Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Mold Filling Process in Compression Resin Transfer Molding

Abstract

Compression resin transfer molding (CRTM) is an effective process for the manufacturing of composite parts with large size and high fiber content, while the existence of open gap, the dynamically changing dimensions of cavity geometry and the deformation of preform during filling process bring great difficulties to the three-dimensional simulation of resin flow in CRTM. In order to develop a convenient and efficient three-dimensional simulation approach for CRTM filling process, a unified mathematical model for resin flow in both open gap and preform is established instead of considering the gap as high permeability preform, then the analysis of the clamping force and stress distribution are presented. In order to avoid direct solving the coupled equations of resin flow and cavity deformation, volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase flow technology and dynamic mesh model are applied to track the resin flow front and update the cavity geometry during filling simulation, respectively. The master–slave element method is used to modify the amount of resin release and ensure the resin mass conservation. The validity of the numerical approach is verified by comparison with analytical and experimental results, three-dimensional simulation examples are also presented.