Curing of thick angle-bend thermoset composite part: Curing process modification for uniform thickness and uniform fiber volume fraction distribution

The effect of existing cure cycles and processes on the quality of angle-bend thermoset parts was presented in a previous paper. In this paper, the 2-D finite difference scheme developed before was used to model the processing of arbitrary shaped composite laminates. The effect of different processing parameters on the final part was studied, An optimal curing process is defined as one which will produce uniform thickness and uniform fiber volume fraction distribution throughout the composite part including straight sections and curved sections. Based on the results of the model, a modified curing process was developed. This process was applied to a graphite/epoxy Hercules AS4/3501-6 curved laminate. Results obtained from simulation and experiment were compared. Good parts were obtained using an optimal curing process.