Evolving neural networks to optimize material usage in blow molded containers

Abstract

In industry, there is a growing interest to optimize the use of raw material in blow molded products. Commonly, the material in blow molded containers is optimized by dividing the container into different sections and minimizing the wall thickness of each section. The definition of discrete sections is limited by the shape of the container and can lead to suboptimal solutions. This study suggests determining the optimal thickness distribution for blow molded containers as a function of geometry. The proposed methodology relies on the use of neural networks and finite element analysis. Neural networks are stochastically evolved considering multiple objectives related to the optimization of material usage, such as cost and quality. Numerical simulations based on finite element analysis are used to evaluate the performance of the container with a thickness profile determined by feeding the coordinates of mesh elements in finite element model into the neural network. The proposed methodology was applied to the design of industrial bottle. The obtained results suggested the validity and usefulness of this methodology by revealing its ability to identify the most critical regions for the application of material.