Experimental and numerical study on the effect of woven reinforcement on compression bearing behavior of rubber mandrel

Abstract Co‐curing is an effective manufacturing method of hat‐stiffened composite panels, and the mandrel plays a critical role in the manufacturing process. During the lay‐up process, mandrels are the primary structures to bear the downward load from the Automatic Fiber Placement (AFP) roller. A suitable mandrel cannot only maintain the configuration and dimension of the hat‐stiffened panel but also be released from the mold after co‐curing. Therefore, mandrels reinforced with woven prepreg in various regions were designed to investigate the compression‐bearing behavior from the AFP roller through experimental tests and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation. The results show that the woven material improved the compression deformation resistance of the designed mandrel, such that the effect of reinforcing in the flat regions was greater than that in the angled regions. Compared with the rubber mandrel, the maximum deformation in the flat region reinforced mandrel under a 400 N load was reduced by 25%. The simulated maximum Mises stress under a 70 N load increased by 60 times. Furthermore, the simulated results showed that the bottom‐flat reinforced mandrel exhibits higher compression resistance compared with the bottom‐angle configuration and higher potential pressure transmission efficiency in its angle region, which provided a guidance for industrial production. Highlights Four rubber mandrels reinforced with woven material in different regions were designed. The compression bearing behavior was investigated via experimental testing and simulation. The compression bearing resistance was affected by the reinforced regions.