Experimental analysis of fibre orientation in an injection moulded clutch pedal

Composite materials like short fibre reinforced polymers (SFRP) are widely employed for the production of load bearing parts in many industrial sectors as they offer numerous advantages from both the economic and mechanical point of view. One of the most commonly employed methods for the production of these parts is injection moulding. Mechanical properties of injection moulded SFRP components depend upon fibre orientation with reference to the acting stresses, and for the analysis of fibre distribution experimental methods are required. Using phase contrast imaging techniques available at SYRMEP beamline of the Trieste synchrotron, we obtained 3D micro-tomographic reconstructions of relatively large samples. Fibre orientation and anisotropy properties were characterized by means of a global parameter, the Mean Intercept Length (MIL) and the consequent Fabric tensor. In order to test if this methodology for fibre orientation assessment can be used for industrial purposes, it was applied to a real part and the results are presented in this paper.