Forming Simulation of a HiPerDiF PLA/Carbon Fibre Tape with a Micromechanical Model

Aligned discontinuous fibre composites (ADFRCs) have been gathering attention with the growth in both quality and available quantity of materials from HiPerDiF (High Performance Discontinuous Fibre), AFFT (Aligned Formable Fibre Technology), and TuFF (Tailored universal Feedstock for Forming). In addition to their support of sustainable solutions for the composite industry by the potential to use both thermoplastic and vitrimeric matrices and reclaimed fibres, they offer promising advantages to the manufacturing of complex structures through superior formability. To maximise these advantages, it is crucial to understand the material behaviour and by simulating the forming of complex parts it will be possible to decrease manufacturing costs and increase the quality of a product. In this study, the procedure for a forming simulation of ADFRCs is demonstrated with the help of a micromechanical model of poly (L-lactic acid) (PLA)/carbon fibre tape.