Modelling void formation in corners during out-of-autoclave prepreg processing

Out-of-autoclave (OOA) prepregs are an attractive alternative to conventional autoclave materials in terms of costs, environmental impact and part size constraints. For their successful industrial application, the void content has to be restricted to that of benchmark autoclave structures. A detailed understanding and an optimal selection of processing parameters is required to compensate the reduced consolidation pressure in OOA processing. Capturing void formation phenomena by simulations is the solution of interest to avoid expensive and protracted testing. In this study, the void content within corner regions is captured by integrating two existing models. A stochastic model describing the effect of processing conditions on void content in a small representative volume element is connected to a commercial FEM software, which is used to describe pressure distributions within a more complex geometry, accounting for friction between plies and material compaction.