Title: Application of hybrid Taguchi-GRA-PCA and ANOVA in optimisation of deformation properties of sandwich structure

Authors: Anil Kumar; Arindam Kumar Chanda; Surjit Angra

Addresses: Mechanical and Automation Engineering Department, G B Pant Engineering College, New Delhi – 110020, India; Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra – 136118, India ' Mechanical and Automation Engineering Department, G B Pant Engineering College, New Delhi – 110020, India; Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra – 136118, India ' Mechanical and Automation Engineering Department, G B Pant Engineering College, New Delhi – 110020, India; Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra – 136118, India

Abstract: Composites are the biggest innovation in today's material manufacturing industry. In this study, four design factors have been selected for modelling the sandwich structure. The one factor has two levels while the other three factors have three levels. Then by using these factors and levels L18 Orthogonal Array has been generated using Taguchi design in Minitab18. Out of these 18 configurations, the first configuration has been chosen and modelled. This model has been imported to FEA and its analysis has been done to identify the different stiffness properties. The values obtained through FEA has been compared with the values of experimental analysis and it has been observed that there is a close agreement between the values observed using these two types of analysis, which proves that the numerical model is valid. Then FEA has been performed for all 18 configurations and the values of Panel Bending Stiffness, Panel Bending Rigidity, Equivalent Stiffness has been calculated. For these response values, Taguchi analysis has been performed and optimum design has been obtained. Also, to verify the results of Taguchi analysis PCA-Grey Relation Analysis has been performed and it confirms the results of Taguchi. But the configuration with optimum factors has not been there in the OA. So, a configuration with optimum factors and levels has been modelled and FEA has been done for this in ANSYS and it has been observed that the stiffness properties are highest for this configuration. ANOVA analysis of GRG has also been done to analyse the effect of different input control factors on performance characteristics.

Keywords: Kevlar^® honeycomb core; stiffness of sandwich panel; Taguchi analysis; grey relation analysis; PCA; principal component analysis; ANOVA analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2021.119220

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2021 Vol.18 No.11/12, pp.951 - 967

Published online: 29 Nov 2021 *

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