Effect of Fiber Configuration on Resin Impregnation Monitoring by Ultrasonic

RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) is widely used technology for producing fiber reinforced composite materials, because it gives relatively good working environment and does not require special skills. The quality of RTM products are strongly dependent on the resin impregnation of fiber preform during the mold-filling stage. In order to avoid creation of dry spots as well as voids, it is desirable to monitor resin impregnation process in a nondestructive manner. In this study, ultrasonic testing is applied to detect resin flow front and resin impregnation in RTM process. Especially, the effect of fiber configuration on ultrasonic testing is investigated.