Experimental flow-front visualisation in compression moulding of SMC

This work is primarily focused on experimental visualisation of the flow during mould closure in compression moulding of sheet moulding compound. Circular plates are manufactured with industry scale equipment at close to production conditions. Special attention is given to the advancing flow front, for which the full complexity is captured by means of continuous high resolution close-up monitoring. From the experimental visualisation of the flow front, three phases are defined, namely squish,flow, and boiling. During the initial phase, squish, outer layers do not remain outer layers, the actual flow is very complex and air is likely to be entrapped. The governing process parameters during this phase are mould temperature, mould closing speed and amount of preheating in the mould. During the second phase, flow, the flow is stable and seemingly viscous. During the last phase, boiling, bubbles are observed in the low pressure region at the flow front, favouring the void content both internally and on the surface. Based on a chemical analysis including mass spectrometry and thermogravimetry, the gas is probably styrene. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.