MSc candidate
Project: Modelling of metal/composite forming process
LinkedIn Oluwajuwon.folorunsho [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Mail)
Supervisor: Prof. Pascal Hubert
Although the interest for theto development ofnew processes adapted to the fabrication of metal/composite hybrids has increased significantly in the past few years, considerable amount of work still need to be performed in order to understand and predict the deformation mechanisms occurring during the fabrication of hybrid components using a one-step forming process. Therefore, the NRC and McGill would like to combine their efforts to develop a modeling tool able to predict such deformation. To meet this objective, complementary expertise of NRC and McGill will be put to profit since NRC has already developed expertise in the fabrication of hybrids, while the team of Professor Hubert has strong modeling capabilities. Ultimately, this work will lead to the development of a modeling tool allowing metal deformation and fibre orientations to be predicted in order to provide the necessary information required for the design of components and production tools.
In the initial tasks of the project, individual material models for composites and metals will be developed. The development of different material models will be key to predict the forming behaviour of metal/composite hybrids manufactured according to several configurations and using different materials. First, selection of the materials will be performed in collaboration with the NRC and with the STAMP Hybrids industrial partners. Then, selected materials will be characterized at McGill and at NRC. The results of the characterization will then be used to develop the individual material models. Simulation results for simple deformation modes will then be used to compare the computed results to the material test data obtained. If needed, adjustments to the material models will be made in order to obtain the best fit between the predicted and measured behaviours. Following the development and validation of the individual material models, the deformation of hybrid metal-thermoplastic composites will be modeled. Two approaches will be considered: (i) modeling of the hybrid configuration as a number of composite and metal sheets and (ii) development of a hybrid constitutive material model that can be implemented in a finite element model. The hybrid model developed will then be validated from forming experiments. These forming experiments will be conducted by the Advanced Polymer Composite (APC) team of the NRC using NRC’s forming infrastructure located in Boucherville. For these trials, a tool with an intermediate level of difficulty will be used. A sensitivity analysis will then be performed using the developed hybrid model for the parameters and parameter ranges of interest jointly selected by McGill and the NRC. The sensitivity analysis will identify how sensitive different process outcomes are to variations in material and process parameters. Finally, the developed model will be used to predict the suitable process conditions for the fabrication of a technology demonstrator of increased complexity. More precisely, the developed model will be used to identify a suitable processing window to minimize the final part dimensional deviations and to improve the quality of the produced components. This demonstrator will be selected by the industrial partners of the STAMP Hybrids project in collaboration with the NRC. Following the determination of the processing window, experimental trials will be performed by the NRC to validate these processing conditions. The comparison between the simulations and the experiments will then be used to assess the limitation of the modelling approach proposed for hybrid metal-composite forming. Guidelines for modelling the forming process of hybrid metal-composites will then be written from the work performed in this project.
In this project, McGill will be in charge of the characterization of the materials and of the development of the deformation model. NRC’s role will include assisting McGill during the characterization of the composite materials. NRC’s role will also consists in performing forming trials and characterizing the manufactured parts to validate the developed models. Industrial partners participating to the STAMP Hybrids project will be in charge of selecting a technology demonstrator with relevant level of challenge for the automotive and transportation sectors.