Through-Process Modelling for Accurate Prediction of Long Term Anisotropic Mechanics in Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics

Fibre reinforced thermoplastic (FRTP) materials offer great potential for, among others, weight and cost reduction in a wide range of applications. In this paper, consequences of fiber orientation-induced anisotropy (due to injection molding process) in the development of FRTP parts as well as predictive engineering techniques for part performance evaluation are discussed. A coupled simulation methodology will be used to predict the processing-microstructure-properties relation in FRTP parts, thereby enabling the ability to include fiber orientation-induced anisotropy, in parallel, long term fatigue data was collected on increasingly complex geometries for the purpose of model validation.