In the design of long fibre reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) structures, there is a direct dependency on the manufacturing. Therefore, it is indispensable to integrate the manufacturing influences into the design process. This not only offers new opportunities for material- and load-adapted designs, but also reduces cost-intensive modifications in later stages. The goal of this contribution is to make the complexity manageable by presenting a method which couples LFT manufacturing and structural simulations in an automated optimization loop. Herein, the influence of linear-elastic, local anisotropic material properties as well as residual stresses resulting from the compression molding of LFT on the stiffness-optimized design of beaded plates is investigated. Based on the simulation studies in this contribution, it can be summarized that the resulting bead height and flank angle, considering anisotropies and residual stresses, are smaller compared to isotropic modelling. As a conclusion, the strength constraint limits the maximum bead height and the flank angle needs to be additionally chosen as a consequence of the local fibre orientations and residual stresses resulting from manufacturing. Optimized bead cross sections are only valid for a specific system under investigation, as they depend on the defined boundary conditions (load case, initial charge geometry and position, fibre orientations, etc.).

The autofocusing (AF) performance of cell phone cameras is critically dependent on the design of the voice-coil motor (VCM) used to drive the lens module. Also, the metal springs in the AF module should combine high stiffness with a good actuation response and a light weight. The present study utilizes a reverse engineering approach to construct three-dimensional finite element models of the top and bottom springs in the VCM mechanism. Simulations are then performed to investigate the von Mises stress distribution and stiffness characteristics of the two springs given horizontal and vertical orientations of the AF module, respectively. In performing the simulations, the actuation force is computed using two different analysis methods, namely a simplify structure method and a coupled electromagnetic-structural method. It is shown that the simplify structure method has the advantages of a lower computational complexity and a more comprehensive modeling capability. A further series of simulations is thus to examine the effects of the spring shape parameters on the reaction force developed by the spring stiffness. The results show that the spring stiffness increases with an increasing thickness and a decreasing rib length. The simulation results obtained for different spring shape parameter settings are summarized in the form of a parameter design chart for predicting the reaction force given known values of the spring rib length and spring thickness.

The paper deals with the assessment of the influence of morphological parameters of a 2Drandom short fibre composite on its effective elastic properties. A double-scale 2D finiteelement approach is used and periodic representative volume elements are generatedaccording to the model with an n-order approximate geometry. This one isa recent and powerful tool to generate meshes in the context of complex microstructuressuch as random fibre composites. Impact of three morphological features namely, aspectratio, tortuosity of fibres and width of the interphase area, is investigated. Numericalresults are provided for several contrasts of properties and volume fractions of fibres.

This paper describes the development of a novel compact magneto-rheological (MR) fluid brake with high transmitted torque and a simple structure. The MR fluid brake has two shearing disks with an electromagnetic coil located between them. Such a structure enables the brake to have a small radial dimension and a large torque transmission capacity. In the design process, a Bingham viscoplastic model is used to predict the transmitted torque. Electromagnetic finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to assist the magnetic circuit design and structural parameters' optimization. The novel brake design is prototyped and studied. Experimental results show that a compact MR fluid brake with high transmitted torque is successfully achieved.