Design, manufacturing and analysis of a ramie fiber triangular structure with the integral molding technology

Structural configuration and manufacturing process are key factors to determine the mechanical properties of natural fiber composite structures. In this study, a ramie fiber triangular structure with the integral molding technology is proposed in this study, and its structural capacity is verified through four-point-bending tests. The proposed structure consists of an upper V-shaped rigid structure filled with PMI foam and a lower tension bar. The integral molding technology and the prepreg technology were used to fabricate the structure. The ANSYS parametric design language (APDL) is used to optimize the topology of the structure by minimizing its weight. The following three different methods are used to predict the load-bearing capacity of the proposed structure: the solid model method (SMM), the beam model method (BMM), and the simplified method (SM). The comparison between predictions and experimental results is made, and the load-bearing capacity of the proposed structure in unit mass is as high as 24.1 N/g. The numerical and analytical results agree with the experimental results, and the analysis methods can be utilized for design purpose.