Finite Element Analysis of 3D Printed TPU Part
摘要
3D manufacturing materials and methods are evolving with time, and new necessities and new fields are opening for research and development. Thermoplastic elastomers, e.g. thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are among the applications for vibration absorbers, lightweight uses, fittings, etc. These types of materials present a nonlinear relationship between stress and strain. In this research work the hyperelastic model is found from the uniaxial test data following the standard ISO 37:2017. The finite element model was then established and validated by performing simulations using ANSYS, in which the gauge length was modeled considering the laboratory boundary conditions. The numerical and experimental stress-strain curves showed a good agreement. Besides the validated model a complex geometry using TPU was printed and then laboratory tests and finite element investigations were performed to explore the goodness of the used hyperelastic material model.