Six-ray folded configurations as the geometric basis of thin-walled elements in engineering structures

One type of folded configurations - six-ray folded configuration is introduced in this work. Such structure is formed by a periodically repetitive combination of unit facet, and the whole structure can be expanded to a plane. In six-ray folded configuration, all the junctions, which are formed by the intersection of edges, contain six bending lines - rays. It is different from the regular folded configuration in which only four edges are intersected at the junctions. Six-ray folded configurations can be used as the basic elements in lightweight core of sandwich panels, they can also be used in sound-absorbing and radio scattering designs as well as heat exchanger plates. In this paper, all types of elementary modules (EM) in the six-ray folded configurations are illustrated, and methods of forming a modified six ray folded configuration are presented. Based on the maternal configurations, a great variety of variant configurations can be formed by modifying parameter, structure or both. Furthermore, new configurations can be synthesized by combining six-ray junctions with four-ray junctions. Methods which can be used to form curved shape configurations as well as configurations with polygonous facets in the encircling surfaces are also introduced.