In contrast to conventional deep-drawing and sheet-metal structures CFRP structures exhibit more flexibility in forming double curved geometries. The reason therefor lays in the higher shear flexibility of the fabrics. The latter may yields to a significant distortion of the fabric affecting the mechanical behavior of the structure. Hence, a good prediction of the fiber orientation after forcing the plane fabric (2D) in its spatial shape (3D) (so-called draping) serves the basis for a more realistic structural analysis after curing.
Within this project the methods for cutting pattern generation developed at the Chair for Structural Analysis are extended for describing the draping process. The key idea is the minimization of the occurring stresses arising due to the non-developable characteristic of the double curved geometries. Besides the geometry of the plane fabric (cutting pattern) this method provides the orientation of the fabric resulting after the draping process. Two major problems are in the focus of investigation:

• objective homogeneous constitutive models for fabrics
• flattening strategies

If you have any questions or suggestions please contact:

• Armin Widhammer