Quantification of the Influence of Charge Variations on the Flow Behavior of Sheet Molding Compounds.

Using a newly developed flow test bench, several charge configurations were analyzed to quantify the influence of the charge configuration in the mold in sheet molding compound (SMC) manufacturing. A test bench was developed to satisfy the industrial needs for the incoming goods inspection as well as the need for the flow characterization of rheological models in the simulation. The test setup has a cylindrical opening for the charge placement, from where the material is pressed into a thin flow channel, forcing the material to reorient.