Composite Medical Tabletops Made of CFRP with Different Cross-Sections: Numerical Analysis and Laboratory Testing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites offer high strength-to-weight ratios.
• Medical equipment, such as tabletops, requires materials that are durable and can withstand sterilization.
• Accurate modeling of composite behavior is crucial for designing reliable medical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate numerical material models for CFRP laminates.
• To simulate and analyze the performance of different medical tabletop designs.
• To verify numerical predictions with experimental laboratory testing.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory testing of CFRP laminates to gather material property data.
• Development of numerical material models based on experimental data.
• Finite element analysis (FEA) simulations of four medical tabletop variants with varying cross-sections.
• Experimental validation of numerical results for a selected tabletop design.

Main Results:

• Numerical material models were successfully developed from laboratory test data.
• Simulations predicted maximum deflections and stress distributions within the CFRP tabletops.
• Laboratory tests confirmed the accuracy of the numerical simulations for a specific tabletop design.

Conclusions:

• The developed numerical models accurately represent the behavior of CFRP laminates in medical tabletops.
• FEA simulations are a reliable tool for optimizing the design of composite medical equipment.
• This research supports the practical application of advanced composite materials in healthcare settings.