An experimental study on heat transfer and flow in compression molding of class-B SMC in flat and T-shape cross-sectioned was carried out.
The influences of mold temperatures and mold closing speeds on cure and pressure requirements during the process were examined. Three different mold speed, 15, 45, 50mm/min and two different mold temperatures, 130℃ and 150℃ are used for compression molding experiments. Experiments with different colored SMC charge were performed to study flow pattern at various compression ratios. Glass fiber orientation in flat plate and cross-sectional T-shape were investigated by SEM. In addition, compression test of cylindrical specimens made of class-A SMC sheet at 20℃, 50℃, 75℃ was performed to characterize the material property as a function of temperatures.
The study was to establish a relationship between the processing variables and mechanical properties of the molded SMC parts. Surface roughness, tensile and flexural properties were also measured. As a result of this investigation, a reasonable prediction of the properties of a molded component with given processing conditions can be made.
