Honeycomb Modeling

[Mike00988]

Could anyone give me a hint on how to conform a honeycomb part to a curved surface or if its even possible in Abaqus? A explanation on how to conform any part to a curved surface would be a huge help!

 

[rstupplebeen]

You may need to be more specific on what you are trying to do. Are you trying to deform a honeycomb for an assembly simulation, create geometry for some other loading? For the first a contact analysis with nonlinear geometry and possibly shells or solids depending on your aspect ratio. For the second hopefully a shell assumption is valid and you can model as a laminate. I hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen

https://sites.google.com/site/robertkstupplebeen/

 

[Mike00988]

Yes, a shell assumption is valid. Basically what I am trying to accomplish is a head impact simulation. I would like to take a headform and conform the honeycomb around the head so a drop test could be performed. Creating the honeycomb on a flat surface is a piece of cake but I'm struggling with a curved surface such as a headform. Hope that's more specific.

 

[rstupplebeen]

So in real life you are taking a honeycomb sheet and conforming it to a rigid steel head then drop testing it to see accelerations for helmet testing?

A shell assumption is probably a big stretch if the honeycomb started off flat.

Another option is to try to create the conformed honeycomb shape in CAD which may be appropriate if you are heating a sheet and then thermoforming it.

I hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen

https://sites.google.com/site/robertkstupplebeen/

 

[Mike00988]

Yes, that is basically what I'm doing in real life. What CAD program would you recommend to try to accomplish the conformed honeycomb shape?

 

[rstupplebeen]

I believe most commercial CAD packages could make a reasonable approximation of the geometry however it will most likely be tedious. Personally I would start with SolidWorks but that is because I have the most experience with it. Start off trying multiple options with greatly simplified geometry. I hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen

https://sites.google.com/site/robertkstupplebeen/

 

[Mike00988]

Thanks. I started off in SolidWorks but I'll continue to work with it to see if I can get what I want.