Nonlinear fabric mechanics including material nonlinearity, contact, and an adaptive global solution algorithm

A nonlinear finite element formulation is presented for three dimensional quasi-static drape and manipulation analysis of fabric parts. Nonlinear shell theory based on a stress resultant geometrically exact formulation is used to model the fabrics. A nonlinear global solution algorithm has been modified to be able to analyze buckling behavior efficiently. A contact algorithm has also been adopted in this research to be able to simulate the fabric manipulation in various manufacturing processes. Study of different material response models (linear and nonlinear) has been initiated and compared with experimental results. Numerical simulations indicate good agreement with experimental results.