Modeling of the compressed-air flow impact for thermoforming simulations

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Simon Wagner - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Manuel Münsch - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Fabian Kayatz - , Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (Author)
  • Jens Peter Majschak - , Chair of Processing Machines/ Processing Technology, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (Author)
  • Antonio Delgado - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)

Abstract

Thermoforming is a process for the cheap mass-production of thin-walled plastic parts. A sheet of plastic is heated for increased deformability, and then deformed by overpressure into a mold with the end product’s shape. The main drawback is the inhomogeneous wall thickness distribution resulting from the common process. The authors believe that it is possible to improve these inhomogeneities by locally influencing the highly temperature-dependent material strength using directed jets of pressurized air for local cooling. As the high number of potentially influential parameters renders purely experimental parameter studies infeasible, a computational model that couples the flow of the pressurized air with the structural simulation of the deforming plastic is set up. With the combined results of experiments and simulations, a parameter study can be conducted, which allows for an optimization of air flow parameters for a more evenly distributed wall thickness.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRecent Advances in Computational Engineering - Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Computational Engineering ICCE 2017 in Darmstadt
EditorsMarek Behr, Michael Schafer, Miriam Mehl, Barbara Wohlmuth
PublisherSpringer-Verlag
Pages163-176
Number of pages14
ISBN (print)9783319938905
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesLecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering
Volume124
ISSN1439-7358

Conference

Title4th International Conference on Computational Engineering, ICCE 2017
Duration28 - 29 September 2017
CityDarmstadt
CountryGermany

Keywords