiments by integrating finite element analysis and a statistical data processing technique. Experimental studies are conducted to verify the developed model and the model parameter estimation algorithm. The developed methodology provides an analytical tool for product and process designers to accurately predict part deformation during handling, which further leads to minimization of part deformation, improvement of part dimensional quality and increase of production rate.

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The Structure and Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Cellular Metal With Periodic Cubic Cells

Volume 9: Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Fluids; NDE, Diagnosis, and Prognosis ◽

10.1115/imece2016-65362 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiaobing Dang ◽

Ruxu Du ◽

Kai He ◽

Qiyang Zuo

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Relative Density ◽

Sheet Metal ◽

Light Weight ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Sheet Metal Stamping ◽

High Stiffness ◽

The Past ◽

Cellular Metal ◽

Metal Stamping

As a light-weight material with high stiffness and strength, cellular metal has attracted a lot of attentions in the past two decades. In this paper, the structure and mechanical properties of aluminum cellular metal with periodic cubic cells are studied. The aluminum cellular metal is fabricated by sheet metal stamping and simple adhesion. Two sizes of specimens with cell sizes of 3mm and 5mm are fabricated. Their relative density and mechanical properties are tested by means of experiments. The results show that the cubic-cell cellular metal has high and predictable strength and hence, can be used for many practical applications.

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Surrogate models for sheet metal stamping problem based on the combination of proper orthogonal decomposition and radial basis function

10.1063/1.5008126 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Van Tuan Dang ◽

Pascal Lafon ◽

Carl Labergere

Keyword(s):

Radial Basis Function ◽

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition ◽

Sheet Metal ◽

Basis Function ◽

Surrogate Models ◽

Orthogonal Decomposition ◽

Sheet Metal Stamping ◽

Metal Stamping ◽

Radial Basis ◽

Proper Orthogonal

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An Engineering Approach to Improve the Stamping Robustness of High Strength Steels

Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.4000333 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 131 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Wu-rong Wang ◽

Bo Hou ◽

Zhong-qin Lin ◽

Z. Cedric Xia

Keyword(s):

Sheet Metal ◽

Weight Ratio ◽

High Strength Steels ◽

High Strength ◽

Process Variations ◽

Optimal Process ◽

Sheet Metal Stamping ◽

The Monte Carlo Method ◽

Metal Stamping ◽

Metal Properties

High strength steels (HSSs) are one of the light-weight sheet metals well suited for reducing vehicle weight due to their higher strength-to-weight ratio. However, HSS tend to have bigger variations in their mechanical properties due to more complex rolling techniques involved in the steel-making process. Such uncertainties, when combined with variations in the process parameters such as friction and blank holder force, pose a significant challenge in maintaining the robustness of HSS sheet metal stamping. The paper presents a systematic and robust approach, combining the power of the finite element method and stochastic statistics to decrease the sensitivity of HSS stamping in the presence of above-mentioned uncertainties. First, the statistical distribution of sheet metal properties of selected HSS is characterized from a material sampling database. Then a separate interval adaptive response surface methodology (RSM) is applied in modeling sheet metal stamping. The new method significantly improves the model accuracy when compared with the conventional RSM within a single interval. Finally, the Monte Carlo method is employed to simulate the stochastic response of material/process variations to stamping quality and to provide optimal process parameter designs to reduce the sensitivity of these effects. The experiment with the obtained optimal process design demonstrates the improvements of stamping robustness using small-batch experiments.

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