Carbon fiber and crash structures: Successful with our experience
Composites are known for their excellent performance-to-weight ratio. Fiber-reinforced components demonstrate their strengths with incomparable efficiency, especially in static load cases. But beyond static stiffness and strength applications, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) also offers potential for lightweight energy absorption options. However, the design principles and the necessary methodological knowledge are more challenging. CIKONI supports you in the development of lightweight structures with short-term dynamic energy absorption capabilities:
Our development services in the Crash:
Carbon crash: the supreme discipline of design
In fiber composite-compatible design, not only is a component developed, but the appropriate manufacturing process and the resulting component mechanics are consistently considered from the outset. This poses particular challenges for an interdisciplinary project team, but also for a detailed understanding of composite materials and their production technologies.
Whether prototype or series component, CFRP or GFRP: we bring the necessary know-how to your project, which puts you ahead of the competition and prevents unnecessary design iterations through fiber composite-specific development methods. We achieve this through the consistent use of modern CAD and FEM software for design and calculation, while maintaining the confidentiality required in sensitive development projects.
Reference project in Crash
Crash Simulation of Hydrogen Pressure Vessels
Challenge
Hydrogen is stored in vehicles under 700 bar in fiber-reinforced pressure tanks. There is a risk of damage to the pressure tank in the event of an accident. CIKONI was given the task of investigating and optimizing the behaviour of the pressure tank in the event of a crash.
Solution Provided by CIKONI
The load cases defined together with the customer were transferred to a crash simulation and various impact scenarios and operating conditions were examined for their damage potential. The layer structure of the pressure tank was optimized to further increase safety without adding weight. Particular attention was paid to the production-oriented consideration of feasible superstructures in the winding process.
Impact and crash: highly dynamic events
While metal components preferentially dissipate energy through plastic deformation in the event of a crash load, the energy dissipation of composites is of a completely different nature: fiber-reinforced components dissipate energy by
being successively damaged. In order to utilize the most efficient crash structures possible, fiber composite-specific designs and adapted layer structures must therefore be developed that allow a long-lasting failure process with
controlled damage. The damage behavior determines the „crashworthiness“ of the structure.
Explicit simulation models that map the anisotropy of the composites and their multimodal damage behavior are the only tool that allows the targeted development of high-performance crash structures due to their complexity, time dependency
and the necessary layer-specific evaluation. Nevertheless, the complexity of crash structures also requires experimental testing and validation at material, component and system level.
Material expertise in crash simulation
We specialize in the development of composite components. With an experienced team of composite-engineers, we take engineering as our starting point and bundle methods, material knowledge and implementation expertise for our customers. Our engineering team combines crash-relevant expertise in design, calculation, joining technology and manufacturing aspects.
Thanks to our unique expertise in the field of composite crash and ongoing consulting, we enable our customers to make knowledge-based decisions and maintain knowledge sovereignty over their structures through project-related communication.
CIKONI: One-stop crash development
As a one-stop solution provider for lightweight composite design, CIKONI offers a continuous service chain from method development and testing to the realization of crash structures as prototypes and in series production.
We can draw on extensive experience in the field of crash from a simulation and design perspective. A powerful partner network rounds off our internal competence profile. For example, we can also offer our customers crash testing of complete vehicle structures for the validation and iterative development of crash components and systems.
Crash Expertise On Demand.
We would be happy to discuss your CFRP lightweight design challenges with you. Contact us today to receive your individual proposal.
