Process simulation of the overmolding of three-dimensional skeleton winding structures to improve the manufacturing process of highly stressed structural components (ProSim-3DSW)

The use of continuous reinforcing fibers in thermoplastic components makes it possible to open new design freedoms in structural components. One way of manufacturing such structural components is to overmould three-dimensionally wound fiber skeletons, which can be optimally adapted to the load case, see Figure 1.

Numerical process simulation enables an improved understanding of processes and forms the basis for virtual process design and the reliable prediction of component properties. The simulation of these process-induced component properties is crucial for an in-depth understanding of the process and its application to more complex components.

The project aims to develop a methodology to numerically model the overmolding and consolidation of wound thermoplastic structures. The project pursues the transient thermomechanical description of the deformation of the winding structure during overmolding and the modeling of the component distortion in the subsequent cooling phase. The simulated thermomechanical history will also be used to develop an empirical model for evaluating the interface strength between the winding structure and the matrix. The validation and evaluation of the simulation methodology will be carried out using components at different levels of complexity.

[1] Beck, B., Haas, J., Eyerer, P., Park, Y.-B., Henning, F., 2024. 3D skeleton winding (3DSW) - Overmolding of wound continuous fiber reinforcements. Presented at the Proceedings of the TIM22 Physics Conference, Timisoara, Romania. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0194766