Research on simulation method of impact resistance of composite wheels made of long glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic introducing anisotropic property

Abstract

The application of composite materials is an important measure to reduce wheel’s weight. To ensure safety, each type of wheel needs to pass a series of stringent tests including a 13-degree impact test before being implemented. In the development of an injection-molded composite wheel made of long glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic, it was found through experiments that the wheel could not meet the standard of 13-degree impact test. To provide a reliable reference for optimizing the wheel’s impact resistance, simulation methods including different material models are explored. First, the fibers are assumed to distribute randomly in the matrix so that the isotropic property is obtained. Next, combined with the simulation model of 13-degree impact test, the dynamic response of composite wheel under impact load is calculated. Then by introducing fiber orientation and distribution from injection process to the wheel, the simulation results including the composite wheel’s anisotropic property are obtained. Lastly, comparing the simulation results with the experimental results, the conclusion is reached that the simulation results including anisotropic property are closer to experimental results as compared to the results including isotropic property. Therefore, the material’s anisotropy needs to be introduced to obtain effective prediction about the wheel’s mechanical property.