Optimal cure cycles for thermoset composites manufacture

This paper addresses the problem of determining time-optimal cure cycles for the manufacture of thermoset composites. The cure cycle is considered to be a series of heating and cooling zones, and the optimal values of the end-point temperature and duration of each zone are obtained using numerical optimization techniques, combined with a process model to simulate the cure. The optimal cure schedules incorporate constraints on the maximum material temperatures, the maximum heating and cooling rates, and the maximum difference in the temperatures across the composite cross section. The optimization results are shown to improve significantly upon the cure cycles recommended in the literature and by the manufacturers. Parametric studies are presented in terms of dimensionless groups in order to assess the effects of the product and process variables on the optimal cure cycles.