arXiv subjects

Yingxue Zhao

Publications and source records attributed to Yingxue Zhao.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Mask-Morph Graph U-Net: A Generalisable Mesh-Based Surrogate for Crashworthiness Field Prediction under Large Geometric Variation

Nonlinear finite element crash simulations are accurate but computationally expensive, limiting their use in iterative design optimisation. Machine-learning surrogate models based on graph neural networks (GNNs) offer a faster alternative. Message-passing GNNs are widely used for mesh simulation, and their shared node and edge update functions are relatively generalisable across varying graph structures. By contrast, non-shareable edge-specific aggregation layers can capture nonlinear relationships more accurately but usually require fixed graph connectivity, which limits generalisability. This paper presents Mask-Morph Graph U-Net (MMGUNet), a practical approach to addressing the limitation of hierarchical Graph U-Net architectures that use edge-specific downsampling and upsampling layers. Fixed coarse graph connectivity is required for edge-specific layers. To retain this while improving spatial correspondence, the proposed method morphs the coarsened graph hierarchy to each input mesh using feature-aligned barycentric parameterisation before constructing cross-graph edges. It further applies node masking during supervised pretraining, followed by parameter-efficient fine-tuning in which high-parameter edge-specific layers are frozen. The proposed approach is evaluated in in-distribution, out-of-distribution, and cross-component transfer settings using mean Euclidean distance and maximum intrusion percentage error. Results show that coarse-graph morphing improves test accuracy relative to a fixed-coarse-graph baseline, while masked supervised pretraining reduces the train-test discrepancy and improves data efficiency during transfer. The proposed model also achieves lower prediction error compared with external baselines. These results demonstrate a practical route toward reusable, data-efficient mesh-based surrogate modelling for crashworthiness design exploration.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2026

A graph neural network surrogate model for mesh-based crashworthiness prediction of vehicle panel components

Crashworthiness is a key performance measure in the design of safety-critical vehicle panel components such as B-pillars. Finite element (FE) simulations are widely used to evaluate crash responses but remain computationally expensive for large-scale, nonlinear impact scenarios, particularly when integrated into iterative design and optimisation processes. Although machine learning-based surrogate models have been developed for rapid crashworthiness analysis, they exhibit limitations in detailed representation of complex 3-dimensional components. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have emerged as a promising solution for processing data with complex structures. However, existing GNN models often lack sufficient accuracy and computational efficiency to meet industrial demands. This paper proposes Recurrent Graph U-Net (ReGUNet), a graph-based surrogate model for crashworthiness analysis of vehicle panel components. By representing FE meshes in graph form, the model naturally accommodates complex irregular structural geometries. Its hierarchical architecture improves computational efficiency and accuracy, while the introduction of recurrence enhances stability of temporal predictions over multiple time steps. A side-impact case study of hot-stamped steel B-pillars with varying geometries is used to generate training dataset. The trained model demonstrates high accuracy in predicting the dynamic deformation behaviour and crashworthiness indicators of previously unseen component designs. ReGUNet achieves over a 52% reduction in the average deformation prediction error relative to baseline methods, together with markedly improved computational efficiency. ReGUNet provides rapid and reliable crashworthiness assessments, which in turn accelerates the design cycle of vehicle panel components.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2026

A finite-element-inspired bipartite graph learned simulator for manufacturability assessment in large-deformation sheet forming

Explicit dynamic finite element (FE) simulations are widely used for large deformation engineering analysis, but repeated simulations remain costly during design space exploration and optimisation. In explicit FE analysis, nodal kinematics and element level deformation measures evolve through coupled node element updates. This motivates graph learned simulators that approximate one step FE state transitions and roll them out autoregressively. However, many mesh based graph surrogates are node centred, which makes element level variables and native nodal elemental exchange less direct to represent. This work proposes CAttBiGNN, a cross attention based bipartite graph neural network for coupled nodal elemental learning. The graph represents FE mesh nodes and elements as distinct entities linked by directed node element edges, enabling nodal displacement increments and element level deformation states to be predicted on their native discretisation domains. An edge aware cross attention processor uses geometric edge embeddings to modulate directional node element message passing. For larger graphs, CAttBiUGNN combines the bipartite processor with graph downsampling and upsampling to improve long-range information propagation. The method is evaluated on dome shaped cold forming and corner shaped hot forming benchmarks. Comparisons with node centred baselines and bipartite and attention ablations show improved accuracy and balance in nodal displacement and elemental thinning prediction during autoregressive rollout. The results indicate that the proposed finite element inspired learned simulator can support manufacturability oriented field prediction and efficient design space exploration in large deformation sheet material forming.

cs.CE↗

arXiv2026

StampFormer: A Physics-Guided Material-Geometry-Coupled Multimodal Model for Rapid Prediction of Physical Fields in Sheet Metal Stamping

Traditional sheet metal forming relies on time-consuming and expensive Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for design validation, a process that significantly prolongs design cycles. While surrogate models offer faster iteration, current approaches have limitations: scalar-based methods cannot capture comprehensive field-based FEA results, while existing image-based models often ignore the critical role of material properties by focusing solely on geometry. To address this gap, we develop a physics-guided deep learning framework, namely StampFormer, which simultaneously uses component geometry and material stress-strain responses to predict FEA outcomes. The StampFormer framework uses three core components to process data. A Material-Augmented Geometric Network (MAGN) first fuses geometric and material data. This information is then integrated at various levels by a Hierarchical Material Embedding Injection Unit (HMEIU) before being processed by the primary network backbone, an adapted Swin-UNet. We evaluated our model on the stamping of a crossmember panel with two simulation datasets for steel and aluminium panels, and results demonstrate that StampFormer provides high-fidelity predictions of critical physical fields - including thinning, major strain, minor strain, plastic strain, and displacement - in under a second. Compared with ground truth FEA, our model achieved an average relative error of less than 8.5% on the four 2D fields and a mean squared error of less than 1.2 mm2 for the 3D displacement field. In summary, we introduce a practical and efficient framework that integrates multimodal information, namely geometry and material properties, to provide fast and accurate predictions, enabling designers to perform real-time manufacturability assessments.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2025

Recurrent U-Net-Based Graph Neural Network (RUGNN) for Accurate Deformation Predictions in Sheet Material Forming

In recent years, various artificial intelligence-based surrogate models have been proposed to provide rapid manufacturability predictions of material forming processes. However, traditional AI-based surrogate models, typically built with scalar or image-based neural networks, are limited in their ability to capture complex 3D spatial relationships and to operate in a permutation-invariant manner. To overcome these issues, emerging graph-based surrogate models are developed using graph neural networks. This study developed a new graph neural network surrogate model named Recurrent U Net-based Graph Neural Network (RUGNN). The RUGNN model can achieve accurate predictions of sheet material deformation fields across multiple forming timesteps. The RUGNN model incorporates Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) to model temporal dynamics and a U-Net inspired graph-based downsample/upsample mechanism to handle spatial long-range dependencies. A novel 'node-to-surface' contact representation method was proposed, offering significant improvements in computational efficiency for large-scale contact interactions. The RUGNN model was validated using a cold forming case study and a more complex hot forming case study using aluminium alloys. Results demonstrate that the RUGNN model provides accurate deformation predictions closely matching ground truth FE simulations and outperforming several baseline GNN architectures. Model tuning was also performed to identify suitable hyperparameters, training strategies, and input feature representations. These results demonstrate that RUGNN is a reliable approach to support sheet material forming design by enabling accurate manufacturability predictions.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

A review of graph neural network applications in mechanics-related domains

Mechanics-related problems often present unique challenges in achieving accurate geometric and physical representations, particularly for non-uniform structures. Graph neural networks (GNNs) have emerged as a promising tool to tackle these challenges by adeptly learning from graph data with irregular underlying structures. Consequently, recent years have witnessed a surge in complex mechanics-related applications inspired by the advancements of GNNs. Despite this process, there is a notable absence of a systematic review addressing the recent advancement of GNNs in solving mechanics-related problems. To bridge this gap, this review article aims to provide an in-depth overview of the GNN applications in mechanics-related domains while identifying key challenges and outlining potential future research directions. In this review article, we begin by introducing the fundamental algorithms of GNNs that are widely employed in mechanics-related applications. We provide a concise explanation of their underlying principles to establish a solid understanding that will serve as a basis for exploring the applications of GNNs in mechanics-related domains. The scope of this paper is intended to cover the categorisation of literature into solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and interdisciplinary mechanics-related domains, providing a comprehensive summary of graph representation methodologies, GNN architectures, and further discussions in their respective subdomains. Additionally, open data and source codes relevant to these applications are summarised for the convenience of future researchers. This article promotes an interdisciplinary integration of GNNs and mechanics and provides a guide for researchers interested in applying GNNs to solve complex mechanics-related problems.

cs.LG↗