Understanding how Materials Behave
UDRI's Advanced Composites researchers conduct analysis to understand, predict, design and develop new materials and processes, and conducts material testing for validation, verification and optimization of assured performance, life prediction and durability. Over fifty years, UDRI has been involved in the development of multi-scale, multi-physics predictive models for manufacturability and performance, and standardized as well as specialized non-standard testing and characterization of materials at the coupon, subcomponent, and component levels for military and commercial applications.
Research objectives are to accelerate the transition of basic research findings to product development and sustainment for aircraft and space structures, and provide material solutions to new and emerging applications. Our analysis experts are involved in the development of computational techniques and software products which can be utilized to predict failure initiation and progression, particularly from manufacturing defects, microstructure, architecture and material variations, or structural damage in composites. Our testing experts are qualified to perform over 120 ASTM, ISO, MIL-spec and customer proprietary standards and produces high-quality, reliable data for its sponsors with a focus on material downselect and design allowables testing for aerospace applications. Capabilities include the determination of material properties following various environmental exposures, over a wide range of test conditions and temperatures.
Major customers include DoD, DoE, Government agencies such as AFRL and NASA, OEM’s, Academia and small/large-scale industries
Key Differentiators
- The VTMS package has been demonstrated and validated to simulate complex 2D and 3D woven architectures, including T-joint and Pi-joint. Software has 120 installations worldwide which includes Government agencies, Industry and Academic Institutes
- Damage modeling capabilities of BSAM for static and fatigue simulations have been validated on government sponsored programs such as the Tech Scout 1 effort.
- Composite Behavior and Testing (CBT) lab is an ISO 2009:2015 accredited laboratory uniquely positioned to perform mechanical characterization work with exceptional quality and value for sponsors ranging from government organizations to prime defense contractors, to small local businesses.
- UDRI's Advanced Composite researchers have cutting-edge commercial DIC capabilities to perform 3D high-rate full-field displacement imaging that can be Integrated with static, dynamic, fracture, structural testing and with thermal imaging for stress field mapping with calibrated constitutive model, and can be utilized to perform inverse constitutive model parameter identification with Virtual Fields Method from single/few tests.
Capabilities
- Composites, Polymers, Ceramics and Additive Materials Testing
- Digital Image Correlation for Damage Analysis
- Active Thermography for Material/Defect Identification
- Specimen Machining, Preparation, Tabbing and Instrumentation
- Environmental Conditioning
- Physical Properties of Composites
- Microstructure and Defect Identification
- Adhesive Bonding Evaluation
- Textile testing
- Impact Testing
- Fabrication of Leading Edges
- Textile Analysis and Design
- Discrete Damage Simulations
- Tailored Fiber Placement and Stitching Modeling for Optimized Performance
Testing Standards
- 120 ASTM, ISO, MIL-spec and customer proprietary standards to include tension, shear, flex, fracture toughness, compression, open hole, bearing, bolt pull thru, impact, and peel amongst many others
