Effect of reinforcement structure on compaction behavior in the vacuum infusion process

The Vacuum infusion molding process is gaining increased popularity for its relatively short cycle time, low equipment cost and low labor requirements. Furthermore, for large and complex structures, it offers a high potential of integration in addition to the complete elimination of volatile organic compound (V.O.C.) emissions, which are considered to be a major health concern for employees within the composite industry. Successful implementation of the process, especially for large structures such as boat hulls where large amounts of raw materials are involved, requires the completion of the impregnation phase in the shortest time possible. This can be achieved by the integration of a highly permeable layer to the reinforcement stack. However, this will strongly affect the compaction behavior of the resulted stack. This paper investigates the effect of the reinforcement structure on the overall compaction behavior. More specifically, the investigation is oriented toward the effect of the flow enhancement layer on the compaction response.