ABSTRACT Resin injection pultrusion manufacturing of composite materials is presently a cost-effective method of producing composites; however, there is still potential for significant improvements in the productivity of this approach for high speed production. Complete wetout of the dry fiber reinforcement by the liquid resin at high pull speeds is crucial for improving the throughput for pultrusion. Fiber reinforcement wetout depends strongly on the geometric injection configuration. Geometric parameters studied were: multiple injection slots within the injection chamber and thickness of the pultruded part. The finite volume numerical technique was employed to model the flow of resin through fiber reinforcement rovings. Results depict the impact of varying the thickness of the pultruded part and the use of multiple injection slots on the minimum resin injection pressure necessary to achieve complete fiber matrix wetout and on the resin pressure at the injection chamber exit. This model is a useful guide for improvement in productivity of the resin injection pultrusion process for a detached injection chamber with tapered walls.
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