Abstract
Defining the specific cure profile of thermosetting polymers is an important aspect in many applications where the mechanical performance and appearance of components can be affected. Cure-induced strains or stresses from the shrinkage of thermosets lead to reduced performance due to accelerated damage or discarded products due to distortions. This research focuses on validating a proposed modelling framework, simulating the load-transferring part of the curing process affecting the mechanical performance. The model's accuracy is evaluated against experimental results, and the model prediction is found to be within an accuracy of 2-8% of the experimental results. A 16-hour and 31-hour two-stage cure profile was compared and validated experimentally. The short profile results in a higher cure-induced of -0.56% with the longer profile yielding -0.46% cure-induced strain. Based on the model, a new three-stage cure profile has been proposed. Using this, it is possible to achieve a low level of cure-induced strain of -0.45% at a shorter cure time on 18 h.