Hybrid resin improves position and alignment of continuously reinforced prepreg during compression co-molding with sheet molding compound

Local continuous-fiber patches could unite the mechanical performance of prepreg materials with the design freedom of chopped fiber materials. However, there is no approved procedure for the reliable co-molding of prepreg compression molding (PCM) material with sheet molding compound (SMC). This paper therefore addresses the influence of the molding conditions and the matrix system on the accuracy of the continuous fiber position and alignment within a molded part. It is shown that the use of a B-staged, hybrid-resin-impregnated PCM material decreases the displacement of a PCM patch during co-molding by more than 700 % compared to a state-of-the-art resin system. This could enable the industry to enhance the quality of compression comolded composites to make them attractive for large-series production.