Topology-optimized Design of Composite Structures Manufactured by Wet Fiber Placement

Wet Fiber Placement is a novel process for manufacturing of structures made from continuous fiber-reinforced polymer composites. The automated placement process offers a high degree of design freedom. The fibers can be placed only where they are needed, and curved placement paths can be used to align the fibers with the loads acting on the part. This exploits the anisotropic material properties of composite materials and enables the production of very lightweight and material-efficient structures. However, when designing such structures, the specific material properties and the manufacturing capabilities and limitations must be considered. For this purpose, a design approach based on anisotropic topology optimization, semi-automatic generation of load-adapted placement paths, and numerical optimization of local component cross-sections was developed. In addition, studies that investigate the influence of the deposition sequence on the mechanical properties are carried out. The developments are investigated by testing different designs of a composite bicycle brake booster produced by Wet Fiber Placement.