  Liquid resin infusion (LRI) processes are promising manufacturing routes to
produce large, thick, or complex structural parts. They are based on the resin
flow induced, across its thickness, by a pressure applied onto a preform/resin
stacking. However, both thickness and fiber volume fraction of the final piece
are not well controlled since they result from complex mechanisms which drive
the transient mechanical equilibrium leading to the final geometrical
configuration. In order to optimize both design and manufacturing parameters,
but also to monitor the LRI process, an isothermal numerical model has been
developed which describes the mechanical interaction between the deformations
of the porous medium and the resin flow during infusion.1, 2 With this
numerical model, it is possible to investigate the LRI process of classical
industrial part shapes. To validate the numerical model, first in 2D, and to
improve the knowledge of the LRI process, this study details a comparison
between numerical simulations and an experimental study of a plate infusion
test carried out by LRI process under industrial conditions. From the numerical
prediction, the filling time, the resin mass and the thickness of the preform
can be determined. On another hand, the resin flow and the preform response can
be monitored by experimental methods during the filling stage. One key issue of
this research study is to highlight the changes in major process parameters
during the resin infusion stage, such as the temperature of the preform and
resin, and the variations of both thickness and fiber volume fraction of the
preform. Moreover, this numerical/experimental approach is the best way to
improve our knowledge on the resin infusion processes, and finally, to develop
simulation tools for the design of advanced composite parts.
