Cevotec presents trapezoid shaped patches for Patch Artist

With their CAD-CAM software Artist Studio, they support the whole virtual product development. The module Patch Artist facilitates engineers to create an optimized FPP laminate. Patches are automatically created and distributed along defined curves which cover the whole surface of the component.

The dome areas of pressure vessels are characterized by curves with small radii which can make it difficult to achieve a homogeneous wall thickness with Fiber Patch Placement. Typical, FPP-specific rectangular patches cause overlaps at the inner side and gaps at the outer side of the curve due to their shape. The result is a not completely uniform thickness distribution. This characteristic is usually not attributed with a significant change in mechanical properties, but it can still be unacceptable for some application scenarios.

Their software team is currently integrating trapezoid-shaped patches into Patch Artist. With this new function, a more even distribution of patches along tight curves is possible. Due to their shape and the option to freely choose the angle, overlaps and gaps are reduced, resulting in an even thickness throughout the laminate.

The software uses a dedicated algorithm to distribute the trapezoid patches evenly on the curve. Previously, they’ve already added support for closed curves which allows to calculate the optimal overlaps and gaps between the patches by shifting the patches along the curve. Combining the new trapezoid-shaped patch feature with the support for closed curves enables an even distribution of the patches which results in an optimized FPP laminate for your application.

The trapezoid patch feature is still in beta-mode and will be fully integrated in Artist Studio in the course of this year.