A comprehensive filling and tooling force analysis for rigid mould LCM processes

A comprehensive tooling force analysis is presented for rigid tool Liquid Composite Moulding (LCM) processes such as Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) and Injection/Compression Moulding (I/CM). This has been implemented within SimLCM, a generic LCM filling simulation under development at the University of Auckland. The simulation has been verified against existing analytic and semi-analytic solutions, considering fill times and clamping force due to reinforcement compaction. Industrial application is demonstrated through consideration of a fireman’s helmet, which has demonstrated the complex evolution of both local and global tooling forces during RTM and I/CM cycles. Resultant forces are computed in the closing and lateral directions, having practical benefits for design of moulds and supporting equipment. The evolution of tooling forces has been shown to be sensitive to the accuracy of the applied fibre reinforcement compaction model, which is used to predict normal and tangential stresses exerted on mould surfaces.