Experimental and numerical validation of an inter-ply friction model for thermoset based fibre metal laminate under hot-pressing conditions

Hot-pressing can be an attractive fabrication method that enables the forming of hybrid materials like thermoset based fibre metal laminates. However, the process simulation on press forming requires accurate material characterization and boundary conditions to facilitate part design for a defect-free component. In order to improve the overall predictive simulation quality, the inter-ply sliding at metal-prepreg interfaces which is one of the critical deformation mechanisms is considered. An inter-ply friction model has been established using an experimental friction test apparatus and the effect of slip rate, normal force and temperature is taken into consideration. To validate the proposed friction model, a comparative study between results obtained from the numerical model and the experimental ones is carried out. The research demonstrates that the inter-ply friction model can be a valuable building block for the finite element simulation of the hot-pressing process for thermoset based fibre metal laminates.