An Approach to the Optimization of the Sheet Metal Frame Strength

Abstract

With requirements for increased image quality in printers and combined printer-copiers there comes a need for increased structural rigidity. If carried out in hardware, experimental studies of structural rigidity take time and require costly prototypes. Optimization in this area is best performed during the engineering development phase before the shape of the product is finalized. The method applied here optimizes the shapes of the sheet metal parts of a structure through simulation, by replacing the structure itself with a simplified three-dimensional model. To ensure that the results would be useful in product designs, the method was directed toward a comprehensive optimization including cost, product size, and weight. As a result of this study, we were able to propose a method of obtaining results useful in product development quickly, during the engineering development stage.