This thesis predicts process-induced deformation (PID) occurring during the thermoforming process of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composite based on finite element analysis (FEA). In addition, the effects of key process parameters to ...
This thesis predicts process-induced deformation (PID) occurring during the thermoforming process of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composite based on finite element analysis (FEA). In addition, the effects of key process parameters to spring-in angle are quantitatively evaluated through statistical analysis. Sequential thermoforming simulations consisting of forming, holding, and demolding, are performed in the commercial FEA software, ABAQUS, with user-defined material subroutine (UMAT). The statistical significance of process parameters such as initial mold temperature and holding time is verified through two-way analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA) and Dunnett’s multiple comparison for post hoc test using RStudio.
The primary findings were that 1) the CFRTP composite deformed into a V- shape during forming, 2) residual stress was accumulated due to mechanical constraints in the holding stage, and 3) PID occurred upon demolding, resulting in a spring-in angle of 6.6°. The spring-in angle increased as the initial mold temperature increased and the holding time decreased, and only the initial mold temperature was found to have a statistically significant effect.
This proposed methodology integrates multiple thermoforming simulations within integrated thermo-mechanical simulation framework, significantly improving computational efficiency and enabling rapid and precise prediction of effective material properties. Also, this study can be utilized to optimize process conditions through simulation by accurately predicting the process- induced deformation of CFRTP composite and quantitatively analyzing the effects of key process parameters.