Cost, Draping, Material and Partitioning Optimization of a Composite Rail Vehicle Structure

Area of Science:

• Composite Materials Engineering
• Computational Mechanics
• Manufacturing Process Simulation

Background:

• Topology optimization is crucial for designing lightweight and cost-effective composite structures.
• Accurate ply draping simulation is essential for predicting manufacturability and performance of composite parts.
• Existing methods often overlook ply draping effects, leading to inaccurate design predictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel methodology integrating topology optimization and ply draping simulation.
• To enable the design of cost- and weight-efficient, manufacturable composite structures.
• To compare partitioned versus integral composite designs considering ply draping effects.

Main Methods:

• A new methodology combining topology optimization and kinematic ply draping simulation was developed.
• Two design concepts were created: one partitioned based on draping simulation, and one integral design.
• Topology optimization was applied to both concepts to determine material and ply geometries for mass and cost reduction.

Main Results:

• The partitioned composite structure exhibited 19% lower mass and 15% lower material costs than the integral design.
• Designs neglecting ply draping simulations under-predicted mass by 26% and costs by 38% compared to the new methodology.
• The integrated approach successfully improved structural performance and reduced defects.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology effectively partitions composite structures for improved performance, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency.
• Integrating ply draping simulation into topology optimization provides more accurate predictions of mass and cost.
• This approach is vital for realizing truly cost- and weight-efficient manufacturable composite designs.