Composites are materials made from two or more different materials. Dr. Matthias Kabel, team leader of »Lightweight Construction and Insulating Materials« at the Fraunhofer ITWM, explains what makes them so exciting: »Composite materials have different properties than their individual components, which is why it is more difficult to predict their behavior. This applies in particular to components made of fiber and particle-reinforced plastics, as their mechanical behavior depends on the geometry, i.e. the orientation, volume fraction and length of the fibers.«
Material Cards for Composites
As the macroscopic behavior depends on the microstructure of the materials, material maps are first determined by simulation for various geometries. The FeelMath software is used for this. In the component simulation, the mechanical behavior of the actual geometry can then be predicted by interpolation. In Paris, the employees will primarily be showing their work on injection-moulded components made from short and long fiber-reinforced plastics.
Non-destructive Testing of Composite Materials
Non-destructive testing is an essential part of the production process. The earlier testing is carried out in the production process, the greater the benefits: unnecessary material, energy and time expenditure is avoided and costs are saved.
In Paris, the Fraunhofer ITWM is presenting a radar-based testing system that is specially designed for fiber-reinforced plastics. »With our system, we can examine the inner structure of materials and detect defects that are not visible from the outside,« says Dr. Joachim Jonuscheit, deputy head of the department »Material Characterization and Testing« , outlining the advantages of the technology. »Thanks to thterahertz waves used, our system works contactlessly and non-destructively, regardless of whether manual or robot-assisted testing is used.«
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM