The goal of this ICON project “M3Strength” is:

• To establish accurate simulation methodology with regard to static strength and fatigue of composites
• To optimize the efficiency of the simulation methodology to enable an efficient virtual design approach of composite components and sub-systems.

Manufacturers in the transportation, wind energy and machinery sector are increasingly using lightweight materials and design strategies, in order to reduce the eco foot print of their products. Especially in the transportation areas (automotive, aerospace …) the substantial deployment of advanced/novel materials such as composites and smart design approaches tailored to weight reduction will be the only viable path to meeting the ever more stringent CO2 emission norms.

At present, the massive deployment of lightweight materials in industrial design and development processes is however limited. One of the factors that hinder further speed-up of lightweight composites materials solutions into industrial deployment, is the lack of predictive CAE tools. At present, no tool vendor has tools in the market with sufficient predictive quality of complex dynamic simulation of structural composites lightweight materials to address industrial needs.

This project, in close collaboration and complementary to the SBO project "M3Strength", will fill in part of these industrial needs.