Optimization of thermomechanical processes for the functional gradation of polymers by means of advanced empirical modeling techniques

Abstract

A framework for the computer-aided planning and optimisation of manufacturing processes for components with functional graded properties AIP Conference Proceedings 1593, 762 (2014); 10.1063/1.4873887The optimization of Blister Disk geometry for mixing performance in co-rotating twin-screw extruder AIP Conference Proceedings 1664, 020006 (2015) Abstract I In this paper, an optimization procedure for complex manufacturing processes is presented. The procedure is based on advanced empirical modeling techniques and will be presented in two parts. The first part comprises the selection and generation of the empirical surrogate models. The process organization and the design of experiments are taken into account. In order to analyze and optimize the processes based on the empirical models, advanced methods and tools are presented in the second part. These tools include visualization methods and a sensitivity and robustness analysis. Moreover, the obtained surrogate models are used for a model-based multi-objective optimization in order to explore the gradation potential of the processes. The procedure is applied to two thermo-mechanical processes for the functional gradation of polymers -a monoxiale stretching of polycarbonate films and a compression moulding process for polypropylene sheets.