Mechanics of materials in modern manufacturing methods and processing techniques: Numerical modelling of the mechanics of pultrusion

This book chapter concerns numerical modelling of the mechanics of pultrusion processes, with a focus on the physics that take place inside the pultrusion die. The following topics are covered: i) impregnation mechanisms of saturated and unsaturated flow to predict the resin impregnation and pressure rise in straight and tapered impregnation chambers; ii) thermo-chemical modelling, which concerns the development of temperature and degree of cure throughout the pultrusion die, iii) thermo-chemical-mechanical modelling for analysing processinduced shape distortions and associated stresses and strains, and finally iv) methods for estimating the required pulling force to achieve the desired profile-advancing pulling speed.