Work

Folding pristine paper to an origami structure – materially and geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Cellulose-sheet-based origami packaging structures represent a promising solution for advancing environmental sustainability while meeting the growing demand for high-performance, functional, and personalized packaging. While significant progress has been made in modeling the mechanics and transformations of origami with pre-defined fold lines, as well as in the constitutive modeling of paper, there is limited research capturing the detailed physical transformation process from a pristine sheet to an origami structure. In packaging and converting, pre-treating fold lines is a common practice to define fold location and quality. However, leveraging the full range of manufacturing possibilities for origami requires a fundamental understanding of fold-line formation in non-trivial fold networks, where a pristine sheet is a starting point in folding. This study employs finite element modeling to systematically investigate the formation of Miura-ori-family-based structures in paper-like materials with orthotropic, nonlinear constitutive behavior. The results reveal how tessellation parameters, material properties, and imperfections influence folding mechanics and the pristine formation of fold lines near fold intersection points.

Source: European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids

DOI: 10.1016/j.euromechsol.2025.105674

Authors: Tomi Kankkunen, Jarkko Niiranen

Institutions: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto University

Language: English

Topic: Material Properties and Processing

Subfield: Mechanics of Materials

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,040

Funder: Business Finland