Optimisation and simulation of process and structure
The FoamSimExpert research project aims to simplify key challenges in the structural simulation chain in thermoplastic foam injection moulding.
In thermoplastic foam injection moulding (TFIM), the simulative design of foamed moulded parts is of immense importance and often required by OEMs. Due to the correlation between the morphological and mechanical properties, the simulation of process and foam structure is very complex. As a result, only a few companies are currently able to map this structural simulation chain for foams.
© IKVThe FoamSimExpert project aims to simplify the main challenges of the structural simulation chain. To this end, IKV and the PEG Plastics Engineering Group are working together to analyse and improve the mapping quality of the simulation in addition to the practical investigations. The structural simulation chain investigated in the project begins with a process simulation in Moldflow, followed by material data generation with Digimat and finally a structural simulation. The individual steps of the simulation chain are examined one after the other, sensitivities for the subsequent steps are identified and recommendations for action for developers are derived.
Practical tests for calibration and validation are carried out in the same way as the structural simulation chain. It starts with tests to calibrate the process simulation and a comparison of the sensitivities in the simulation and the practical tests. In the next step, bending and tensile tests are carried out to create material cards in Digimat. In order to achieve a sufficiently high mapping quality in the simulation, components with different morphologies are produced and analysed to determine how many real tests are necessary for the creation of material cards in Digimat. Simulations of bending and tensile tests are carried out and validated to check the mapping quality. Based on these results, the effort and costs for material cards are reduced. Finally, the results are validated on an application-oriented demonstrator. For this purpose, a complex component is manufactured, simulated and tested in a real load case.
Project data and funding
Dieses Gemeinschatsforschungsprojekt ist noch für weitere Teilnehmer offen.