On the Generation of Highly Oriented Test Specimens and the Influence of Preparation

In the context of this contribution, a new injection molded unidirectional plate for specimen-extraction is introduced, as well as current investigations on the analysis of the preparation process are shown and discussed. The fiber orientation resulting from the injection molding (IM) manufacturing process leads to an anisotropic material behavior, which complicates a reliable design of components. Detailed determination of macroscopic, orientation dependent material data is continuous subject of research. In this context, samples with a predefined and high fiber orientation distribution are required. Established and available methods for specimens generated by IM show limitations. In this work, a novel test-specimen with a homogeneous high fiber orientation is introduced. It enables the extraction of specimens under different angles with respect to the main fiber orientation. The fiber orientation simulation of the new plate is compared to experimental computer tomography analysis. The extraction of specimens is achieved by machine milling. As the process may induce inaccuracies due to the introduction of inhomogeneous cutting, a detailed investigation of the influences of milling on the specimen behavior is required. A qualitative characterization of roughness values is necessary to evaluate the impact of the preparation on the mechanical properties. A correlation between roughness values and mechanical parameters is shown.