{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T03:23:14Z","timestamp":1764904994977,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,17]],"date-time":"2023-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1676592000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Seventh Framework Program","award":["CP-TP 246256-2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CP-TP 246256-2"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Computation"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Composite moulds constitute an attractive alternative to classical metallic moulds when used for components fabricated by processes such as Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM). However, there are many factors that have to be accounted for if a correct design of the moulds is sought after. In this paper, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used to help in the design of the mould. To do so, a thermo-electrical simulation has been performed through MSC-Marc in the preheating phase in order to ensure that the mould is able to be heated, through the Joule\u2019s effect, according to the thermal cycle specified under operating conditions. Mean temperatures of 120 \u00b0C and 100 \u00b0C are predicted for the lower and upper semi-mould parts, respectively. Additionally, a thermo-electrical-mechanical calculation has been completed with MSC-Marc to calculate the tensile state along the system during the preheating stage. For the filling phase, the filling process itself has been simulated through RTM-Worx. Both the uniform- and non-uniform temperature distribution approaches have been used to assess the resulting effect. It has been found that this piece of software cannot model the temperature dependency of the resin and a numerical trick must have been applied in the second case to overcome it. Results have been found to be very dependent on the approach, the filling time being 73% greater when modelling a non-uniform temperature distribution. The correct behaviour of the mould during the filling stage, as a consequence of the filling pressure, has been also proved with a specific mechanical analysis conducted with MSC-Marc. Finally, the thermo-elastic response of the mould during the curing stage has been numerically assessed. This analysis has been made through MSC-Marc, paying special attention to the curing of the resin and the exothermic reaction that takes place. For the sake of accuracy, a user subroutine to include specific curing laws has been used. Material properties employed are also described in detail following a modified version of the Scott model, with curing properties extracted from experiments. All these detailed calculations have been the cornerstone to designing the composite mould and have also unveiled some capabilities that were missed in the commercial codes employed. Future versions of these commercial codes will have to deal with these weak points but, as a whole, the Finite Element Method is shown to be an appropriate tool for helping in the design of composite moulds.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/computation11020041","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,20]],"date-time":"2023-02-20T03:56:07Z","timestamp":1676865367000},"page":"41","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Composite Mould Design with Multiphysics FEM Computations Guidance"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7293-8960","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"I\u00f1aki","family":"Garmendia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering School of Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country UPV\/EHU, Plaza de Europa, 1, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7044-8255","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haritz","family":"Vallejo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Mikeletegi Pasealekua, 7, E-20009 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Usue","family":"Os\u00e9s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering School of Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque Country UPV\/EHU, Plaza de Europa, 1, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Akdogan, A., and Vanli, A.S. (2019). Mass Production Processes, IntechOpen.","DOI":"10.5772\/intechopen.83280"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Matvienko, O., Daneyko, O., Kovalevskaya, T., Khrustalyov, A., Zhukov, I., and Vorozhtsov, A. (2021). Investigation of Stresses Induced Due to the Mismatch of the Coefficients of Thermal Expansion of the Matrix and the Strengthening Particle in Aluminum-Based Composites. Metals, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/met11020279"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3426","DOI":"10.1002\/pc.26626","article-title":"Design of effective injection strategy and operable cure window for an aircraft wing flap composite part using neat resin characterization and multi-physics process simulation","volume":"43","author":"Zade","year":"2022","journal-title":"Polym. 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Part A"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1016\/0266-3538(90)90020-6","article-title":"A model for the thermal and chemorheological behavior of thermoset processing: II) Unsaturated polyester based composites","volume":"38","author":"Kenny","year":"1990","journal-title":"Compos. Sci. 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