Project

Introduction: Damage growth (i.e. energy absorption in crash) in composite materials is strongly dependent on the layup, fibre architecture and type of resin, e.g. thermoplastic vs. thermoset. Thus modelling of the crash behaviour of composites is highly influenced by the chosen composite material system, and constitutive models have to some extent to be tailored to the system under consideration. The choice of material system is influenced by cost, required production speed and performance. Selection of manufacturing method and material system is currently largely based on experience and rules of thumb, as rational methods for this selection are largely lacking. The project will build upon the outstanding tradition of the joined composites manufacturing process research at Chalmers and SICOMP in combination with the more recent research projects into composites crash modelling. In particular, the present project will contribute to the development of a rational choice of material system and manufacturing method, optimised for required impact performance and cost in the specific application. Thus, the project will provide guidance for the development of relevant crash models for the chosen materials and manufacturing methods recommended for the application examples in the automotive industry. The proposed project is highly multi-disciplinary and requires knowledge about modelling composites crashworthiness, manufacturing methods, processing and performance of composite materials, as well as industrial costing and optimisation methods. Therefore the project will be linked to the work in a parallel project onto crash and manufacturing process modelling in composite materials at Chalmers and SICOMP.