Non-isothermal direct bundle simulation of SMC compression molding with a non-Newtonian compressible matrix

Compression molding of Sheet Molding Compounds (SMC) is a manufacturing process in which a stack of discontinuous fiber-reinforced thermoset sheets is formed in a hot mold. The reorientation of fibers during this molding process can be either described by macroscale models based on Jeffery’s equation or by direct mesoscale simulations of individual fiber bundles. In complex geometries and for long fibers, direct bundle simulations outperform …