Mechanika successfully substantiated a carbon fibre bonnet opener jig for a client in the automotive sector. The bonnet opener is used to support the weight of the bonnet and also provide restraint in the event of impact and other user fault cases.
Prior to detailed FEA in ANSYS Mechanical Workbench 2020 R1, preliminary hand calculations were performed to verify the reactions at key locations on the assembly and to assess the metallic, polymer and composite members. The hand calculations enabled the FE model to be simplified and excessive modelling was replaced with previously calculated input loads and reactions. The FEA also provided a means of verifying the hand calculations.
The carbon fibre composite lay-up was defined in each orthogonal axis within ANSYS and the main members were modeled with layered, quadratic hexahedral elements (SOLID186).
The Bonnet Opener has been mass-produced since our successful verification of the design.
