A focused review of the draping process and its impact on the resin infusion in Liquid Composite Molding

The draping process of textile reinforcements is the first and one of the most critical steps in manufacturing continuous fiber-reinforced polymer composites by Liquid Composite Molding (LCM), i.e., two-dimensional flat textiles are adapted to three-dimensional geometry. The textile deformation caused by draping will decide key physical quantities (fiber orientation, fiber volume content, and defects), significantly affecting the subsequent resin infusion behavior. Several reviews have discussed the draping process but have not established a strong connection with the infusion process in LCM. Thus, in this focused review, we discuss the CAE chain reported in previous published literatures which illustrated the significant impact of the draping process on the infusion process. A comprehensive understanding of the draping process is a prerequisite for accurately modeling the infusion process. In detail, deformation mechanisms, draping simulation approaches, and phenomena predicted by the draping process, are reviewed and discussed. Then, the impacts of three deformation behaviors of textiles (shear, compaction, and defects) on the resin infusion are discussed, respectively. Finally, macroscopic infusion simulation is discussed. This review will try to identify the gaps in the draping and infusion processes and contribute to developing the CAE chain of LCM.