Optimization of Fixture Number in Large Thin-Walled Parts Assembly Based on IPSO

There are lots of researches on fixture layout optimization for large thin-walled parts.Current researches focus on the positioning problem,i.e.,optimizing the positions of a constant number of fixtures.However,how to determine the number of fixtures is ignored.In most cases,the number of fixtures located on large thin-walled parts is determined based on engineering experience,which leads to huge fixture number and extra waste.Therefore,this paper constructs an optimization model to minimize the number of fixtures.The constraints are set in the optimization model to ensure that the part deformation is within the surface profile tolerance.In addition,the assembly gap between two parts is also controlled.To conduct the optimization,this paper develops an improved particle swarm optimization(IPSO)algorithm by integrating the shrinkage factor and adaptive inertia weight.In the algorithm,particles are encoded according to the fixture position.Each dimension of the particle is assigned to a sub-region by constraining the optional position range of each fixture to improve the optimization efficiency.Finally,a case study on ship curved panel assembly is provided to prove that our method can optimize the number of fixtures while meeting the assembly quality requirements.This research proposes a method to optimize the number of fixtures,which can reduce the number of fixtures and achieve deformation control at the same time.

Development of Fixture Layout Optimization for Thin-Walled Parts:A Review

An increasing number of researchers have researched fixture layout optimization for thin-walled part assembly during the past decades.However,few papers systematically review these researches.By analyzing existing literature,this paper summarizes the process of fixture layout optimization and the methods applied.The process of optimization is made up of optimization objective setting,assembly variation/deformation modeling,and fixture layout optimization.This paper makes a review of the fixture layout for thin-walled parts according to these three steps.First,two different kinds of optimization objectives are introduced.Researchers usually consider in-plane variations or out-of-plane deformations when designing objectives.Then,modeling methods for assembly variation and deformation are divided into two categories:Mechanism-based and data-based methods.Several common methods are discussed respectively.After that,optimization algorithms are reviewed systematically.There are two kinds of optimization algorithms:Traditional nonlinear programming and heuristic algorithms.Finally,discussions on the current situation are provided.The research direction of fixture layout optimization in the future is discussed from three aspects:Objective setting,improving modeling accuracy and optimization algorithms.Also,a new research point for fixture layout optimization is discussed.This paper systematically reviews the research on fixture layout optimization for thin-walled parts,and provides a reference for future research in this field.

Meter-Scale Thin-Walled Structure with Lattice Infill for Fuel Tank Supporting Component of Satellite:Multiscale Design and Experimental Verification

Lightweight thin-walled structures with lattice infill are widely desired in satellite for their high stiffness-to-weight ratio and superior buckling strength resulting fromthe sandwich effect.Such structures can be fabricated bymetallic additive manufacturing technique,such as selective laser melting(SLM).However,the maximum dimensions of actual structures are usually in a sub-meter scale,which results in restrictions on their appliance in aerospace and other fields.In this work,a meter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill is designed for the fuel tank supporting component of the satellite by integrating a self-supporting lattice into the thickness optimization of the thin-wall.The designed structure is fabricated by SLM of AlSi10Mg and cold metal transfer welding technique.Quasi-static mechanical tests and vibration tests are both conducted to verify the mechanical strength of the designed large-scale lattice thin-walled structure.The experimental results indicate that themeter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill could meet the dimension and lightweight requirements of most spacecrafts.

Numerical Analysis of Cold-Formed Thin-Walled Steel Short Columns with Pitting Corrosion during Bridge Construction

Pitting corrosion is harmful during bridge construction,which will lead to uneven roughness of steel surfaces and reduce the thickness of steel.Hence,the effect of pitting corrosion on the mechanical properties of cold-formed thin-walled steel stub columns is studied,and the empirical formulas are established through regression fitting to predict the ultimate load of web and flange under pitting corrosion.In detail,the failure modes and load-displacement curves of specimens with different locations,area ratios,and depths are obtained through a large number of non-linear finite element analysis.As for the specimens with pitting corrosion on the web,all the specimens are subject to local buckling failure,and the failure mode will not change with pitting corrosion,but the failure location will change with pitting corrosion location;the size,location,and area ratio of pitting corrosion have little influence on the ultimate load of cold-formed thin-walled steel short columns,but the loss rate of pitting corrosion section area has a greater impact on the ultimate bearing capacity.As for the specimen with flange pitting corrosion,the location and area ratio of pitting corrosion have less influence on the ultimate load of cold-formed thin-walled steel short columns,and the section area loss rate has greater influence on the ultimate bearing capacity;the impact of web pitting corrosion on the ultimate load is greater than that of flange pitting corrosion under the same condition of pitting corrosion section area.The prediction formulas of limit load which are suitable for pitting corrosion of web and flange are established,which can provide a reference for performance evaluation of corroded cold-formed thin-walled steel.

Boundary Element Analysis forModeⅢCrack Problems of Thin-Walled Structures from Micro-to Nano-Scales

This paper develops a new numerical framework for modeⅢcrack problems of thin-walled structures by integrating multiple advanced techniques in the boundary element literature.The details of special crack-tip elements for displacement and stress are derived.An exponential transformation technique is introduced to accurately calculate the nearly singular integral,which is the key task of the boundary element simulation of thin-walled structures.Three numerical experiments with different types of cracks are provided to verify the performance of the present numerical framework.Numerical results demonstrate that the present scheme is valid for modeⅢcrack problems of thin-walled structures with the thickness-to-length ratio in the microscale,even nanoscale,regime.

Geometric Accuracy and Energy Absorption Characteristics of 3D Printed Continuous Ramie Fiber Reinforced Thin-Walled Composite Structures

The application of continuous natural fibers as reinforcement in composite thin-walled structures offers a feasible approach to achieve light weight and high strength while remaining environmentally friendly.In addition,additive manufacturing technology provides a favorable process foundation for its realization.In this study,the printability and energy absorption properties of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced thin-walled structures with different configurations were investigated.The results suggested that a low printing speed and a proper layer thickness would mitigate the printing defects within the structures.The printing geometry accuracy of the structures could be further improved by rounding the sharp corners with appropriate radii.This study successfully fabricated structures with vari-ous configurations characterized by high geometric accuracy through printing parameters optimization and path smoothing.Moreover,the compressive property and energy absorption characteristics of the structures under quasi-static axial compression were evaluated and compared.It was found that all studied thin-walled structures exhibited progressive folding deformation patterns during compression.In particular,energy absorption process was achieved through the combined damage modes of plastic deformation,fiber pullout and delamination.Furthermore,the com-parison results showed that the hexagonal structure exhibited the best energy absorption performance.The study revealed the structure-mechanical property relationship of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced composite thin-walled structures through the analysis of multiscale failure characteristics and load response,which is valuable for broadening their applications.

Experimental Study on Entropy Features in Machining Vibrations of A Thin-Walled Tubular Workpiece

In machining processes,chatter vibrations are always regarded as one of the major limitations for production quality and efficiency.Accurate and timely monitoring of chatter is helpful to maintain stable machining operations.At present,most chatter monitoring methods are based on the energy level at specified chatter frequencies or frequency bands.However,the spectral features of chatter could change during machining operations due to complexity and time-varying dynamics of the physical machining process.The purpose of this paper is to investigate the time-varying chatter features in turning of thin-walled tubular workpieces from the perspective of entropy.The airborne acoustics was selected as the source of information for machining condition monitoring.First,corresponding to the distinguishing surface topographies relevant to machining conditions,the features of the sound signal emitted during turning of the thin-walled cylindrical workpieces were extracted using the spectral analysis and wavelet packet transform,respectively.It was shown that the dominant vibration frequency as well as the energy distribution could shift with the transition of the machining status.After that,two relative entropy indicators based on the spectrum and the wavelet packet energy were constructed to identify chattering events in turning of the thin-walled tubes.The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed indicators could accurately reflect the transition of machining conditions with high sensitivity and robustness in comparison with the traditional FFT-based methods.The achievement of this study lays the foundations of the online chatter monitoring and control technique for turning of the thin-walled tubular workpieces.

Fundamentals and Processes of Fluid Pressure Forming Technology for Complex Thin-Walled Components

A new generation of fluid pressure forming technology has been developed for the three typical structures of tubes,sheets,and shells,and hard-to-deform material components that are urgently needed for aerospace,aircraft,automobile,and high-speed train industries.in this paper,an over all review is introduced on the state of the art in fundamentals and processes for lower-pressure hydroforming of tubular components,double-sided pressure hydroforming of sheet components,die-less hydroforming of ellipsoidai shells,and dual hardening hot medium forming af hard-to-deform materiais Particular attention is paid to deformation behavior,stress state adjustment,defect prevention,and typical applications.In addition,future development directions of fluid pressure forming technology are discussed,including hyper lower-loading forming for ultra-large non-uniform components,precision for ming for intermetallic compound and high-entropy alloy components,intelligent process and equipment,and precise finite element simulation of inhomogeneous and strong anisotropic thin shells.

GEOMETRICALLY NONLINEAR FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF SPATIAL THIN-WALLED BEAMS WITH GENERAL OPEN CROSS SECTION

Based on the theory of Timoshenko and thin-walled beams, a new finite element model of spatial thin-walled beams with general open cross sections is presented in the paper, in which several factors are included such as lateral shear deformation, warp generated by nonuni- form torsion and second-order shear stress, coupling of flexure and torsion, and large displacement with small strain. With an additional internal node in the element, the element stiffness matrix is deduced by incremental virtual work in updated Lagrangian （UL） formulation. Numerical examples demonstrate that the presented model well describes the geometrically nonlinear property of spatial thin-walled beams.

Physical Simulation of Mold-Filling Processing of Thin-Walled Castings under Traveling Magnetic Field

Mold-filling process of thin-walled castings under the condition of traveling magnetic field has been studied by physical simulation method using gallium melt and fast speed photography. Flow morphology and its formation mechanism were obtained and discussed for thin-walled casting. The influences of magnetic field density on the filling ability, filling velocity and mold filling time have been studied. The differences in filling capability between gravity casting and casting under the traveling magnetic field have been compared. The results indicate that the mold filling ability of the gallium melt increases greatly under the condition of traveling magnetic field; the filling time is shortened from 18 s under gravity field to 3 s under the traveling magnetic field and average flow rate of the melt increases from 1.6 to 8.68 cm3/s; the change law of the cross-section morphology of the gallium melt during the mold filling is that at first, the cross-section area does not change, then it decreases gradually. When the front of the melt reaches the end of the mold cavity, the front melt will backfill the mold; the wider the width of mold cavity, the better the mold filling ability. The mold filling ability of gallium melt in mold with upper magnetic conductor is better than that without upper magnetic conductor.

Optimizing the Qusai-static Folding and Deploying of Thin-Walled Tube Flexure Hinges with Double Slots

The thin-walled tube flexure（TWTF） hinges have important potential application value in the deployment mechanisms of satellite and solar array, but the optimal design of the TWTF hinges haven＇t been completely solved, which restricts their applications. An optimal design method for the qusai-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots is presented based on the response surface theory. Firstly, the full factorial method is employed to design of the experiments. Then, the finite element models of the TWTF hinges with double slots are constructed to simulate the qusai-static folding and deploying non-linear analysis. What＇s more, the mathematical model of the TWTF flexure hinge quasi-static folding and deploying properties are derived by the response surface method. Considering of small mass and high stability, the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying as well as the lightless are set as the objectives to get the optimal performances. The relative errors of the objectives between the optimal design results and the FE analysis results are less than 7%, which demonstrates the precision of the surrogate models. Lastly, the parameter study shows that both the slots length and the slots width both have significant effects to the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots. However, the maximum Mises stress of quasi-static folding is more sensitive to the slots length than the slots width. The proposed research can be applied to optimize other thin-walled flexure hinges under quasi-static folding and deploying, which is of great importance to design of flexure hinges with high stability and low stress.

Deformation Calculation of Cross-section Based on Virtual Force in Thin-walled Tube Bending Process

Cross-section deformation is one of important factors affecting the quality of tube formation, and the tube＇s capability of transporting liquid and gas will be reduced because of the cross-section ellipse deformation due to the effect of shear load in plastic bending process. When the tube is bent, the extrados-wall bears the tension stress and the intrados-wall bears the compression stress, synchronously the cross-section is affected by the circumferential stress. According to the above, the distribution function and curve of tangential stress can be obtained according to force balance differential equations on circumferential direction and Trasca rule. Subsequently the real state and virtual state moment equations were established, a new method was presented adopting the virtual principle of deformation system to calculate the x-axis and y-axis displacement of arbitrary point on cross-section. So the major and minor axes of deformed cross-section can be calculated according to the displacements of each point, and the variety value of major and minor axes will be obtained further. Finally the theoretical calculating result is compared with NC tube rotary-bending experiment results to verify the rationality of theoretical analysis, and the cross-section deformation rule of thin-walled tube can be received.

Modeling and Free Vibration Behavior of Rotating Composite Thin-walled Closed-section Beams with SMA Fibers

Smart structure with active materials embedded in a rotating composite thin-walled beam is a class of typical structure which is using in study of vibration control of helicopter blades and wind turbine blades. The dynamic behavior investigation of these structures has significance in theory and practice. However, so far dynamic study on the above-mentioned structures is limited only the rotating composite beams with piezoelectric actuation. The free vibration of the rotating composite thin-walled beams with shape memory alloy（SMA） fiber actuation is studied. SMA fiber actuators are embedded into the walls of the composite beam. The equations of motion are derived based on Hamilton＇s principle and the asymptotically correct constitutive relation of single-cell cross-section accounting for SMA fiber actuation. The partial differential equations of motion are reduced to the ordinary differential equations of motion by using the Galerkin＇s method. The formulation for free vibration analysis includes anisotropy, pitch and precone angle, centrifugal force and SMA actuation effect. Numerical results of natural frequency are obtained for two configuration composite beams. It is shown that natural frequencies of the composite thin-walled beam decrease as SMA fiber volume and initial strain increase and the decrease in natural frequency becomes more significant as SMA fiber volume increases. The actuation performance of SMA fibers is found to be closely related to the rotational speeds and ply-angle. In addition, the effect of the pitch angle appears to be more significant for the lower-bending mode ones. Finally, in all cases, the precone angle appears to have marginal effect on free vibration frequencies. The developed model can be capable of describing natural vibration behaviors of rotating composite thin-walled beam with active SMA fiber actuation. The present work extends the previous analysis done for modeling passive rotating composite thin-walled beam.

Study on buffering performance of thin-walled metal tube with different angles

High frequency shock load is often generated during pyrotechnic device working, which is detrimental to spacecraft structures and electric devices. Therefore, it is valuable to reduce the shock load in pyrotechnic device design. Actually, there are several ways to decrease pyroshock loads, such as reduction of powder,installation of buffering structure, insulation of damageable devices, and so on. Considered assuring the function of pyrotechnic device and minimum of structure modification, shock absorbing structure is more propitious to be introduced in pyrotechnic device. In this paper, based on the method of thinwalled metal tube diameter-expanding, a thin-walled tube shock buffering structure was designed on a separate bolt. Built on the simplified structure of a separate bolt, the model of cone piston impacting thin-walled tube absorber was established, and the thin-walled tube shock absorbing characteristics and the relation between cone angles and absorber performance were analyzed. The results showed that the change of buffering force of thin-walled tube could be divided into four phases, and each phase was correspondent to the cone piston structure. In addition, as the cone angle increases, the max shock acceleration changes in the style of decrease-increase-decrease-increase, which is the result of coupled effects of cone piston max enter depth, buffering force and energy loss. In short, these results could establish the relationships between thin-walled tube absorbing performance and its structure, which is of significance to develop low-shock pyrotechnic device.

A Numerical-analytic Method for Quickly Predicting Springback of Numerical Control Bending of Thin-walled Tube

Springback is one of important factors influencing the forming quality of numerical control （NC） bending of thin-walled tube. In this paper, a numerical-analytic method for springback angle prediction of the process was put forward. The method is based on springback angle model derived using analytic method and simulation results from three-dimensional （3D） rigid-plastic finite element method （FEM）. The method is validated through comparison with experimental results. The features of the method are as follows： （1） The method is high in efficiency because it combines advantages of rigid-plastic FEM and analytic method. （2） The method is satisfactory in accuracy, since the field variables used in the model is resulting from 3D rigid-plastic FEM solution, and the effects both of axial force and strain neutral axis shift have been included. （3） Research on multi-factor effects can be carried out using the method due to its advantage inheriting from rigid-plastic FEM. The method described here is also of general significance to other bending processes.

Combined stress waves with phase transition in thin-walled tubes

The incremental constitutive relation and governing equations with combined stresses for phase transition wave propagation in a thin-walled tube are established based on the phase transition criterion considering both the hydrostatic pressure and the deviatoric stress. It is found that the centers of the initial and subsequent phase transition ellipses are shifted along the sigma-axis in the sigma tau-plane due to the tension-compression asymmetry induced by the hydrostatic pressure. The wave solution offers the 'fast' and 'slow' phase transition waves under combined longitudinal and torsional stresses in the phase transition region. The results show some new stress paths and wave structures in a thin-walled tube with phase transition, differing from those of conventional elastic-plastic materials.

Filling mode and regularity of vertical centrifugal casting process of titanium alloy in thin-walled cylinder cavity

The mold filling process of titanium alloy in a thin-walled cylinder cavity under vertical centrifugal casting process was studied by means of the hydraulic simulation experiments. Results show that the filling mode of the melt in the cylinder cavity varies with casting wall-thickness. When the casting wall-thickness is less than or equal to the thickness of the first layer during the filling process, the melts fill the cavity from the bottom to the top.When the casting wall-thickness is greater than the thickness of the first layer during the filling process, the melts first fill the largest radius parts of the cavity with a certain thickness of the first layer from the bottom to the top of the cavity, and then they fill the cavity from the larger radius part to the smaller radius part. The melt filling ability increases with the increment of the mold rotational speed and the pouring temperature. In another aspect, the melt filling ability rises with the decrement of the melt viscosity, and the melt with the better filling ability is prone to fill the cylinder cavity layer by layer.

Microstructures and Properties of 550 MPa Grade High Strength Thin-walled H-beam Steel

The microstructures and mechanical properties of 550 MPa grade lightweight high strength thin-walled H-beam steel were experimentally studied. The experimental results show that the microstructure of the air-cooled H-beam steel sample is consisted of ferrite, pearlite and a small amount of granular bainites as well as fine and dispersive V（C,N） precipitates. The microstructure of the water-cooled steel sample is consisted of ferrite and bainite as well as a small amount of fine pearlites. The microstructure of the water-cooled sample is finer than that of the air-cooled sample with the average intercept size of the surface grains reaching to 3.5 gna. The finish rolling temperature of the thin-walled high strength H-beam steel is in the range of 750 ~C-850 ~C. The lower the finish rolling temperature and the faster the cooling rate, the finer the ferrite grains, the volume fraction of bainite is increased through water cooling process. Grain refinement strengthening and precipitation strengthening are used as major strengthening means to develop 550 MPa grade lightweight high strength thin- walled H-beam steel. Vanadium partially soluted in the matrix and contributes to the solution strengthening. The 550 MPa grade high-strength thin-walled H-beam steel could be developed by direct air cooling after hot rolling to fully meet the requirements of the target properties.

Strength differential effect and influence of strength criterion on burst pressure of thin-walled pipelines

In the framework of the finite deformation theory, the plastic collapse analysis of thin-walled pipes subjected to the internal pressure is conducted on the basis of the unified strength criterion （USC）. An analytical solution of the burst pressure for pipes with capped ends is derived, which includes the strength differential effect and takes the influence of strength criterion on the burst pressure into account. In addition, a USC- based analytical solution of the burst pressure for end-opened pipes under the internal pressure is obtained. By discussion, it is found that for the end-capped pipes, the influence of different yield criteria and the strength differential effect on the burst pressure are significant, while for the end-opened pipes, the burst pressure is independent of the specific form of the strength criterion and strength difference in tension and compression.

Topological Optimization Method for Aeronautical Thin-Walled Component Fixture Locating Layout

Fixture locating layout has a direct and influential impact on aeronautical thin-walled component(ATWC)manufacturing quality.The purpose is to develop a topological optimization method for ATWC fixture locating layout to minimize the manufacturing deformation.Firstly,a topological optimization model that takes the stiffness of ATWC as the objective function and the volume of the locating structure as the constraint is established.Secondly,ATWC and the locating structure are regarded as an integrated entity,and the variable-density method based topological optimization approach is adopted for the optimization of the locating structure using ABAQUS topology optimization module(ATOM).Thirdly,through a subsequent model reconstruction referring to the obtained topological structure,the optimal fixture locating layout is achieved.Finally,a case study is conducted to verify the proposed method and the comparison results with firefly algorithm(FA)coupled with finite element analysis(FEA)indicate that the number and positions of the locators for ATWC can be optimized simultaneously and successfully by the proposed topological optimization model.