Experimental investigation to reduce knit line effects in C-SMC

The integration of structural features, such as metallic inserts, into carbon fiber-reinforced sheet molding compound (C-SMC) components can be achieved through overmolding. The complexity of the structure and the presence of integrated metallic inserts, however, result in the formation of knit lines, which can lead to a reduction of structural performance. In a conventional SMC initial stack concept (Concept A), the initial stack is placed in the center of the mold. In this work, a new initial stack concept is investigated (Concept B), where the metallic inserts are wrapped in SMC. An experimental comparison of the two different insert concepts demonstrates how the position of the initial stacks of C-SMC can be optimized to enhance the structural performance.