Manufacturing and crashworthiness of fabric-reinforced thermoplastic composites

In the present paper, the crashworthiness of fabric-reinforced thermoplastic composites is experimentally and numerically investigated under axial impact loading. Main aim of this article is the qualification of large-scale producible structures for energy absorbing applications. For this reason, the considerable steps of thermo-forming as well as relevant process parameters are identified. This includes the development of an appropriate handling system for production on lab-scale. Formed three-dimensional profiles are tested under axial impact loading in a drop tower to initiate a continuous progressive crushing mode. Experimental results are analysed and evaluated regarding specific energy absorption (SEA). Numerical analysis by the explicit finite element code LS-Dyna is based on the orthotropic material model MAT54 and a four-layered shell model to implement crushing failure. Investigations show, that energy absorbing structures made of bidirectional organic sheets are suitable for automotive lightweight design.