Composite forming simulations

AniForm develops technology to predict the formability of composite laminates. AniForm Suite is an easy-to-use and accurate simulation tool to enable first-time-right process implementation. The software consists of a graphical user interface to define the process, and an implicit finite element solver to perform the calculations. Our software and engineering service enable:
Accurate predictions
On time risk assessment
Process optimisation
Lead time reduction
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  • ATC Manufacturing

    "AniForm has become a key part of our tool kit for thermoplastic composites processing. We always run AniForm on any new part to assess forming, tool design and process conditions before we start on tool design. We have found it very effective in predicting forming anomalies, which can be addressed in the simulations before we invest in tool fabrication and process development."
    Bart Johnston Engineering Manager, ATC Manufacturing
  • Alltec Composite Materials

    "We are proud to endorse AniForm for the outstanding integration and professionalism demonstrated throughout our project. As we approach the final phase of designing our thermoplastic cell, we are confident that the AniForm tool will be our go-to solution."
    Benedito Siqueira Strategic Planning, Alltec Composite Materials
  • GKN Fokker

    "AniForm helps us to analyze, understand and optimize the stamp forming process during design for manufacturing, tool design and actual processing. The software enables us to reduce cost and time while achieving first time right and is thereby of great value to us and our clients.”
    Arnt Offringa Director GTC-NL of GKN Aerospace
  • Latécoère

    "AniForm supports us in the tooling design process when we need to manufacture the more complex parts. The software is very user-friendly and equipped with an extensive and unique material database. The forming process simulations enable us to maximally utilise the potential of reinforced thermoplastics. The tool enables us to virtually visualise and analyse the process, providing our designers a more detailed view of all the events that occur inside a laminate during forming."
    Josef Křena CPC composite development, Latécoère Czech Republic
  • National Composites Centre

    "The NCC has been using AniForm to conduct forming simulations for over 2 years and has found it to be user-friendly and accurate. The training and support that we have received has been equally excellent."
    Simon Wilkinson EngD Research Engineer, National Composites Centre
  • Toray Advanced Composites

    "Toray Advanced Composites is very pleased with the AniForm software. It allows our customers to reduce their development time for new products and applications considerably. As an early adopter of genuine AniForm material card availability, we collaborate continuously to expand the database with a combination of our newest and legacy Cetex® unidirectional and woven thermoplastic aerospace materials."
    Scott Unger Chief Technology Officer, Toray Advanced Composites
  • Daher

    "Daher’s next generation composite parts require fibre steered blanks, which will be exposed to complex deformations during forming. Thanks to the material card availability, automatic mesh creation for curved fibre paths, and its outstanding simulation performance, AniForm is an essential software to predict the process and helps us reaching our innovation goals."
    Thomas Magloire R&D Engineer at Daher
  • DowDuPont

    "We have worked with AniForm over the last years in a very professional, confident, and pleasant way. Their software tool and expertise enable us to assess quickly the processing feasibility of our material for customer specific process configurations. Thanks to that, DowDuPont and our customers get the most out of these materials within a reasonable time and at lower costs."
    Craig Norrey Technical Programs Manager at DowDuPont
  • Dutch Thermoplastic Components

    "Thermoforming of composite laminates is a process where the actual forming takes place within a second. The AniForm software gives the opportunity to visualize the process accurately at every instant, giving you a better understanding of what actually happens, and hence contributes to a solution to overcome formability issues. These aspects are key in optimising processes and having the process and tools first time right."
    Jeffrey Vroemen R&D engineer at DTC
  • Tri-Mack Plastics

    "The AniForm simulation was so useful that it’s hard to imagine moving forward on complicated development projects in the future without this tool."
    Ben Lamm Composites Engineering Manager
  • SABIC

    "In different projects that SABIC has run with TPRC, AniForm has performed material characterization and forming simulations. During this work it was clear that the people from AniForm understood both the science and practical aspects of forming simulation very well. As a result, we learned quite a lot on simulation of forming processes, helping SABIC to become a leader in support towards our customers."
    Warden Schijve Chief Scientist Composites
  • Sirris Leuven-Gent Composites Application Lab

    "AniForm Suite is a well-ordered and easy to use program, which enables us to set up a simulation model in one go without having any solvability issues. Correlations between predictions and composite forming trials in our laboratory were successful, giving us great confidence utilising AniForm in more projects. We would like to thank the AniForm support team who were instantly able to help us out in case of complex result interpretations."
    Linde de Vriese & Bart Waeyenbergh Engineers
  • ThermoPlastic composites Research Center

    "AniForm has proven itself as the absolute state-of-the-art forming and draping software for composite materials. Their software plays an important role in our engineering and research programmes as it helps us and our members better understand and predict the complex deformations of composite materials."
    Wouter Grouve Research operations leader at TPRC
AniForm Suite key features
Composite forming simulation Model the composite forming process using the intuitive and fast-responding graphical user-interface. Define the laminate by any number of continuous fibre reinforced plies. Prescribe movements of rigid tooling consisting of any number of punches, or use flexible tooling such as foils and pressurised rubber pads.
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Laminate configurations Import in PrePost any laminate shape mesh. PrePost ensures automatically the laminate mesh to be conditioned well. Modify the laminate on the fly by adding cuts and darts anywhere in the stack. Tailored blanks can be modelled using sectioned meshes.
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Handling configurations Evaluate any laminate handling configuration. Apply tensioners and various kinds of grippers anywhere to the laminate, and prescribe them through time to simulate your envisioned handling system for use in practice. Include laminate sag by gravity, use carrier foils, and study the effect of segmented blank holders or binders.
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Material behaviour at forming conditions Simulate forming behaviour of laminate plies consisting of uni-directionally reinforced tapes, fabrics, organosheets, and NCF’s, having a thermoplastic, thermoset, or no matrix constituent. Material cards representing the formability properties of composite materials from various suppliers are available.
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Robust simulator AniForm’s implicit multi-CPU solver is especially developed for composite materials involving large forming deformations. Stable and intelligent time stepping, scaling, and contact search in multi-ply laminates ensure the solver’s robust performance. The solver is able to receive simulation jobs from other machines in the network using a client-manager configuration.
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Realistic predictions Scroll instantly through the simulated process steps to study potential defects like wrinkling at various scales, stress concentrations caused by bridging, regions susceptible to have poor consolidation quality, ply splitting, and surface rupture. Various academic publications can be found where AniForm software has been applied and assessed.
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Data exchange STL, Patran, and neutral file formats are supported for mesh import, which can be generated by most CAD and meshing programmes. Export any forming result to a text file, or update your structural or crash analysis model using Digimat.
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License and training An AniForm Suite licence comes with one PrePost and one Core licence. Multiple licence configurations are possible. Get the most out of your licences by following our well-received training that is offered online, in the Netherlands, or at your site.
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