Bert Rietman

Computing Welding Distortion: Comparison of Different Industrially Applicable Methods

Welding distortion is one of the major concerns of the industrial joining practice. In order to obtain optimal welding parameters many experiments have to be carried out. Numerical simulation enables a virtual examination of the welding distortion without performing expensive experiments. In this contribution some industrially applicable methods of weld modeling are discussed. They enable the fast distortion assessment in the pre-development stage. The application of these methods on a complex automotive part is conducted followed by a comparison of computed distortion with measured values. Furthermore, aspects of integration of weld modeling into the virtual product chain are addressed.

Frictional behavior of carbon fiber tows: a contact mechanics model of tow–tow friction

Composite-forming processes involve mechanical interactions at the ply, tow, and filament level. The deformations that occur during forming processes are governed by friction between the contacting tows on the mesoscopic level and consequently between filaments on the microscopic level. A thorough understanding of the frictional properties at the level of individual filaments is essential to understand and to predict the macroscopic deformations of a textile reinforcement during forming. This work presents a contact mechanics modeling approach to provide a theoretical background of the frictional behavior of dry fibrous tows in contact with each other. The predicted frictional behavior is in qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimentally observed frictional forces of carbon fiber tows in sliding contact. The relative orientation of the contacting tows is of great importance for the developed frictional forces in the contact.

Forming simulation sensitivity study of the double-dome benchmark geometry

Simulations of manufacturing processes are of utmost importance in order to check on process feasibility of composites products already during the design phase. In order to benchmark the different software for (thermo)forming simulations of textiles and composites a benchmark geometry was agreed during previous Esaform conferences. Round 2 results have led to the insight that a stronger definition of the benchmark was needed, see [1]. The geometry, referred to as double-dome, combines doubly curved regions with steep walls and small radii. Therefore it may be considered critical with respect to forming behavior. As testing material a Twintex comingled glass/PP both as plain and twill weave woven fabric were chosen [2]. This paper addresses the simulation of the double-dome with the finite-element software Aniform. Shear angles, draw-in and the possible presence of wrinkles will be taken into account and compared to round 2 results of other participants. Additionally, a numerical sensitivity study of material and process parameters will be presented in order to identify major influences on the forming results. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for further research as well as possible improvements for numerical modeling. [1] Sargent et.al., “Benchmark study of finite element models for simulation the thermostamping of woven-fabric reinforced composites”. Proceedings of the 13th Esaform Conference, Brescia 2010. [2] Cao et.al., “Characterisation of mechanical behaviour of woven fabrics: experimental methods and benchmark results”, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2008.

Stamp forming optimization for formability and crystallinity

The stamp forming process is well suited for high volume production of thermoplastic composite parts. The process can be characterized as highly non-isothermal as it involves local quench-cooling of a molten thermoplastic composite blank where it makes contact with colder tooling. The formability of the thermoplastic composite depends on the viscoelastic material behavior of the matrix material, which is sensitive to temperature and degree of crystallinity. An experimental study was performed to determine the effect of temperature and crystallinity on the storage modulus during cooling for a woven glass fiber polyamide-6 composite material. An increase of two decades in modulus was observed during crystallization. As this will significantly impede the blank formability, the onset of crystallization effectively governs the time available for forming. Besides the experimental work, a numerical model is developed to study the temperature and crystallinity throughout the stamp forming process. A process window can be determined by feeding the model with the experimentally obtained data on crystallization.

Tow Mechanics: A Contact Mechanics Approach of Friction in Fibrous Tows during Forming

Composites forming processes involve mechanical interactions on the ply, tow, and filament level. The deformations that occur during forming processes are governed by friction between tows and tooling material on the mesoscopic level and consequently between filaments within the tows on the microscopic level. A thorough understanding of the frictional properties of individual filaments is essential to understand and to predict the macroscopic deformations of a fabric during forming. This paper provides a global description of the experimental and modelling approaches to explain the contact friction between fibrous tows and metal tooling material, focusing on contact mechanics at the tow and filament scale.