An approach towards a basic materials characterization for the simulation of process induced deformations

Economic considerations in terms of productivity and the optimal utilization of the properties of composite structures increasingly demand highly integrated structures. The associated rise in geometric complexity in conjunction with consistently high tolerance requirements, especially in the aerospace sector, face both the tool designer and the process engineer with the challenge to design the tool geometry as well as the manufacturing process in a way to achieve a deformation neutral component "first right". Finite element based simulation tools are more and more used to virtually process the part and analyze residual stress and deformation a priori. Detailed modeling of various thermo-chemical and physical phenomena requires correspondent high characterization effort. In the work at hand the results of a small number of characterization tests together with literature data and virtual testing were assembled in a basic material characterization and subsequently used for the simulation of a generic validation structure with the commercial software program Compro. A comparison between simulated and experimentally determined spring-in angle indicated a good applicability of the parameter set under standard processing conditions for the configuration of concern.