Title: A Novel Fea Approach to Design and Optimize Composite Lattice Reinforcements and Simulate the Mechanical Properties of Composite Lattice Reinforced Plastics

Authors: Meghana Kamble, Christopher Oberste

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/c.22.0080

Abstract: Recent advances in thermoplastic composite manufacturing have resulted in the development of hybrid overmolded composite structures, combining continuous fiber composites with injection or compression molded compounds; however, standard FEA techniques developed for isotropic materials and ply-based composites do not accurately capture the physical properties and material behavior of these hybrid materials. This problem is particularly true for composite lattice structures formed from woven, consolidated unidirectional tapes, as these materials are capable of varying tape type and spacing of tapes within a given layer of the material. This paper will provide an overview of a novel structural FEA workflow, applicable to a range of hybrid overmolded composite structures, as demonstrated through a composite lattice case study. The workflow predicts the overall performance of a plastic part with respect to changing the tape materials, tape spacing, and layer count of the composite lattice. Homogenization of representative volume elements, comprising a subunit of tapes in the composite lattice and surrounding plastic permits rapid iteration through a range of lattice patterns to solve for a stiffness optimization target. Once a suitable design is identified, submodeling techniques evaluate the relative stress distribution between the lattice and molded plastic material within the part. Additional design constraints, such as weight and cost, can be included in the optimization workflow. FEA predictions using this methodology show good correlation with experimental results collected from lattice reinforced overmolded plastic panels. The attendees will gain familiarity with a new FEA workflow that can be applied to a range of hybrid overmolded composite structures.

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Conference: CAMX 2022

Publication Date: 2022/10/17

SKU: TP22-0000000080

Pages: 20

Price: $40.00