Optimisation of a vibro-packing process through simulation and experiment

Vibro-packing is a technique used in industry for filling moulds with

granular particles to a high degree of packing fraction. The entire

mould apparatus is vibrated with precise acceleration properties,

causing the particles to permeate and fill the void spaces as efficiently

as possible. The mould can then be back-filled with a suitable binder

(e.g. epoxy resins) to produce a high quality, homogeneous composite

material with desirable mechanical properties in a (close to) near net

shape.

The nature of the applied vibration and the design of the mould tool

itself cause interesting phenomena, such as node formation around

fixtures and out-of-axis motion, which are not simple to predict

without extensive testing and simulation. This project involves a joint

experimental and modelling study of these phenomena, with the intent

of optimising the vibro-packing process to increase manufacturing

throughput and tightly control the resulting material properties.

The project seeks to use advanced experimental techniques (such as

Positron Emission Particle Tracking, PEPT) to characterize the system

and provide important validation data. With PEPT, individual particles

can be tracked as they move through the mould, which combined with

machine learning and AI techniques, will allow us to develop an

understanding of how the particles' properties affect their packing

behaviour. Cutting edge modelling and simulation techniques (discrete

element method, DEM, coupled with computational fluid dynamics,

CFD) will be used to improve our understanding of how these

properties - and those of the mould fixture and resin binder - can be

used to produce better materials faster and more reliably.