Analytical solutions for process-induced spring-in of U-shaped composite parts

Analytical solutions for predicting spring-in angles of U-shaped composite parts generating in rubbery and glassy states are proposed. In the newly developed analytical solutions, the process-induced distortions of web and flange are mathematically converted to spring-in angles within the scope of small deformation theory, and then corresponding analytical expressions of web, corner, flange and total spring-in are separately derived. These new solutions can quantitatively give the correlation of web, corner, flange and total spring-in with material properties-related and geometrical configuration-dependent parameters, and evaluate the spring-in angles of multi-angle ply composite parts just using lamina properties. The reliability of newly proposed analytical solutions is checked by the comparison between the analytically calculated and experimentally measured spring-in angles for unidirectional and quasi-isotropic U-shaped composite parts. Meanwhile, numerical simulations on the U-shaped composite parts with various geometries and layups also provide a favourable agreement with analytical results.