Title: Thermoset Material Data Cards and Process Modeling - A Game Changer for SMC Market

Authors: Mohamed M. Selim

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/c.23.0200

Abstract: Many Tier-1 molders in the automotive and transportation sectors are facing challenges when manufacturing Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) parts with complex geometries. Inherently, SMC is known to be an intricate composite material for which the part design can highly affect the performance. A typical SMC compound is made of thermoset resin, chopped glass fiber, fillers, and additives. During the compression molding process, the flow inside the mold dictates the mechanical properties. For complex designs, this leads to local variability in the performance within the part, which could lead to falling below specifications. The lack of accurate part-level predictions often leads to costly mold changes or increased scrap rate. Owens Corning Science & Technology recognized that, to achieve high accuracy of process modeling of SMCs, it is a must to start from creating accurate test methods to generate accurate Material Data Cards (MDC). Based on existing test methods, Owens Corning designed new testing technologies specifically for SMCs to accurately capture the anisotropic behavior of this composite material. High prediction accuracy is achieved based on multiple modeling and testing capabilities development through cross-functional team collaborations. The MDC and process modeling framework, provided as a differentiated service, enables SMC molders to gain productivity and reduces the development cost and time significantly.

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Conference: CAMX 2023

Publication Date: 2023/10/30

SKU: TP23-0000000200

Pages: 8

Price: $16.00