13 Mar New Paper on Predicting Thermal Overheating in Thick Composite Manufacturing
Researchers from AMADE (J. Farjas, D. Sánchez-Rodríguez, S. Zahidi, AM Saleh, J. Costa) in collaboration with DRC Cârstea and A. Rotaru have published a new study in Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, titled:
“Analytical Prediction of Thermal Overheating in Curing Thick Layers of Fibre-Reinforced Thermosets.”
This study presents a general-purpose analytical solution to predict the maximum temperature difference within a composite specimen during curing under isothermal conditions. Managing thermal gradients is crucial, as they can lead to heterogeneous properties, overcuring, or even matrix degradation.
Standard Manufacturer’s Recommended Cure Cycles (MRCCs) are optimized for thin laminates. However, when applied to thicker parts, they can cause significant thermal gradients, potentially leading to overheating and material degradation. This research provides a simple and reliable method to determine overheating risks based on material properties, thickness, and temperature conditions.
To aid implementation, the study includes a Matlab code that calculates a heat map of overheating risks based on resin/prepreg properties. This tool helps engineers design optimized curing cycles for thick laminates, improving manufacturing efficiency and material performance.
This research marks another step forward for AMADE in optimizing composite manufacturing techniques, contributing to more sustainable and reliable industrial processes
New paper on predicting thermal overheating in thick composite manufacturing.
You may find this study in open access here
This study was supported by:
– Generalitat de Catalunya [Grant No. 2017SGR1378]
– Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish government [Project PID2021-126989OB-100]
