AI powers up “ industrial origami ” design and manufacturing
The Swedish startup renowned for its origami-inspired approach to design and manufacturing , STILFOLD , has joined forces with Linköping University in Sweden to optimise the performance of its sustainable manufacturing technology using artificial intelligence .
They will create an AI model which can predict the optimal sequence of folds which should be used to produce any given shape . They will also work to enhance STILFOLD ’ s existing technology infrastructure to optimise how its robots are programmed to create folds .
Text & images by STILFOLD
The STILFOLD technology , dubbed “ industrial origami ”, involves the use of robotic arms to fold flat sheet metal over curves to form light and sustainable new structures using minimal component parts . The technology is currently being used to build the chassis of a light electric motorcycle called the STILRIDE 1 , the world ’ s first climate-neutral car ( in collaboration with Polestar ), and to develop greener urban mobility infrastructure ( in collaboration with Alstom ). Currently , STILFOLD ’ s proprietary “ STILWARE ” software enables designers to create folding instructions for any given design , before it is folded into shape . Now , STILFOLD will work with partners at Linköping University to optimise and automate elements of the process using AI , making the process more efficient and reliable .
Based on data STILFOLD will train its models on new and existing data from the ( stainless ) steel industry , as well as proprietary STILFOLD data including the outcomes of different folding patterns , as well as how different materials respond to different folding techniques . The team will use a combination of digital twin technology , reinforcement learning techniques and detailed material models embedded in physics-informed neural networks ( PINN ) to deliver their advanced computational tools .
STILFOLD ’ s patented “ industrial origami ” technology involves the use of robots to build complex structures by folding flat sheet metal . This method enables efficient and sustainable manufacturing , leveraging computational design and advanced robotics .
12 Stainless Steel World April 2024 www . stainless-steel-world . net