Doctoral seminars

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Friday, August 26th 2010, 14:00-15:00 in Celestijnenlaan 200A, 200A.05.001, 3001 Leuven-Heverlee

Composites Manufacturing Processes: Liquid Composite Moulding, Textile Response and Process Simulation

by Prof, Piaras Kelly langs, University of Auckland, Nieuw-Zeeland

The Liquid Composite Moulding (LCM) processes for the manufacture of advanced composite materials are now prevalent due to their ability to limit harmful emissions and deal with large complex parts. They are used within the automotive, aerospace, marine and civil industries. Analysis of resin flow, textile deformation, heat transfer, transport and polymerisation allow one to predict the outcome of these processes, and hence aid the manufacturer in machine set-up and design. In this talk, an overview is given of the work carried out recently into the LCM processes at the University of Auckland. This includes the inelastic models developed for textile reinforcement deformation during processing. These models are essential if one requires a knowledge of the stress fields and forces arising within moulds during manufacture; this is particularly true for the more complex processes such as RTM-Light, where the relatively compliant mould walls can undergo significant deformation. An overview of the SimLCM simulation software is also given, including examples of how it can be used to optimize the manufacturing process.