Characterization and computational modeling of electrical wires and wire bundles subject to bending loads

Abstract

A reduced-order finite element (FE) model is introduced for modeling the mechanical behavior of taped electrical wire bundles subject to bending loads, which can be used for digital manufacturing applications. We show that incorporating the plastic behavior of wires in this model is crucial to the accurate prediction of the deformed shape. A customized cantilever bending test is presented to quantify the force-deflection response of single wires and taped wire bundles and evaluate their homogenized elastoplastic properties using an optimization-based algorithm. A high-fidelity 3D FE model is also introduced, which can be used as a substitute for experimental testing. It is shown that after proper characterization of effective material properties, a 1D FE model can accurately predict the deformation response of a taped wire bundle subject to bending loads. Both 1D and 3D FE simulations presented in this work are validated with experimental data.