Reduction of composite deformation based on tool-part thermal expansion matching and stress-free temperature theory

Aiming at the serious deformation problem of composite after curing, a new curing technology based on tool-part thermal expansion matching and stress-free temperature theory is presented to reduce the deformation. The thermal expansions of composite tool are designed to match with the composite part in parallel and perpendicular to the fiber direction. The stress-free temperature theory is introduced to reduce chemical shrinkage of resin by modifying the curing parameters. To verify the accuracy of this technology, the deformation of composite samples manufactured by traditional and the new curing technologies are compared. The experiment results indicate that the deformation of composites cured by the new curing technology is reduced to 8.3 % of traditional curing process.