PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR INJECTION MOLDED SHORT GLASS FIBER THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES WITH A CIRCULAR FRONT

摘要

A two dimensional axisymmetric simulation for predicting the flow-induced orientation of glass fibers in injection molded composite parts is presented. The mass and momentum balance equations are discretized using Galerkin finite element method and the constitutive equation for fiber orientation is discretized using discontinuous Galerkin finite element method. Material parameters used in the model are determined using rheology and experimental fiber orientation is used for initial conditions. Simulation results are in close agreement with the trend seen in experimental data with still need for improving the simulation to capture the orientation in regions close to frontal flow and the walls.