FLOW RATE CONTROL DURING VACUUM-ASSISTED RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING (VARTM) PROCESSING

摘要

This study investigates an injection flow control system for the Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) process. The system applies a computer-controlled vacuum differential between the injection and vent gate with feedback from a precision scale. The controller is implemented in Lab VIEW~@ to support the data acquisition and actuation and has been applied to various molding applications to improve both processability and part quality. The controller has been successfully tested for the co-injection resin transfer molding process to reduce transverse resin mixing and to ensure complete wet-out. The work is part of a state-of-the-art automated injection system, which will minimize costs and reduce engineering supervision currently necessary during resin injection.