Warpage and mechanical properties of film insert molded parts with composite substrate

Mechanical properties of chopped carbon fiber (CF) reinforced PC/ABS composites were investigated. Tensile strength and elastic modulus of the composites were enhanced with increasing CF contents. On the contrary, impact strength of the composite was decreased with increasing CF fraction. Film insert molding was introduced in order to improve impact strength. Film insert molded composite specimens have higher impact strength than conventional injection molded composite specimens because inserted film acted as a cushion to absorb the impact energy. Large warpage which was observed after molding and known as a disadvantage of the film insert molded part can be prevented by controlling the amount of filled CFs. Therefore, fiber reinforcement and film insert molding can be applied simultaneously to reduce warpage of the film insert molded part and enhance impact strength of the CF reinforced composite.