A Unified Simulation Environment for Thermoforming and Distortion Prediction of CFRTP Aircraft Components

This paper presents a comprehensive fully integrated polymer composite thermoforming process simulation chain developed in ANSYS LS-DYNA®, covering the full manufacturing sequence from automated preform creation to final part cooling. The entire simulation consists of three distinct phases, namely, thermoforming, cooling (within the tool) and manufacturing-induced dimensional distortion after demolding (spring-back), where distortions develop as the part is removed from the tooling and finally cools to room temperature. The simulation framework employs a modular model structure consisting of tooling, a preform holding system, and a detailed preform representation based on a semi-discrete unit cell approach. Individual laminate plies are modeled using a combination of beam, solid, and shell elements to accurately capture temperature-dependent bending, shear, and thermal behavior of the preform. To ensure industrial applicability, an automated preform meshing strategy has also been developed, utilizing tape placement path planning data exported from the automated tape laying process to generate simulation models with minimal manual effort. The simulation results enable the prediction of spring-angle distortions (spring-in or spring-back) and can be validated against experimental distortion measurement data from manufacturing trials of several different representative CFRTP components. The presented approach demonstrates the capability of the newly developed simulation chain to support thermoforming process development, tool geometry compensation, and robust manufacturing of complex thermoformed CFRTP structures.

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Periodical:

Materials Science Forum (Volume 1182)

Pages:

135-146

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-hZfPy4

Citation:

Cite this paper

Online since:

April 2026

Authors:

Miro Duhovic*, Lukas Handl, Martin Müller, Dominic Schommer, Thomas Hoffmann, Jens Schlimbach, Thomas Neumeyer

Keywords:

Digital Process Chain, Process Simulation, Spring-Angle Prediction, Thermoforming

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Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Citation:

* - Corresponding Author

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