Multiscale methods for analyzing tape adhesion in overmolded thermoplastic components
The DFG and NSF-funded project focuses on microcrystallization and diffusion processes. The aim is to develop data-driven simulation models to accurately calculate the bond strength between thermoplastic UD tapes and short fiber-reinforced injection molding material on a macroscopic scale.
© IKVLocal reinforcements in injection-moulded components for mass-market applications with thermoplastic glass or carbon fibre tapes can improve structural performance while also enabling significant savings in compound material. As part of the ongoing research project “Tape Technology Transfer Hub: T3-Hub”, it has already been demonstrated that the use of this technology can achieve practical savings in the double-digit percentage range in terms of component weight, material costs and CO2 emissions. This opens up a new, economically viable and environmentally friendly design approach for injection moulded components. However, investigations at the component level have shown that the stress concentrations that occur resulting from the stiffness gradients between the injection moulding compound and the tape reinforcement induce high stresses on the interface between these materials and can therefore cause premature component failure.
In cooperation with two research groups from Columbia University, New York, and a research group from the University of Wuppertal, the Institute of Plastics Processing, together with General Motors and the Sandia National Laboratory, will be working on the research project “Multiscale data-physical models for the critical role of interfaces in back-injected thermoplastic components” over the next three years. The project, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), is focusing on the investigation of crystallisation and diffusion processes at the micro level for the study of macro-scale data-driven simulation models for calculating the bonding strength of the interface between thermoplastic UD tapes and short-fibre-reinforced injection moulding compounds.
As part of the project, IKV is responsible for the integrative simulation chains and is specialising in innovative measurement and characterisation methods for the spatially resolved bond strength at test specimen and demonstrator level. In this way, the numerical and data-driven simulation methods to be developed are calibrated and made available for integration into multi-scale simulations for component and process optimisation. In future, this will enable the material-specific design of parts and manufacturing processes for tape-reinforced injection moulded components.
Project data and funding
