Abstract
In the liquid composite moulding (LCM) process, fabric is draped over the mould surface and a resin is injected under pressure to develop a composite laminate. Wrinkling is one of the most common flaws that occurs during the draping of the fabric. Wrinkling of the fabric within the composite could severely reduce the quality of the finished composite laminate. Thus, to develop a high-quality composite laminate, exact prediction of fabric wrinkling behaviour is necessary. The aim of the paper is to investigate the draping behaviour of carbon fabric. Carbon fabric with an areal density of 245 g/m2 is used in the study. Both experimental and numerical investigations were performed. An experimental setup was developed to predict the draping behaviour of the carbon fabric used in the study. LS-DYNA/Explicit solver is used to achieve macro level draping simulation. Material model MAT_REINFORCED_THERMOPLASTIC [MAT_249] offers the possibility to simulate the forming behaviour of a thermoplastic material. To simulate dry fabrics using MAT_249, a very low properties are used for the matrix in the material model. To capture the forming behaviour of fabric, an intensive material characterization has been performed. Tensile and shear properties of the fabrics were determined using uniaxial and picture frame tests, respectively. Influence of the position of the integration points from the mid surface on bending behaviour is studied and calibrated using a simple test.
Highlights
During the initial draping stage in the liquid composite moulding process, the two-dimensional fibrous preforms must be draped over the three-dimensional complex curve-shaped mould
Bending and shear deformation modes mostly govern the draping behaviour of the fabric
Experimental and numerical draping behaviour of the woven carbon fabric was investigated in this study
Summary
During the initial draping stage in the liquid composite moulding process, the two-dimensional fibrous preforms must be draped over the three-dimensional complex curve-shaped mould. Fabric does not exhibit isotropic behaviour like metals, and it has relatively high tensile properties in comparison to in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending. The fabrics have low shear and bending resistance. The warp and weft yarns tend to reorient during the draping process. Bending and shear deformation modes mostly govern the draping behaviour of the fabric. The fabric deformation modes are described below. During the initial loading phase, the undulated yarns straighten themselves, and further loading causes a direct load on the yarns.
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