Hypothesis: Can different Radioss material formulations be calibrated to the same experimental adhesive response—and, if so, do they remain equivalent when applied to structural loading?
Objectives
1. Calibration: Obtain equivalent representations of the same epoxy
2. Verification: Compare tensile and shear simulations against experiments
3. Structural validation: Test peeling and T-frame behavior
4. Model-selection: Understand when each formulation is appropriate
This presentation compares Radioss adhesive material models, LAW36 and LAW59, with the objective of assessing their predictive capabilities for epoxy-based structural adhesives.
This work presents a comparative study of adhesive material models LAW36 and LAW59, in Radioss, with the objective of assessing their predictive capabilities for epoxy-based structural adhesives. The investigation focuses on simulating stress distributions, fracture energies, and failure mechanisms in joints of varying adhesive thicknesses (0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 mm). A comprehensive experimental program supports numerical analysis, including bulk tensile, Thick adherend shear test, and Mode I fracture toughness tests, based on ISO 527-2, ISO 11003-2, and EN 6033 standards, respectively. An additional validation test replicating multi-mode loading conditions is incorporated to establish transferability of the calibrated models to realistic applications. Numerical models employ solid elements for adhesive layers and shell elements for metallic adherends, with mesh refinement in adhesive regions to resolve local stress gradients. Displacement-controlled loading is applied to reproduce tensile and shear conditions, enabling extraction of stress-strain responses, fracture energies, and failure patterns. Model calibration is performed against experimental data using fracture toughness, failure strain, and maximum stress as reference parameters. Comparative evaluation is conducted with quantitative error metrics to assess accuracy and computational cost. The results aim to identify the most reliable adhesive law for joint-level simulations, providing guidance for model selection in structural applications.
The accurate calibration of materials models is crucial for simulating the behavior of materials across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods. With the increasing complexity of modern materials, particularly polymers, foams, and composite materials, developing reliable and efficient calibration strategies is more important than ever. This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of calibration strategies for material models applied to these materials, focusing on the challenges and best practices for each material class.
The accurate calibration of materials models is crucial for simulating the behavior of materials across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods. With the increasing complexity of modern materials, particularly polymers, foams, and composite materials, developing reliable and efficient calibration strategies is more important than ever. This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of calibration strategies for material models applied to these materials, focusing on the challenges and best practices for each material class.
