Experimental and numerical study of distortion in flat, L-shaped, and U-shaped carbon fiber-epoxy composite parts

ABSTRACT In this study, flat composite panels were fabricated to find the effect of different manufacturing parameters, including stacking sequence, part thickness, and tooling material, on distortion of carbon fiber‐epoxy composite parts. L‐shaped and U‐shaped panels were also made to investigate the effect of stacking sequence on spring‐in angle and warpage of the curved panels. Results showed that distortion of the flat panels caused by asymmetry in the stacking sequence was an order of magnitude greater than distortion of the panels with an unbalanced stacking sequence; whereas in the curved panels, the panel with an asymmetric stacking sequence showed the least spring‐in angle, and the largest angle was observed in the symmetric panel. MSC Marc was used to predict distortion of the panels, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental results for several stacking sequences of the flat and the L‐shaped panels. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40439.