An improved mathematical programming method for wrinkling prediction of cloths

Purpose An improved mathematical programming method for numerical simulation of cloth wrinkling is investigated. Design/methodology/approach Cloth is modeled as the network of bars (called bar network) or membrane elements with a special nonlinear mechanical constitutive law in the finite element analysis. Findings Compared with conventional numerical methods, the proposed method does not depend on stress iteration, but on the base exchanges in the solution of a standard quadratic programming problem. Thus, the new method presents very good convergence behavior and accurate predictions of wrinkling patterns and stress distributions of cloths. Numerical results demonstrate the validity and the efficiency of the proposed method. Originality/value From the engineering point of view, accurate numerical methods are required in wrinkling analysis of cloth deformation. The algorithm developed here also can be applied into fields such as large deformation under wind load and dynamic behaviors of cloths.