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 thermoforming 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.