Critical issues in model verification for the resin transfer molding process

This study investigates the components of a constant injection rate resin transfer molding system and discusses critical issues of each component from an experimental view. Also included are temperature and pressure data of independently designed mold flow experiments performed at The Dow Chemical Company. The experiments in this study included isothermal one-dimensional flow with line gating and end venting, isothermal two-dimensional flow with converging flow and center venting, and two different resin systems. Accurate and precise permeability measurements of the fiber preform continue to be the core of the issue. Deformation, contour, or overlap of the fiber preform can cause minor variation in local permeability, which, when compared with the bulk permeability, can vary the injection pressures up to an order of magnitude. Further, local dimensional changes in the fiber preform (i.e., overlap, contour, or edge-effect) can form a channel for racetracking of the resin during injection. The inability to accurately predict a priori the extent of racetracking reduces modeling efforts to a demonstration of the flow trend.