Volumetrically Controlled Manufacturing (VCM)
Volumetrically Controlled Manufacturing (VCM), developed by Hawthorne & York International, Ltd. (HYI), is a new innovative design and manufacturing process for advanced composite materials. VCM is based on an inverse Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method, which enables Armor Designs to optimize the design of composite materials to meet specific performance requirements.
VCM is an integrated design and manufacturing approach that optimizes parts by varying the mechanical properties of its material. For any given geometry and set of design goals, VCM will create a finite element based model with proper loading conditions, boundary conditions and design constraints. The VCM integrated optimization FEA program iteratively analyzes the model and adjusts material properties until all design parameters are satisfied. The results are translated into inputs for CNC machinery and robotics, which fabricates parts with near optimum material properties throughout its volume.
Seen below is an example of some of the software analysis performed using the VCM method.
