Fluid-structure interaction during sandwich manufacturing

Structural sandwich components made of continuous fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are increasingly demanded by the automotive industry. In the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) manufacturing process, a polymer foam core is embedded between dry fibers. During manufacturing, a liquid polymer resin infiltrates the fibers with high injection pressure, which leads to a deformation of the foam core. We simulate the mold filling with OpenFOAM and the foam core deformation with CalculiX. By coupling OpenFOAM and CalculiX via preCICE, we can now predict foam core deformation and mold filling behavior correctly. This allows us to optimize the manufacturing of high performance lightweight CFRP sandwich components. Learn more

- Julian Seuffert
Lightweight Technology, Institute of Vehicle System Technology (FAST), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany