A generic mixed FE-SPH method to address hydro-mechanical coupling in liquid composite moulding processes

Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) can be a very attractive single-step process for sandwich structure manufacturing. During an RTM injection, large deformation of the foam core material is present due to the pressure field developing while saturating the fibre-reinforced skins. Such effects induce poor dimensional accuracy of skins and core thickness. Moreover, the foam core crushing increases filling time and injected resin amount. In order to model this hydro-mechanical coupling, the use of a mixed Finite Element and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (FE-SPH) method is presented in this study. This method combines Lagrangian particles and finite elements, modelling, respectively, the resin and the sandwich core. Computed pressure responses during the filling stage are compared to symmetric sandwich manufacturing test results. The potential of this original numerical method is also discussed.