Modeling and Numerical Analysis of Compression Molding of Three-Dimensional Thin Parts With Curing Process

Abstract

A numerical modeling is proposed for the simulation of flow, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics during the compression molding of three-dimensional thin parts. A nonisothermal, non-Newtonian model including the kinetic equation for a curing mechanism of thermosetting materials is implemented in a computer program, and a finite element method is used to simulate a preheating, a filling, and a post-heating stage during the entire compression molding process. As a more rigorous approach, a moving boundary condition due to the drag motion of an upper mold of a nonplanar shape or due to an apparent slip phenomena of particle filled materials is introduced into the present modeling, resulting in a new governing equation and the corresponding finite element formulation. Verifications of the analysis program were performed with a simple geometry for the Newtonian and non-Newtonian isothermal cases, in which the numerical results are found to be in good agreement with theoretical results. Effects of the moving boundary condition and processing conditions, such as thickness of compression molded parts, mold closing velocity and the preheating stage on overall compression molding processing, are numerically investigated. Numerical results for a car fender are also presented as an example of industrial applications.