Process Simulation & Optimization for Thin-Ply Composites

The proposed innovation is a process simulation tool for thin ply composites. This simulation tool will represent major process attributes and allow users to make low risk, high quality parts. Furthermore, this tool will help to guide selection of tooling materials and processing conditions to avoid unwanted distortion, which is an issue that plagues thin ply composite parts. Phase II will focus on expanding the developed Process Induced Distortion (PID) simulation workflow, configuration and setup tool, and material characterizations to additional thermoset composite part amp; tooling designs and new thermoplastics composite based part configurations using Continuous Compression Modeling (CCM) processing based on Convergentrsquo;s COMPRO framework.Using COMPRO with ABAQUS or ANSYS, the setup tool, methodology, workflow, and necessary characterizations (material, process conditions, and boundary conditions) the approach will be capable of capturing the manufacturing process-induced deformations in thin-ply composite structures. The proposed improvements will result in a better understanding of the contribution of material selection, material property evolution, tooling material properties, tool part interaction, and process conditions to the internal stress evolution and final part distortion. Thermoplastic-specific properties like crystallization morphology will be characterized over the process range of interest to quantify their impact on part distortion related to the CCM process. This understanding will be used to guide material, tool, and process changes to reduce variation and meet final part geometric requirements. This methodology and associated material characterizations, once validated, can be applied to similar structures and materials, both existing and future, considered by government and industry reducing development time (both in design and manufacturing test trials) where trade-off between geometry, performance, cycle time and costs are considered.