Numerical simulation on process-induced deformation of autoclaved V-shaped composite parts

Anisotropic thermal contraction, resin chemical shrinkage and tool-part interaction are the key parameters which induce residual stress in composite parts. For V-shaped composite parts, when released from the tool after autoclave processing, the residual stress causes deformation which acts as a decrease of the enclosed angle called spring-in. Spring-in will affect the manufacturing precision and cause difficulty in assembling. This paper presents a linear elastic model to study the spring-in of V-shaped composite parts made of ZT7H/5429, considering the effect of thermal contraction, resin shrinkage and tool interaction. An experiment was conducted to study the spring-in of ZT7H/5429 parts. The validity of the linear elastic model was demonstrated by comparing with experimental results. The effect of lay-up, thickness, parts angles and corner radius on spring-in was studied by the model and the result was given in the paper.