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[2016] Folded fabrication of composite curved-crease components

In International Conference on Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites in Civil Engineering (pp. 1430-1435)


Curved-crease origami is a subset of origami patterns which induce a curvature into a sheet during folding. This property has led to a number of interesting applications in civil engineering and architecture, however concise geometric parametrisation and precise folded fabrication of such components remains an ongoing challenge.

In this study, the accuracy of an existing simplified geometric parameterisation for curved-crease origami is assessed by manufacture and measurement of curved-crease components. These are constructed with a new method for folding of fibre-reinforced timber (FRPT) sheet materials. A set of eleven prototypes are constructed using a simplified geometric parameterisation based on reflection of cylindrical surfaces about straight-crease origami patterns. This method was previously developed by the second author and provides a concise geometric description of curved-crease origami, but does not account for elastic or plastic bending energy. The 3D scanned prototype geometry is compared with the simplified design geometry, and it is found that the folded fabrication method is able to produce a consistent part and that variation between manufacture and design geometry is acceptable for applications where global form is critical, such as decorative components, but not for those where centreline geometry is critical, such as structural components.




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