Wire frame representation of 3D moulded bra cup and its application to example-based design

Fabric or foam sheet moulding is an important manufacturing technique for the apparel industry, in particular for bra production. It is the most economical and convenient method to seamlessly form a garment part into a specified 3D shape. This paper proposes an example-based method for designing moulded bra cups. In this study, a total of 10 typical moulded bra cup specimens were scanned using the Steinbichler Comet white light scanner. Parameterization based remeshing and registration algorithm was used to characterize the 3D shapes of the convex surface of the scanned bra cups. Using an example-based method, virtual master moulds were constructed based on the 3D surfaces of the investigated bra cups after eliminating the style lines and size differences. Then a new bra cup design can be developed from the master mould, either by drawing the style lines in the virtual environment or using scissors to cut the moulded plastic shot along the desired style lines. Different sizes can also be made by grading the wire frame model in 3D manner. The present method will provide a scientific tool for the product development of new bra cups which was conventionally very time-consuming and ineffective.