ESI VPS multiscale performance simulation for laser structured Composite-Metal joints

An economic utilization of modern engineering materials can only be achieved through a combination of different materials depending on the local design requirements. This further leads to questions about the joinability of certain materials in a multi-material assembly. During the design of hybrid parts consisting of metallic alloys and fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) different joining techniques can be applied. Since the present study focuses on the application of an Automatic Tape Laying (ATL) process, the joint is established utilizing the adhesive bond generated during the consolidation process of the composite. Laser structuring of the metallic surface has been found to allow for a significant improvement of the adhesive properties. However, in order to optimize the manufacturing process in terms of efficiency, it is required to quantify this effect. To this end, a numerical multiscale approach has been developed and implemented in the commercial FE package ESI Virtual Performance Solution (VPS) [1]. It allows for the examination of effective interface properties and enables to relate directly the joining process to the mechanical performance of the joint.