Development of a process characterization unit for composites molding

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The application of polymer composite materials is continuously growing in several markets including transportation, aeronautical, nautical and sport industries. The application of composite materials for large parts has increased the last 20 years as manufacturing costs decrease thanks to the usage of "Liquid Composite Molding" (LCM). In LCM manufacturing, a liquid reacting polymer resin is injected through a carbon or glass fibrous reinforcement contained in a closed mold. These high quality and low cost processes meet the environmental requirements of emission free harmful solvents. These processes involve several complex phenomena such as resin flow, fiber impregnation, resin cure, thermal and rheological variations that make LCM very sensitive to processing parameters. Selecting proper manufacturing conditions (i.e., temperature, pressure or resin formulation) is a delicate decision often based on user's knowledge.