NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF SOME PRESS FORMING PARAMETERS OF 2 FIBER-REINFORCED THERMOPLASTICS - APC2-AS4 AND PEI-CETEX

Continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic sheets (CFRTP) are a promisi ng material for light-weight structural components. Unfortunately, the ir medium to high processing and temperature-dependent properties, and the complex deformations mechanisms that occur within the composite s heet during the forming have all presented problems in the practical p roduction of parts. This has contributed to a reluctance by industry t o accept these materials. This paper shows how numerical simulation ma y be usefully applied in order to obtain a better understanding of the press forming of CFRTP. Detailed investigation using both experimenta l and numerical techniques of the press forming of an CFRTP component are presented. The part under investigation is a 'sikken' (half-cylind er with quarter spheres at both ends). Forming parameters such as the choice of the holding system, the use of a blank holder, the punch vel ocity, the stacking sequence are all investigated. Both UD material (A PC-2AS4) and woven fabrics (PEI-CETEX) are studied. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.