Special Composite Development Process Finds Ideal Lightweight Geometry

Today, simulations are mostly used to validate construction designs, i.e. the geometry is already defined in a certain material, is checked and, if necessary, improved. This goes so far that manufacturers do not use technologies that they cannot simulate - a real obstacle to the establishment of composite materials.

Manufacturing determines properties

The properties of fiber composites depend on numerous variables such as fiber volume content, layer structure, semi-finished product type, fiber draping and the processing parameters and only arise during production. Although there are characteristic values of the starting materials, which are often used like the material data of classic materials, the manufacturer is deprived of the greatest advantage of fiber-reinforced plastics: instead of optimizing the geometry of the prototype at great expense in time and money, one could adapted development processes, the material properties can easily be adapted. "If you follow the conventional, design-based development approach, composites give you a component that is lighter than steel, but not as light as it could be," summarizes Dr. Thomas Burkart,Group leader technical calculation & simulation at ARRK | P + Z Engineering, the problem together.

User meeting lightweight construction

Reduce the mass - we show you how

Fiber composite material

Material model developed for the strength analysis of fabric-reinforced fiber composite materials

As an alternative, the company's experts have designed an approach that is tailored to the peculiarities of composite materials and based on technical calculations. The starting points are the given installation space as well as the development goals and application requirements.

Picture gallery

Picture gallery with 10 pictures

Determine load paths

On this basis, a topology analysis is first carried out to determine the main load paths. "This enables us to assess very early on in the concept phase at which points single or multi-axial loads occur and to coordinate the further planning accordingly," explains Monika Kreutzmann, head of the Center of Competence (CoC) for composites at ARRK | P + Z engineering. "With standard methods, it is very late to determine where which loads occur, which entails additional, expensive development loops."

Content of the article:

• Page 1: Special composite development process finds ideal lightweight geometry
• Page 2: Choose geometry and material
• Page 3: Detailing in several stages

> Next page

Article files and article links

Link: More news on composite materials

Link: Here you will find the complete program of the lightweight construction user meeting

Link: Register here - until April 30th for the early bird price