Simulation of curing process of composite component with internal metallic mold

To design and evaluate the cure cycle of composite component with internal metallic mold, finite element method was employed in numerical simulation on distribution of its two-dimension temperature and cure degree field. A mathematical model was established to describe the cure process of this bind of composite component, and the coupling between temperature and cure degree was considered using finite difference method in the model. Numerical results show that the thickness of composite component affects the cure rate and temperature gradient. Internal metallic mold play a role of a heat-sink, which slows down the temperature gradient and the cure rate. The good agreement between calculation result and experimental data proves the reliability of the model established in this paper. Numerical calculation of the cure model may present theoretical reference for designing the cure cycle of composite component with internal metallic mold.