Modelling of thermally supported clinching of fibre-reinforced thermoplastics: Approaches on mesoscale considering large deformations and fibre failure

Thermally supported clinching (Hotclinch) is a novel promising process to join dissimilar materials. Here, metal and fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (FRTP) are used within this single step joining process and without the usage of auxiliary parts like screws or rivets. For this purpose, heat is applied to improve the formability of the reinforced thermoplastic. This enables joining of the materials using conventional clinching-tools. Focus of this work is the modelling on mesoscopic scale for the numerical simulation of this process. The FTRP-model takes the material behaviour both of matrix and the fabric reinforced organo-sheet under process temperatures into account. For describing the experimentally observed phenomena such as large deformations, fibre failure and the interactions between matrix and fibres as well as between fibres themselves, the usage of conventional, purely Lagrangian based FEM methods is limited. Therefore, the combination of contact-models with advanced modelling approaches like Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE), Coupled-Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) and Smooth-ParticleHydrodynamics (SPH) for the numerical simulation of the clinching process are employed. The different approaches are compared with regard to simulation feasibility, robustness and results accuracy. It is shown, that the CEL approach represents the most promising approach to describe the clinching process.

Polyamide 12/E-glass Fabric Composite Production with Dip-coating

In this study PA12 was reinforced with E-glass woven fabric by dip-coating. PA12 powder and ethanol suspensions were prepared with ratios at 30, 40 and 50% of powder to obtain different fibre contents. Coated fabrics were laid-up and kept in oven at 60°C to evaporate ethanol. Then it was placed in a compression mould and pressed. Obtained laminates were subjected to tensile, bending and impact tests. Fractured surfaces were observed. It was found that mechanical properties were highest when 40% PA powder used in suspension with dip-coating with additional lamination. Fibre failure and fibre pull-out were observed on fractured surfaces.