Preliminary design of an injection-molded recycled-carbon fiber–reinforced plastic/metal hybrid automotive structure via combined optimization techniques

The design of a recycled-carbon fiber–reinforced plastic / metal hybrid (PMH) engine cradle is realized via combined optimization techniques. Topology optimization (TO) and free-size optimization (FSO) techniques are exploited in the design process to find the optimal rib configuration and location...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Structural and multidisciplinary optimization 2021-10, Vol.64 (4), p.2773-2788
Main Authors: Fonseca, João Henrique, Quagliato, Luca, Yun, Seungjong, Han, Dosuck, Kim, Naksoo, Lee, Hyungyil
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon fiber reinforced plastics
Carbon fibers
Computational Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
Design for recycling
Design optimization
Engineering
Engineering Design
Fiber orientation
Industrial Application Paper
Injection molding
Inserts
Optimization techniques
Preliminary designs
Robust design
Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Topology optimization
Weight reduction
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Summary:The design of a recycled-carbon fiber–reinforced plastic / metal hybrid (PMH) engine cradle is realized via combined optimization techniques. Topology optimization (TO) and free-size optimization (FSO) techniques are exploited in the design process to find the optimal rib configuration and location of metal inserts. To analyze the obtained design in terms of functionality, a material exchange technique that accounts for fiber orientation elementwise is employed. The robust design procedure is shown to be effective in developing PMH parts while considering injection molding (IM) restrictions from the early design stages. The PMH model provides a good balance between functionality and IM suitability, with a 36% weight reduction from the steel baseline model. The results contribute to the efficient multimaterial design of PMH components in the auto industry, creating light and strong structures produced by fast manufacturing processes and low-cost carbon fibers.
ISSN:1615-147X
1615-1488
DOI:10.1007/s00158-021-02988-y