Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method of generating a three-dimensional structure for a thermal management component. The computer-implemented method of generating a three-dimensional structure for a thermal management component comprises selecting, by a processor, at least one three-dimensional element from a plurality of three-dimensional elements. The computer-implemented method of generating a three-dimensional structure for a thermal management component also comprises determining, by the processor, a surface area necessary to dissipate heat from a first fluid according to a desired temperature difference and a desired heat transfer coefficient.

Abstract: A method of generating a recursively mapped infill geometry for an additively manufacturable part. The method includes receiving a base unit cell mesh including a plurality of base quadrilateral elements. In each of a plurality of iterations, the method further includes receiving a target unit cell mesh including target quadrilateral elements. In each iteration, the method further includes generating a target hexahedral unit cell mesh including target hexahedral elements by extruding the target quadrilateral elements. In each of the iterations, the method further includes generating a recursive supercell mesh by mapping each of the base quadrilateral elements onto a target hexahedral element. If the current iteration is not a final iteration, the method further includes setting the recursive supercell mesh as the base unit cell mesh used in a subsequent iteration. The method further includes outputting a recursively mapped unit cell mesh including a final recursive supercell mesh.

Abstract: A method of generating a panel infill geometry of a sandwich panel is provided. The method includes providing a mid-surface computer-aided design (CAD) geometry and generating a first driver mesh of the mid-surface CAD geometry. The method further includes generating a density field using a topology optimization algorithm, and further includes computing a second driver mesh based on the density field. The second driver mesh includes quadrilateral elements that have element sizes computed based on the density field. The method further includes providing a reference unit cell mesh that includes a unit infill mesh and a pair of unit face sheet meshes, and further includes mapping copies of the reference unit cell mesh onto hexahedral elements associated with the quadrilateral elements to form a sandwich panel mesh interconnecting a pair of face sheet meshes. The method further includes outputting the sandwich panel mesh including the infill and face sheet meshes.

Abstract: A modified differential evolution process including a reseed operation is performed to estimate a plurality of Euler angles indicating orientations of a specified quantity of crystals approximating the crystallographic texture extracted from the material test data, the reseed operation comprising retaining a data point at a first place of a first population of data points, and replacing all other data points of the first population of data points prior to continued iterations, wherein the first population of data points is a collection of a plurality of all data points and each data point comprises the specified quantity of Euler angles, and the data point at the first place of the first population of data points is the data point within the first population of data points that best fits the material test data.

Abstract: A method of assessing the ability to remove powder from an additively manufacturable article includes performing the following for each of a plurality of discrete starting points distributed within a sampling volume: calculating the starting point directional trajectory lengths of a plurality of trajectories of a particle starting from the starting point and moving in an initial direction respectively along a plurality of combinations of a polar angle ? and an azimuthal angle ? of a spherical coordinate system about the starting point, and calculating an average of the starting point directional trajectory lengths to give a starting point average trajectory length for the starting point. The method also includes calculating an average of the starting point average trajectory lengths respectively of the plurality of starting points to give a global average trajectory length for the article.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating an addendum surface for use in forming a sheet metal part by using an Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) manufacturing process, wherein the method includes: providing a Computer Aided Design (CAD) geometry of the sheet metal part to be formed; and generating an addendum surface that surrounds and extends the CAD geometry; wherein the addendum surface has a constant slope everywhere and has no regions of self-intersection. The addendum surface can be used to manufacture a male and/or a female underform tool for use in the ISF process, such as Two-Point Incremental Forming (TPIF). The addendum surface has a user-specified constant design wall angle, ?c, which can be selected to prevent tearing of sheet metal parts during ISF due to excessive thinning at large wall angles (i.e., wall angles greater than 60°).

Abstract: A method of generating a panel infill geometry of a sandwich panel includes providing a driver mesh comprised of quadrilateral elements. The method additionally includes providing a reference unit cell mesh having a unit cell geometry configured to fit exactly within a unit cube. The unit cell geometry comprises a hollow center portion, centered on a cube center, and closed except for 8 openings respectively located proximate 8 corners of the unit cube. The method further includes mapping the reference unit cell meshes respectively onto a plurality of hexahedral elements respectively associated with the plurality of quadrilateral elements, through the use of basis functions defined on each of the plurality of quadrilateral elements in a manner causing adjustment of the size and shape of the plurality of reference unit cell meshes to conform respectively to the plurality of hexahedral elements.

Abstract: A method of generating a panel infill geometry of a sandwich panel, includes providing a driver mesh representing a panel mid-surface of a sandwich panel. The driver mesh is comprised of a plurality of quadrilateral elements. The method further includes providing a reference unit cell mesh configured to fit exactly within a cube. The reference unit cell mesh is comprised of a unit infill mesh interconnecting a pair of unit face sheet meshes. The method additionally includes mapping a plurality of the reference unit cell meshes respectively onto a plurality of hexahedral elements respectively associated with the plurality of quadrilateral elements, through the use of basis functions defined on each of the plurality of quadrilateral elements in a manner causing adjustment of the size and shape of the plurality of reference unit cell meshes to conform respectively to the plurality of hexahedral elements.

Abstract: A method of generating an infill geometry of a body, comprises providing a driver mesh comprised of tetrahedral elements, and providing a reference unit cell mesh configured to fit exactly within a regular tetrahedron having triangular faces. The reference unit cell mesh is symmetric with respect to the arrangement of cell mesh nodes on the triangular faces. The method includes mapping the reference unit cell meshes respectively into the tetrahedral elements of the driver mesh, through the use of basis functions defined on each of the tetrahedral elements in a manner causing adjustment of the reference unit cell meshes to conform respectively to the tetrahedral elements, and resulting in an infill geometry comprised of mapped unit cell meshes. The method additionally includes stitching together the mapped unit cell meshes to result in a stitched mesh, and optionally smoothing the stitched mesh through one or more mesh smoothing operations.

Abstract: A method for forming a blank of sheet material includes a step of forming a target shape from the blank. The target shape includes a plurality of component structures connected via a common addendum. Each one of the plurality of component structures has a component-shape and a component-boundary. The common addendum extends between the component-boundary of each one of plurality of component structures and connects the component-boundary of each one of the plurality of component structures with a perimeter of the blank. The method minimizes a projected area of the common addendum via adjustment of a position and/or orientation of each of the component structures, thereby reducing a total amount of sheet material required to form the component structures.

Abstract: A multi-stage incremental sheet forming system includes a forming tool, and at least one control unit in communication with the forming tool. The at least one control unit is configured to determine a convex hull of a target structure to be formed by the forming tool. The at least one control unit is further configured to operate the forming tool according to a first tool path in relation to an initial structure to form an intermediate structure having a shape based on the convex hull of the target structure. The at least one control unit is further configured to operate the forming tool according to a second tool path in relation to the intermediate structure to form one or more inward features into the intermediate structure to form the target structure.

Abstract: A system and method for forming a structure with steep walls (walls having an angle greater than 60° with respect to a level plane) through one or more incremental sheet forming operations is provided. The method includes a workpiece with an inner region and an outer region that are separated by a boundary region. The boundary region includes a plurality of openings and a plurality of connecting elements. The openings are cut into the workpiece using a boundary region cutting tool. A forming tool is configured to operate on the inner region after the boundary region cutting operation has been completed. At least one control unit is in communication with the forming tool. The at least one control unit operates the forming tool to form the structure from the inner region.

Abstract: A multi-stage incremental sheet forming system includes a forming tool, and at least one control unit in communication with the forming tool. The at least one control unit is configured to determine a convex hull of a target structure to be formed by the forming tool. The at least one control unit is further configured to operate the forming tool according to a first tool path in relation to an initial structure to form an intermediate structure having a shape based on the convex hull of the target structure. The at least one control unit is further configured to operate the forming tool according to a second tool path in relation to the intermediate structure to form one or more inward features into the intermediate structure to form the target structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring athletic performance data for a plurality of users and motivating increased athletic activity among users by providing challenges and suggestion for improving athletic performance. User athletic performance data and other information may be synchronized with an athletic monitoring service provider to associate various parameters of athletic performance with selected athletic activities in furtherance of determining and matching users with other challenge participants.

Abstract: There is provided a computer implemented method for generating slope synchronized tool paths for incremental sheet forming (ISF) of a contoured part. The method includes performing a slope synchronized tool path application execution with a computer and a slope synchronized tool path application. The slope synchronized tool path application execution includes defining equally spaced apart Z values, along a Z-axis, that intersect a surface of the contoured part; determining, for the Z values, a slope factor, to define an array of Z values and corresponding slope factor values; and setting a current Z coordinate, and iteratively, calculating a stepdown; decrementing a current Z coordinate by the calculated stepdown; and determining an intersection of the surface with a horizontal plane at the current Z coordinate, to produce a contour tool path loop. The method includes sending an output file to a numerically controlled ISF machine, to incrementally form the contoured part.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring athletic performance data for a plurality of users and motivating increased athletic activity among users by providing challenges and suggestion for improving athletic performance. User athletic performance data and other information may be associated with user communications using one or more identifiers and displayed to the user via an interface, including user leaderboards and other interface displays.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring athletic performance data for a plurality of users and motivating increased athletic activity among users by providing challenges and suggestion for improving athletic performance. User athletic performance data and other information may be synchronized with an athletic monitoring service provider to associate various parameters of athletic performance with selected athletic activities in furtherance of determining and matching users with other challenge participants.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems of orienting parts for incremental sheet forming and, in some examples, forming the parts in these orientations. A forming orientation may be identified by simulating forming operations of the same part in multiple different orientations and identifying the thinnest portions of the part for each of the orientations. The orientation with the maximum thickness of these identified portions is selected as a forming orientation. The forming simulation may be based on the Sine law by comparing the actual and projected areas of different surface elements of the shape to be formed. As such, a part formed in the forming orientation will have the greatest minimum thickness among all other possible orientations.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems of orienting parts for incremental sheet forming and, in some examples, forming the parts in these orientations. A forming orientation may be identified by simulating forming operations of the same part in multiple different orientations and identifying the thinnest portions of the part for each of the orientations. The orientation with the maximum thickness of these identified portions is selected as a forming orientation. The forming simulation may be based on the Sine law by comparing the actual and projected areas of different surface elements of the shape to be formed. As such, a part formed in the forming orientation will have the greatest minimum thickness among all other possible orientations.