Formation of defects in thermoplastic composite processing
Start/End
January 2017 – January 2021
Contact
University of Twente
Faculty of Engineering Technology
Chair of Production Technology
P.0. Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
the Netherlands
Email: e.t.m.kramer[a]utwente.nl
TPRC
Palatijn 15
7521PN Enschede
P.0. Box 770
7500 AT Enschede
The Netherlands
Email: erik.kramer[a]tprc.nl
Funding
This project is jointly funded by University of Twente and TPRC under the UT Impulse program.
Motivation
Unintentional defects may be introduced to a composite part during its manufacturing stage, even though the part has been made following the design and manufacturers specications. Components with such unintentional defects are generally scrapped, as the influence of the defects on mechanical performance is unknown. More knowledge of the formation and effects of defects could reduce the scrap rate.
Introduction
Scrap rate can be reduced following two possible routes. Firstly, proper understanding of defect formation allows for robust process optimization. This allows for a reduction of the defect possibility, an may even completely remove the defect occurrence. However, completely removing the defect may not always be practically possible. Alternatively, knowledge of the effect of defects on the mechanical performance potentially allows alleviation of the conformance rules. Therefore, with a better understanding of the effects of defects, the reduction of scrap rate may be achieved. This project focuses on formation of defects in processing of continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite parts.
Objective
The goal of this project is to be able to understand and predict the formation of a defect with the aid of a simulation of the manufacturing process.