| The Vacuum Infusion Molding Process (VIMP) is becoming increasingly popular as a new type of Liquid Composites Molding Process for the production of large composite parts with complex geometry, whose outstanding process properties make it the most competitive manufacturing technology with high quality and low cost. With the aid of National 863 Plan, this paper studies VIMP .resin system, different molding technologies and optimization design of resin distribution system, and conducts some computer simulations for molding process.First, according to the demand of VIMP for resin system, the reaction kinetics and rheological of UP resin are investigated and the optimal content of Low Additive Profile (LPA) is determined. Then VIMP based on a high-permeable medium and grooves are studied by visual experiments, through which the appropriate high-permeable mediums are selected and the parameters of width, depth and spacing for flow grooves and spacing for supply grooves are optimized. Furthermore, various factors affecting the mold filling process are discussed and the whole vacuum infusion procedures are described taking examples of the manufacture of a model boat and a sandwich panel in one infusion. Based on the experiments, the 2D leakage model is established to simulate the molding process with CV/ FEM. The simulation of filling time and flow front shows good agree with the experiment values, which validates the molding model and numerical simulation. The results can also give some theoretical support to the practical production.This research is dedicated to the development of technology with our own property right. It has mainly solved the optimization design problem of resin distribution system for VIMP, which has significant influence on prompting the applications of composites in vehicle field. Meanwhile, with the good application prosperity of VIMP, the research results can also be applied to many other fields such as aviation, space, construction, national military defence and so on.
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