Effect of Injection System on Filling Time of Mold in VARTM Process to Manufacture Glass/Epoxy Composite Laminates

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to determine the optimized dimensions of the inlet tube to produce composite parts using VARTM method. Afterward, some samples with various diameters and lengths are produced using VARTM method while keeping the Vertical length of inlet tube on resin tank constant and also some samples were made by holding the length constant and changing the vertical images of inlet tube with various vertical distances. In both cases, experimental results are compared with simulation. The outcomes demonstrate that thicker inlet tube leads to lower ratio of energy drop to flow rate. Progression of the flow front will increase the length of movement route and the ratio of energy drop in different diameters to filled mold length will decrease and the velocities become closer. Also pressure drop and process duration will increase by increasing the length and the Vertical length of the inlet tube. In this paper the simulation gives a good agreement to experiments.