Irregular Winding of Pre-preg Fibres Aimed at the Local Improvement of Flexural Properties

Abstract

The main undisputed benefit of using long fibre composite materials, whose properties could be targeted for a particular application, lies in the efficient utilisation of material. Using a method of pre-impregnated fibre winding, a rod with a reinforced middle part was created through the local adjustment of the winding angle in order to increase the local bending stiffness. The aim of our work was to describe, experimentally and subsequently using appropriate numerical models, the behaviour of two composite rods, one with a locally variable winding angle and the other with a constant winding angle. The difference in the mechanical behaviour of both structures was clearly evident during the experiment. By using a suitable composite pre-processor and by choosing some multiple element sets, it was also possible to accurately simulate the real behaviour of such components, which actually have several regions, each with different mechanical parameters. Together with the expected different flexural strength, a traditional three-point bending test also explored the different shape of the resulting deformation in the two compared parts. Differences in the maximum strength and the mode of fi nal deformations were also identified.

Keywords

• composite
• pre-preg
• winding
• bending
• local reinforcement