Title: Additively Manufactured Low-Cost Resin Transfer Molding Tooling with Embedded Flow Monitoring Sensors to Manufacture High-Performance Composites

Authors: Khalid Aldhahri, Seyda Naz Alasahin, Erik Thostenson and Suresh Advani

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.24.0263

Abstract: In Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process fabric preform is placed in a closed mold and resin is injected to cover all the empty spaces between the fibers displacing the air out through the vents. To create RTM net-shaped composites, a conformal mold is required. To manufacture each specific component an expensive iterative approach is used to design channels for resin injection gates and vents to minimize filling time and eliminate voids and dry spots. This research focuses on the use of additive manufacturing techniques for the purpose of designing and manufacturing 3D-printed prototype molds. Monitoring the resin flow front is crucial to avoid the formation of voids and dry spots within the part and thus improving the quality of the finished composite. Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is used as an imaging technology with the advantages of being low-cost and radiation-free. It reconstructs an impedance map based on the potential data from the boundary electrodes with an applied constant DC current source, which can be used to track the flow front during the impregnation process. The data from the carbon nanotube-based conductive 16-electrode system could be extracted by designing pathways in the closed 3D-printed mold. On-line flow monitoring will provide opportunities to control the resin flow during the mold filling process and produce a composite part without any defects.

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Conference: SAMPE 2024

Publication Date: 2024/05/20

SKU: TP24-0000000263

Pages: 15

Price: $30.00