Simulation through Finite Element Analysis is a very important technology in understanding and applying composites. The Airborne Technology Centre focusses on two specific topics:

• Damage behaviour of composites. Composites are traditionally designed with the philosophy of 'no damage growth': the strain on the composite is kept low enough so that any damage will not grow.  This is because the damage behaviour of composites is not yet well understood in all details. This typically leads to conservative designs. By better understanding the damage behaviour of composite, more optimised designs can be made.
• Process induced effects. With processing of composites, residual stresses are introduced because of several shrinkage effects: thermal shrinkage from cure temperature to operating temperature, cure shrinkage or crystallisation shrinkage (in thermoplastics). Depending on the process, temperature gradients can occur, over the area of the part or through-thickness. These residual stresses can lead to unwanted deformations of the part. For thick-walled structures, the residual stresses due to processing can lead to cracks or delaminations. Since Airborne is involved in manufacturing of high-precision parts, and in thick-walled structures, it is important to understand these phenomena.

If you are interested in participating in our research programs, or have materials, processes or technologies that can support these topics, you are more than welcome to contact us, via our general contact details or directly via CTO This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it