• Composites Research
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.421-428
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• 2018

In order to optimize the prepreg compression molding (PCM) process, the forming simulation is required to cope with any problems that may be raised during the process. For the improvement of simulation accuracy, the input data of material property should be measured accurately. However, most studies assume that the compressive properties of the prepreg are identical to the tensile properties without quantifying them separately. Therefore, in this study, the in - plane compressive properties of the prepreg are presented to improve the accuracy of the forming simulation. As a result, the compressive modulus of the fibers was measured to be about $10^{-2}$ times lower than the tensile modulus. Also we designed a square-cup mold with a tilting angle of $110^{\circ}$ to simulate the prepreg formability during the high temperature compression mold process. Shear angles were measured at each corner, which were compared with the simulation results. It was observed that the simulation results using the accurate compressive properties of the prepreg showed a similar trend with the experimental results. It was confirmed that the measured data of the in-plane compression property improved the accuracy of the forming simulation results.