Virtual manufacturing of thick composite beams, investigating cure cycle and shrinkage induced stress

Abstract

Investigating cure shrinkage-induced stress in thick composite beams by virtual manufacturing is the focus of this study. The research aims to understand the behaviour of thick-walled composite structures, particularly in relation to curing shrinkage-induced damages. The curing process of resin is simulated thermally and mechanically to investigate the residual cure-induced stress. The study utilizes a finite element model in Abaqus, considering material properties, mesh, boundary conditions, and user subroutines. Ten different cure cycles are investigated, showing improvements in reducing internal stresses after curing compared to the manufacturer's cycle of about 20%. However, during curing, the investigated cycles provide marginal improvements. This study demonstrates the potential for optimizing cure cycles to reduce internal stresses in thick-walled applications. It is important to note that the proposed method is not experimentally validated and requires accurate measurements for validation.