Design and Dimensioning of High Loaded Plastic Parts in Engine Compartments

The fatigue strength behaviour of a short-glass fiber-reinforced polyamide was investigated in detail. Thanks to the considered influencing variables like notches, fiber orientation, temperature, mean stress and load sequence there are characteristic values available for the first time which afford an opportunity to design and dimension high loaded plastic parts in engine compartments. A design method was developed which needs in addition to material strength a precise FE calculation of the stress gradient and the high loaded volume respectively in the vicinity of the maximum local stress. The method was applied to a selected component and the results were verified successfully.