Linked a Priori and a Posteriori Models of Composite Manufacturing Process Chain

Efficient production process chains are a prerequisite for a novel automated process for the large-volume production of lightweight structures. The authors demonstrated that by combining high-strength steel, continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic (organic sheet) and long fiber reinforced thermoplastic molding compound (LFT), components can be produced efficiently in “3D-Hybrid” technology with high lightweight potential. To reach this goal - by reason of the complexitivity of these technologies - the development of novel simulation methods was required, which formed a link between the previous standalone solutions for process simulations and an interface to the structure simulation. Pure ‘a priori’ simulation models did not meet requirements for accuracy of obtained results. Furthermore, online quality assurance system in component manufacturing was developed, which enabled continuous data measurement of the production parameters in all process steps. Outcomes from experiments and simulations are collected in a database and analyzed with stochastic methods. An effective linked ‘a priori’ and ‘a posteriori’ design of a complex manufacturing process chain was investigated and described in the article.