Open Access

ARTICLE

Development of Large Strain Shell Elements for Woven Fabrics with Application to Clothing Pressure Distribution Problem

by M. Tanaka¹, H. Noguchi¹, M. Fujikawa³, M. Sato³, S. Oi³, K. Furuichi⁵, S. Ishimaru⁵, C. Nonomura⁵

1 Keio University, Yokohama, JPN
2 Toyota Central R & D Laboratories, Inc., Nagakute, JPN
3 Mechanical Design & Analysis Corporation, Chofu, JPN
4 University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, JPN
5 TOYOBO Co., Ltd., Otsu, JPN

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2010, 62(3), 265-290. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2010.062.265

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a proper constitutive model of woven fabrics and its implementation in nonlinear finite shell elements in order to simulate the large deformation behavior of cloth. This work currently focuses on a macroscopic continuum constitutive model that is capable of capturing the realistic mechanical behavior of cloth that is characterized by two families of yarns, i.e., warp and weft. In this study, two strategies are considered. One is a rebar layer model and the other is a polyconvex anisotropic hyperelastic material model. The latter avoids non-physical behavior and can consider the effect of the interaction between the warp and the weft, whereas the former cannot do so. These material models are implemented in a four-node shell element in Abaqus/Standard (S4R type) via the UMAT user-subroutine. These models can be used to predict the outcome of uniaxial tensile tests and compute the contact pressure exerted by clothing on the human body. The resultant pressure distribution can then be used to design a form of cloth that provides more comfortable fitting.

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