3D modeling of squeeze flow of multiaxial laminates

Thermoplastic composites are attractive because they can be recycled and exhibit superior mechanical properties. As part of a more general research effort, in this paper attention is paid to squeeze flow of continuous fiber laminates. In the case of unidirectional prepregs, the ply constitutive equation, when elastic effects are neglected, can be modeled as a transversally isotropic fluid, that must satisfy the fiber inextensibility as well as the fluid incompressibility. When laminate is squeezed, depending on the plies orientation and the lubrication conditions at their interfaces, the flow kinematics exhibits a complex dependency along the laminate thickness requiring one to describe the detailed velocity field through the thickness. Simulations at this scale are computationally intensive or almost impossible with standard FE techniques. In this work the squeeze flow of laminates is revisited from the perspective of the Proper Generalized Decomposition that makes possible extremely detailed 3D calculations with a computational cost characteristic of 2D (sometimes 1D) simulations.