Flat pattern generation of thin-walled objects based on a mechanism theory

Abstract

This paper presents an analytical study of automatic flat pattern generation of thin-walled objects. Formulae based on mechanism theory are derived to determine the required number of seams for developing thin-walled objects. Subsequently, the seam locations are determined via the identification of the minimum required seam number at each vertex. An algorithm based on the spanning tree technique has been developed to automatically generate all possible developments. A new unfolding technique based on individual surface transformation has been presented. This technique requires less computational time in the unfolding process than the traditional sequential transformation method.