OPTIMIZATION OF THE GEOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF THERMOFORMED PARTS

Abstract

The paper aims to optimize geometric parameters for thermoforming box-type parts made of composite materials based on vegetable fibers. The defects that appear at the thermoforming of these parts are formation of folds, excessive thinning or rupture of the material. In order to study the influence of geometric parameters, such as the corner radius and the inclination angles on the variation of the wall thickness and the formation of folds, finite element simulations were performed using Dynaform software. The force developed by the press ram in relation to the radius corners at different inclination angles was also analyzed. The simulation highlighted that the thinning of the material at the corners is reduced with the increase of the radius and the inclination angle and the strength of the ram decreases with increasing radius at the corners.