Research on Method for Optimizing the Tip Curve of Steel Needle for Puncture Forming Based on Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract

Bending of carbon fibers around the needle during the integrated piercing process for preparing carbon cloth preforms was analyzed. The mechanical behavior of carbon cloth under the moving steel needle tip was investigated using well established mathematical models of carbon fiber bending and elongation and the interaction between the carbon fiber and steel needle. Based on the analysis of the puncture of carbon fiber fabric by the needle tip, four equations satisfying the morphology of the needle tip puncture were selected, then the particle swarm algorithm was used to optimize the curve of the steel needle tip. Curves of the pressure, horizontal tension of the fiber due to the needle tip and frictional resistance between the fiber and the needle tip were compared. The results show that the reconstructed steel needle tip with optimized curve improves the mechanical behavior of the needle tip during the puncture process. Furthermore, this research provides a theoretical basis for studying the overall puncture process parameters of the steel needle.