Analysis of the consolidation in flexible bladder process for thin composite parts by finite element method

The consolidation of a saturated preform under pressure by means of a flexible bladder is studied in this paper. This phenomenon occurs in several composite manufacturing processes such as compression resin transfer molding (CRTM) for example. The resin flow in the fiber bed is governed by Darcy's law. The consolidation of the saturated preform is described by the total mass conservation. Mechanical behavior of the fiber network is analyzed. A two-dimensional numerical model is developed based on the finite element method. The numerical model allows the calculation of the resin pressure distribution in the preform, the reaction force of the preform and the prediction of the evolution of the preform thickness as a function of time and space.