ALUMINUM SAILBOAT HULL DESIGN

3 project phases: 1) Import the 3d scan file (STP file or obj file) of a hull shape 14 inches long ,into Autodesk Inventor and create a shell that is scaled up x14 (28 ft long) and is 3/16 inch thick. 2) Create a new shell that is a polyhedral approximation of the initial shell , with the minimum number of flat surfaces necessary to meet the following criteia: angles between flats limited to no greater than 3 degrees, and each flat surface is within .03 inch from the original shell surface. 3) Create an aluminum hull assembly that consists of multiple panels welded together. Each panel is cut from 3/16 inch thick flat sheets of standard sizes , cut into shaped panels, each panel bent in 2D at multiple locations using a standard press brake. The process for creating the required 3D curvature is accomplished using only 2D bends (similar in theory to the sheetmetal process used to create stovepipe adaptors that transition from round to rectangle) .