Modeling and Simulation of Polymer Composite Prepreg Forming Process
Abstract
Fabrication of composite materials has been traditionally achieved with the help of metallic molds to ensure proper shape. The development of new forming and molding processes is expensive because the molds to produce parts are made from highly polished metal which can take months to manufacture. These molds need to be tested to ensure high part quality for production. Molds that cannot produce parts to specifications will need to be scrapped and redesigned. Simulation of the mold surfaces and manufacturing process reduces the iterations to produce high quality parts. Forming process for prepreg materials was explored using simulations to study the evolution of defects during the composite forming and layup process. Material characterization of the prepreg materials provides the real properties required for simulation. Shear modulus, stiffness, friction, and peel strength for carbon/epoxy prepreg are determined experimentally for an eight-harness satin weave prepreg. A hemispherical punch and forming die was modeled. Results are presented for the final shape of the formed part and the nature of forming defects are observed.
Recommended Citation
R. Meinders et al., "Modeling and Simulation of Polymer Composite Prepreg Forming Process," Proceedings of the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (2019, Anaheim, CA), CAMX, Sep 2019.
Meeting Name
Composites and Advanced Materials Expo, CAMX 2019 (2019: Sep. 23-26, Anaheim, CA)
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Center/Lab(s)
Center for High Performance Computing Research
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2019 CAMX, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
26 Sep 2019
