Influence of Composite Lay-Up and Cyclic Load Parameters on the Fatigue Behaviour of Flexible Composite Elements

Abstract

This work is dedicated to the design of flexible composite elements, specifically leaf springs. The design of these flexible composite elements took in consideration the technologies, materials and intermediate goods that are available and useable in laboratory manufacturing and the possibility for the transfer of gained knowledge to industrial practice. This work deals with individual types of materials and their processability and usability for the manufacturing of composite products exposed to cyclic stress. The impact of the designed lay-up diagrams and cyclic load boundary on the fatigue behaviour of manufactured specimens was used to evaluate the effect of cyclic stressing. Based on this assessment, a conclusion and recommendation were formulated for the serial manufacturing of flexible composite elements.