Pattern Welding Explained - Visualizations On Twisting And Pattern Development

[Niels Provos]

Years ago I had planned to make a video to visualize the pattern welding process. It turned out it was too much work and instead I turned it into a blog post with computer animations and concept photos:

 

https://www.provos.org/p/pattern-welding-explained/

 

 

If you find any inaccuracies, please let me know and I will correct them! Otherwise, please, let me know what you think!

[Dick Sexstone]

Niels,

this is computer generated? It looks so real …..I think it is a perfect example of the different patterns that come up with the depth of grind into a twisted piece….The small amount of layers make it easier to parse how the pattern changes than heavy layer count…..the only inaccuracy I see is that the pattern of the bar on the left hand side is the pattern that happens half way into the billet…. All the patterns are correct ….their shown thickness is not correct for the pattern shown…. If it is computer generated it could be fixed easier than in hard wear? 

  

[Niels Provos]

Hi Dick!

 

Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate it. Did you take a look at the videos Shot 1b and Shot 1c?

 

For this particular visualization, and I absolutely did not make that clear, material is removed from both sides of the rod in equal measures. So, the left most strip is what's left over in the middle - after most material has been removed from both sides. I should explain that more clearly in the caption of that image. Thank you!

[Joshua States]

I thought the graphics were great. Very helpful for visualization.

[Dick Sexstone]

Ah ,they were ground from both sides …..that explains it….. I did not look at the videos before I had commented… so I did look at them…..Nice Niels…… I think they explain the visual change that happens at different levels of grinds better than any static picture I have ever seen…..if only i could grind that fast…..LOL

could you separate the videos out and post them on this thread? 

Your  graphics beg the question of how much longer before we humans are going to be needed? A whole different discussion….. 

 

[Niels Provos]

Here you go, Dick! The blog post puts the videos into more context but they look nice on their own, too.

 

 

For your amusement, here is one of my aborted experimental shots when I was still thinking of making a video:

 

 

As for humans being replaced, I wrote a separate blog post on that. Happy to share the link.

 

[Alan Longmire]

1 hour ago, Niels Provos said:

Happy to share the link

 

I'd like to read your perspective on that.  

[Dick Sexstone]

Me too……what Alan said……

 

 

[Brian Dougherty]

Dang.  I'm not the tripping type, but I imagine that watching some of those animations while under the influence of some hallucinogens would be pretty wild. 

 

I love your stuff Niels.

[John Page]

Neat to see this come up again! I remember when you were first playing around with this and kept wondering what happened to the final results! Having this as a visual reference for pattern development vs depth in the twist is so much better and cleaner than anything else I have seen. Thanks so much for sharing (in spite of being a little late to the party)!

[Niels Provos]

Thank you, @John Page- I had hoped to do much more with this but then realized the time investment was too large. I hope this can at least be a starting point for some.