An Innovative Methodology to Design LCM Mold for Aeronautic and Automotive Industries

Abstract

The liquid composite molding family (LCM) includes several processes like RTM (“Resin transfer molding”) and VARI (“Vacuum assisted resin infusion”), to satisfy the requirements of each industry. The objectives of recent years in the automotive and aerospace industries tend towards better control of production costs by using of new materials, shorter manufacturing cycles, a higher level of performance and safety and better environmental respect. In the automotive sector, a short cycle time and a lower cost equipment are the most criteria to determine a suitable process, while the quality of the part is the primary parameter for aeronautical process selection. The main objective of this paper is to propose and discuss a new design of LCM mold, allowing at the same time to facilitate the manufacturing process, in particular to reduce the cycle time and to respect the material’s health by obtaining a part with minimum defects. This innovation is achieved by using the TRIZ theory (“Theory of inventive problem solving”), in order to eliminate the contradictions that exist between the requirements of the two sectors.