Finite element analysis of vacuum forming process

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Rimowa is a leader in manufacturing of high-end polycarbonate and aluminum suitcases. The company uses an innovative manufacturing process that involves vacuum forming of heated polycarbonate sheet on to metallic moulds. Every year, Rimowa loses millions of dollars because of defective vacuum molded parts that have wrinkles and non-uniform thickness at the corners. They are unable to fix the problem because the reasons for these defects are unknown. The reasons could range from non-uniform stretching of the heated polycarbonate sheet to heat transfer between polycarbonate sheet and metallic mould after vacuum forming. The primary objective of this project is to develop a computational model of the vacuum forming process and investigate the reasons for defects in the fabricated parts.