Predicting thermal deformations during roll forming of thermoplastic matrix composites

• Main Author: Lynam, Corey
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2011
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/33976

Thermal deformations that occur during the manufacturing processes of long fibre reinforced composite have been a continued challenge for manufacturers. These deformations can be difficult to predict due to the complex thermal and mechanical behaviour of composite laminates. This thesis examines the fundamental mechanisms that lead to a final part shape to be different from the original mould shape. While the discussion is framed around a comingled polypropylene and E-glass thermoplastic matrix composite as well as a roll forming manufacturing process, it is also relevant to the wider group of thermoplastic matrix composites and their manufacturing methods. A methodology is developed that can be used to characterize the thermal mechanical behaviour of the laminate, optimize the manufacturing process controls and predict the magnitude of thermal deformations. It was found that, for the case of roll forming of comingled polypropylene and E-glass laminates, process controls should be optimized first so that crystallization of the matrix material occurs at the ideal position along the forming line. Once the process is optimized, thermoelastic modeling methods should give an adequate prediction of the thermal deformations. However, for other manufacturing processes and for other materials, a complete thermoviscoelastic process model may be required in order to yield accurate predictions. Ultimately, the methodology presented in this study can be used by thermoplastic matrix composite manufacturers to reduce the time and cost associated with developing the manufacturing process of a new component by reducing the need for trial and error iterations of process controls and tooling geometries. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Engineering, School of (Okanagan) === Graduate