Computation and Visualization of Patch Geometries for the Design of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Parts at Early Design Stages

Abstract The market for carbon fibers is forecast to experience a double-digit growth over the next years. The reason for this development can be found in the special characteristics of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) like high stiffness and strength at very low weight which make this composite an ideal material for lightweight design. However, the design of parts made of CFRP is a tightrope walk between costs, mechanical characteristics and manufacturability for product developers. On the one hand, the mechanical properties are highly dependent on the ideal fiber orientation within the part and the unique material characteristics can only be exploited with a suitable fiber orientation, but on the other hand, the ideal fiber orientation is often not manufacturable or the required manufacturing technique is too expensive. Therefore, a novel algorithm to support product developers in finding a manufacturable fiber orientation or patch layout which is as close as possible to the ideal fiber orientation is introduced. This algorithm computes and highlights areas with constant fiber orientation (=cluster) based upon the ideal fiber alignment from the CAIO method. With the help of the visualization of the clusters, product developers can be supported in the decision for the best patch placement and geometry as well as in choosing the best manufacturing technique. It is important to point out that the algorithm is intended for endless fiber reinforced parts only.