Finite element modeling of consolidation of composite laminates

Abstract

Advanced fiber reinforced polymer composites have been increasingly applied to various structural components. One of the important processes to fabricate high performance laminated composites is an autoclave assisted prepreg lay-up. Since the quality of laminated composites is largely affected by the cure cycle, selection of an appropriate cure cycle for each application is important and must be optimized. Thus, some fundamental model of the consolidation and cure processes is necessary for selecting suitable parameters for a specific application. This article is concerned with the "flow-compaction" model during the autoclave processing of composite materials. By using a weighted residual method, two-dimensional finite element formulation for the consolidation process of thick thermosetting composites is presented and the corresponding finite element code is developed. Numerical examples, including comparison of the present numerical results with one-dimensional and twodimensional analytical solutions, are given to illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed finite element formulation. In addition, a consolidation simulation of AS4/3501-6 graphite/epoxy laminate is carried out and compared with the experimental results available in the literature.

Thermal Curing Induced Deformation of Fiber Composite Laminates

“…The planar composite laminates (length is 0.2 m, width is 0.1 m, layer thickness is 0.002 m) are chosen for the modeling and simulation. The basic parameters used in the simulation are referred to references [9][10][11] . In this paper, the maximum deformation is represented by the maximum absolute value of the z-displacement, namely the displacement in the thickness direction of the laminates.…”

Finite Element Analysis and Numerical Simulation of Composite Laminates

“…Two dimensional finite element formulation for the consolidation process of thick thermosetting composites is presented and the corresponding finite element code is developed [1].The initial buckling loads of symmetrically laminated rectangular orthotropic plates under uniaxial compression are determined in a closed-form analytical manner. The considered laminates are simply supported at all edges and furthermore subjected to elastic rotational restraints at the unloaded edges [2].…”

Application of the quadrilateral area coordinate method: a new element for laminated composite plate bending problems

“…Laminated composite plates are one of the most popular structural components for modern industry [14]. Up to date, the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is usually considered the best compromise between the capability for prediction and computational cost for a wide class of applications.…”