A model for the mechanics (oscillating deformation), heat transfer including viscoelastic heat generation and friction dissipation, and degree of adhesion (intimate contact and healing) is proposed for the initial transient heating phase. 10Numerical resolution was performed using a multi-physical finite element code. The predicted dissipated power evolution exhibits a good correlation with previous experimental measurement of delivered power, and shows that the apparatus has a global efficiency of 13%. The predicted degree of adhesion also confirms the experimental observation that adhesion starts at the edge of the contact area, and progressively extends to the whole contact area. 15The numerical model was further used to investigate the physical mechanisms occurring during the welding process. As suggested in the literature, the first heating mechanism is confirmed to be due to interfacial friction. Bulk viscoelastic dissipation becomes predominant when the interface reaches higher temperatures. The dissipated power is suddenly increased when the whole interface reaches the glass transition temperature.

To improve the knowledge on the rheology of sheet molding compounds (SMC) during compression molding, a specific rheometer was designed, allowing to perform homogeneous experiments on SMC specimen under various mechanical loading, strain rates and fiber contents. Results gained during experiments underlined the key role played both by the strain rate and the fiber content. A viscous and transversely isotropic model was then proposed and used to fit stress levels recorded during the experiments. This model that requires few constitutive parameters rather well describes the main features of SMC rheology.

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