An Extended Multi-Actuated Optimized Reconfigurable Freeform Surface (e-MORFS) Mold With Targeted Variability Capacity

Custom manufacturing of freeform surfaces, such as that of sheet metal components for automobiles, or the body panels and the composite parts of aircraft provides major challenges for traditional dedicated manufacturing systems (DMSs) due to the following factors: (1) mass customization, (2) rapid prototyping, (3) time and personnel cost, and (4) system complexity. Typically, flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) and reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) are designed for fixed and high variability in the design parameters resulting in high system complexity. These design methodologies have many opportunities stemming from some limitations including: (1) lacking feature analysis of high variability products, (2) high system complexity, (3) reduced capacity for manufacturing of high curvature surfaces, and/or (4) low repeatability. An extended Multi-actuated Optimized Reconfigurable Freeform Surface (e-MORFS) mold is developed for a targeted application for the mass production of the freeform surfaces, e.g. custom foot orthoses (CFOs). The e-MORFS mold aims at the following goals: (1) to achieve size and shape variability for a complex product with a large population, (2) to reduce system complexity considering product features, and (3) to achieve high curvature surface reconstruction with proper boundary conditions (BCs) to avoid wrinkling and stretching. The e-MORFS mold achieves the maximum error range of 0.3–0.5mm for the whole population with only 6 actuators. This study provides the e-MORFS mold and design algorithm potentially used for targeted application of freeform surface manufacturing, e.g. CFOs. These design methodologies may guide designs of freeform surface manufacturing in applications, e.g. automobile, aerospace, biomechanics, and architecture.