scholarly journals Resin Transfer Molding Process: A Numerical Investigation

2013 ◽  
Vol 334-335 ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iran Rodrigues de Oliveira ◽  
Sandro Campos Amico ◽  
Jeferson Avila Souza ◽  
F. Ferreira Luz ◽  
R. Barcella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Good Accuracy ◽  
Fiber Preform ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
Filling Time ◽  
High Performance Composite ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Pure Resin

In the processing of high performance composite materials, the RTM process has been widely used by many sectors of the industry. This process consists in injecting a polymeric resin through a fibrous reinforcement arranged within a mold. In this sense, this study aims to simulate the rectilinear infiltration of pure resin and filled resin (40% CaCO3) in a mold with glass fiber preform, using the PAM-RTM commercial software. Numerical results of the filling time and fluid front flow position over time were assessed by comparison with the experimental data and a good accuracy was obtained.

Effects of Weirs on the Resin Transfer Molding Process

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiran M. D’Silva ◽  
Su-Seng Pang ◽  
Kurt C. Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Glass Fibers ◽  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Mold Filling ◽  
Laminated Plates ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Outlet Port ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Inlet Port ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
Filling Time

Abstract Low mold filling time and improper fiber wetting are the main problems faced by the manufacturers applying the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process. The objective of this work was to minimize these problems and to study the effect of weirs on the RTM process. A mold was designed such that the lower mold plate contains two weirs, one at the resin inlet port and the other at the outlet port. The purpose of adding the weirs is to provide a continuous inlet stream near the resin inlet port and to cause backpressure near the outlet port to induce complete mold filling. Laminated plates were prepared using glass fibers and epoxy resin (combination of EPON resin-862 and curing agent W). The test parameters investigated, such as void contents, dry spots and mold filling time, were compared with those of samples that were prepared without the use of weirs. It was found that the presence of weirs resulted in significant elimination of dry spots, minimization of void contents and a reduction in mold filling time. As a result, the cost required to manufacture composite parts can be reduced by the use of weirs. In addition to the experimental investigation, a computer simulation (using LCMFLOT software) of resin flow inside the mold cavity was conducted. Many simulations were run in order to optimize the height and shape of the weir. Rectangular weirs of height 2.54 mm showed minimum mold fill time. It was found that the results obtained from the experimental work and flow simulations are in good agreement. Based on this work, it is evident that complex parts can be produced in less cycle time if weirs are positioned at appropriate locations.

Study on Compression Transfer Molding

1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (16) ◽  
pp. 2180-2191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Bin Young ◽  
Cheng-Wey Chiu
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Fiber Reinforcement ◽  
Mold Filling ◽  
Thickness Direction ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
Resin Impregnation ◽  
Filling Time ◽  
Part Dimension

Resin transfer molding (RTM) finishes the resin impregnation and composite fabrication at the same time. It simplifies the process for composites fabrication and has the advantages of automation, low cost, and versatile design of fiber reinforcement. Therefore, the RTM process is widely used in the architecture, automotive, and aerospace industries. However, in the RTM process, resin must flow through the fiber reinforcement in the planar direction, which, in some cases such as fabrications of large panels, may need a long time for the mold filling. If the part dimension is too large or the fiber permeability is too low, the mold filling process may not be able to complete before the resin gels. Therefore, some modification for the RTM process is necessary in order to reduce the mold filling time. In the compression transfer molding, the mold opens a small gap for the resin to fill in between fiber mats and the mold, and then compresses the fiber reinforcement to be impregnated by the resin in the thickness direction. In this way, since resin is forced into the fiber reinforcements in the thickness direction, the damage of the fibers will be minimized. In addition, the mold filling time will be reduced due to the different flow path of the resin inside the mold. This study explored the possibility of using the compression transfer molding process and also identified the key parameters regarding the process.

scholarly journals COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF RTM AND LRTM PROCESSES APPLIED TO COMPLEX GEOMETRIES

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Da S. Porto ◽  
M. Letzow ◽  
E. D. Dos Santos ◽  
S. C. Amico ◽  
J. A. Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Porous Medium ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Complex Geometries ◽  
Resin Flow ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Filling Time

Light Resin Transfer Molding (LRTM) is a variation of the conventional manufacturing process known as Resin Transfer Molding (RTM). In general terms, these manufacturing processes consist of a closed mould with a preplaced fibrous preform through which a polymeric resin is injected, filling the mold completely, producing parts with complex geometries (in general) and good finish. Those processes differ, among other aspects, in the way that injection occurs. In the RTM process the resin is injected through discrete points whereas in LRTM it is injected into an empty channel (with no porous medium) which surrounds the entire mold perimeter. There are several numerical studies involving the RTM process but LRTM has not been explored enough by the scientific community. Based on that, this work proposes a numerical model developed in the FLUENT package to study the resin flow behavior in the LRTM process. Darcy’s law and Volume of Fluid method (VOF) are used to treat the interaction between air and resin during the flow in the porous medium, i.e. the mold filling problem. Moreover, two three-dimensional geometries were numerically simulated considering the RTM and LRTM processes. It was possible to note the huge differences about resin flow behavior and filling time between these processes to manufacture the same parts.

Uncertainty Modeling of Residual Stress Development in Polymeric Composites Manufactured With Resin Transfer Molding Process

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuang-Ting Hsiao
Keyword(s):  
Residual Stress ◽  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Parametric Uncertainty ◽  
Polymeric Composite ◽  
Cure Kinetics ◽  
Polymeric Composites ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Stress Development ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Rtm Process

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) is an advanced process to manufacture high quality thermoset polymeric composites. The quality of the composite depends on the resin infusion stage and the cure stage during the RTM process. The resin curing is a complex exothermic process which involves resin mechanical property evolution, resin volume shrinkage, thermal expansion, heat transfer, and chemical reaction. Since the fibers and resin have many differences in their physical properties, the composite cure stage inevitably introduces the undesired residual stress to the composite parts. As the residual stress could sometimes generate local matrix failure or degrade the performance of the composite, it is important to model and minimize the residual stress. This paper presents a model to predict the residual stress development during the composite cure process. By slightly disturbing the manufacturing parameters such as the mold heating cycle and the cure kinetics of polymer, the variations of residual stress development during the RTM process can be modeled and compared. A parametric uncertainty study of the residual stress development in the polymeric composite manufactured with RTM will be performed and discussed.

Preparation and Properties of a Novel Water Soluble Core Material for the Resin Transfer Molding Process

2011 ◽  
Vol 306-307 ◽  
pp. 844-847
Author(s):  
Quan Zhou Li ◽  
Xiao Qing Wu
Keyword(s):  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Core Material ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
The Core ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
Binder Solution ◽  
Core Materials

A novel water soluble core material composed of alumina, quartz sand, kaolin, gypsum powder and the solution of binders was prepared. The influence of different mass concentration of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) binder solution and sodium silicate compounded (SS) binders solution on water soluble performance and compressive strength of the core materials was investigated, respectively. The results show that the compressive strength and solubility rate of the core materials, with the concentration of 30% of SS binders solution, are 1.023MPa and 0.24g/s respectively, which is satisfied for the requirements of Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process completely.

CaCO3 Particle-Filled Polymer Composite Manufacturing via RTM Process: An Experimental Investigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 391 ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
Iran Rodrigues de Oliveira ◽  
José Vieira da Silva ◽  
E.M. Ascendino Pereira ◽  
Sandro Campos Amico ◽  
A.G. Barbosa de Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Room Temperature ◽  
Polyester Resin ◽  
Injection Pressure ◽  
Carbonate Content ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Fiber Preform ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
Front Position ◽  
Filling Time ◽  
Closed Mold

Resin transfer molding (RTM) is one technique that has been used to produce polymer composites, which consists in injecting a thermoset pre-catalysed resin into a closed mold containing a dry fiber preform. In this sense, this study aims to investigate the effect of the calcium carbonate content (CaCO3) in the polyester resin during the RTM process. Several experiments were conducted using glass fiber mat molded in a RTM system with cavity dimensions 320 x 150 x 3.6 mm, at room temperature, and different injection pressure (0.75 bar) and CaCO3content (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%). Results of the physical parameters such as viscosity, permeability, and mobility, and flow front position of the resin into the mold along the RTM process are presented and analyzed. From the results was concluded that the higher the injection pressure and lower CaCO3content into the resin, the lower filling time.

scholarly journals A Semi-Analytical Model to Predict Infusion Time and Reinforcement Thickness in VARTM and SCRIMP Processes

Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felice Rubino ◽  
Pierpaolo Carlone
Keyword(s):  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Resin Flow ◽  
Liquid Composite Molding ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Deformable Porous Media ◽  
Filling Time ◽  
Composite Molding ◽  
Fabric Deformation ◽  
Porosity And Permeability

In liquid composite molding processes, such as resin transfer molding (RTM) and vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), the resin is drawn through fiber preforms in a closed mold by an induced pressure gradient. Unlike the RTM, where a rigid mold is employed, in VARTM, a flexible bag is commonly used as the upper-half mold. In this case, fabric deformation can take place during the impregnation process as the resin pressure inside the preform changes, resulting in continuous variations of reinforcement thickness, porosity, and permeability. The proper approach to simulate the resin flow, therefore, requires coupling deformation and pressure field making the process modeling more complex and computationally demanding. The present work proposes an efficient methodology to add the effects of the preform compaction on the resin flow when a deformable porous media is considered. The developed methodology was also applied in the case of Seeman’s Composite Resin Infusion Molding Process (SCRIMP). Numerical outcomes highlighted that preform compaction significantly affects the resin flow and the filling time. In particular, the more compliant the preform, the more time is required to complete the impregnation. On the other hand, in the case of SCRIMP, the results pointed out that the resin flow is mainly ruled by the high permeability network.

High-performance bismaleimide resins with low cure temperature for resin transfer molding process

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Liu ◽  
Chunyan Qu ◽  
Dezhi Wang ◽  
Ming Zhao ◽  
Changwei Liu
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Resin Transfer Molding ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Bismaleimide Resins ◽  
Cure Temperature

The Processing Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Semi-Prepreg RTM Composites

2013 ◽  
Vol 721 ◽  
pp. 153-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Dong Li ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
Xiao Lan Hu ◽  
Xue Feng An ◽  
Xiang Yu Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Compression Molding ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Bismaleimide Resin ◽  
Transfer Molding ◽  
Rtm Process ◽  
Superior Mechanical Properties ◽  
Wet Winding ◽  
Properties Of Composites

A novel semi-prepreg resin transfer molding (RTM) process was developed to address difficulties associated with RTM process and to improve the mechanical properties of the resulting composites. Unidirectional semi-prepregs exhibiting relatively good overlay characteristics were prepared via prepolymerization of bismaleimide resin followed by wet winding. The processing characteristics and mechanical properties of composites fabricated via semi-prepreg RTM technology were compared with those of composites produced using a normal-prepreg compression molding process. Experimental results showed that the laminates fabricated by the semi-prepreg RTM process were of better internal quality and had superior mechanical properties as compared with laminates fabricated by the normal-prepreg compression molding process.

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