M.TEC as a service provider simulates the production process for overmolding organic sheets or composites (hybrid technology). All process steps in the production of organic sheets with injected functional elements are simulated precisely.
Organic sheets – definition, properties
Organic sheets are fiber materials embedded in thermoplastics. Due to the high stiffness and strength of the hybrid material, combined with lower density, organic sheets are particularly suitable for lightweight construction.
Due to the thermoplastic resin matrix, the semi-finished products can be hot-formed and can therefore be overmolded, which has the following advantages:
- Integration of functions
- Reduction of process times
- No reworking
Further advantages of organic sheets:
- High strength and stiffness
- Weight reduction
- Process reliability
- Reproducible
Organic sheets are therefore used primarily in automotive engineering. However, the potential of organic sheets is increasingly being felt in other sectors: rail transport, the sports and leisure industry, agricultural machinery and renewable energies.
Organic sheet processing - process sequence
- Heating of the organic sheet
- Forming the organic sheet in the cooled tool
- Result: Component without functional elements
Simulation Technology
- Drape simulation (all process steps of organic sheet forming can be simulated)
- Problem: a simulation of overmolding cannot be reproduced
Organic sheet overmolding - process simulation
- Influence of the forming parameters
- Determination of the risk of wrinkling during the forming process
- Consideration of the anisotropic material behavior during component design (fiber orientation)
- Stress distribution, strain distribution
- Thickness distribution
- Residual stress and component distortion
Interface DrapMold - M.TEC proprietary development
M.TEC has developed a software interface for the rheological simulation of the organic sheet overmolding process in order to map the complete manufacturing process. The results of the drape simulation (forming of the organic sheet) with the parameters for temperature distribution, wall thicknesses and residual cavities are transferred to the injection molding simulation (injection of the functional elements) and taken into account accordingly.