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Lightweight design with fiber-reinforced plastics saves energy resources in the use phase of automobiles and aircraft. However, the savings are often offset by higher consumption in production. Therefore, the focus is increasingly shifting to sustainability in manufacturing. The Research Institute Neue Materialien Bayreuth has conducted a corresponding sustainability analysis for the processing of thermoplastic UD tapes into functionally integrated components.

Fig. 4. The demonstrator component “2D-MultiMat” was manufactured with laminates of woven fabric organosheets and UD tapes (CF or GF/CF hybrid) based on PP and injection-molded functional integration (PP-GF) with the FORCE process chain.

16:9

Evaluate the Environmental Impact of the Production of FRP Components

Fasern

Faserverarbeitung

UD-Tapes

Nachhaltigkeit

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Kunststofffasern

Organobleche (gewebeverstärkte Thermoplast-Halbzeuge)

Schnüre, Bänder, Tapes

How Sustainable Is  Lightweight Design Really?

Gefran has launched a new product series: the high-precision and robust magnetostrictive position sensors of the Hyperwave series. The linear position transducers operate contactless, are characterized by their high EMC noise immunity and are insensitive to vibrations and shock. To meet the requirements of diverse applications, the linear position sensors are available in three different versions.

Hyperwave sensors are available in rod and profile versions for measuring ranges of different lengths, and with different interfaces.

New Systems for Various Applications

Sensorik für Kunststoff-Verarbeitungsmaschinen

Sensoren / Messwertaufnehmer

Wickelmaschinen

Pressen, hydraulisch

Spritzgießmaschinen

Fertigungsmesstechnik

Längenmesssensoren

Robust Linear Position Sensors with Long Life Time

Currently, small wind turbines can hardly be operated profitably in landlocked regions. This drawback has now been overcome by the partners EAB Gebäudetechnik Luckau GmbH and the Chair of Polymer-based Lightweight Design at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: passive smartblades made from 3D-printed molds adapt independently to wind conditions. This is achieved by an intelligent layer structure and its bending-torsion-coupling.

This newly developed rotor blade is especially suited for weak-wind regions and adapts independently to the wind load

Additive Manufacture of FRP Injection Molds for FRP Components of Small Wind Turbines

Glasfasern / -matten

Simulation Produkt- / Formteildesign

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Finite Methoden

Harze, Epoxid

Windkraft

Analysetools, FEM

Additive Fertigung

Highly Efficient Adaptive  Fiber-Composite Rotor Blades

Diode lasers are often used for the production of lightweight components by means of thermoplastic tape laying. However, common tape laying systems are noticeably limited in their production capacity. With a flexible multi-head system, Laserline GmbH promises a cost-efficient system that should also pay off in large-scale production.

The direct diode laser LDMdirect from Laserline facilitates installation in assembly lines  thanks to its small housing width of only 50 mm. Another plus point: Several processing heads  can be integrated into one mounting

Multiple Processing Heads in a Row Optimize Processing Speed

Halbleiterlaser, Diodenlaser

The Hydra among Diode Lasers

In the iComposite 4.0 research project, it has been possible to cut the costs for a prototype component by more than 50 percent and throughput time by 40 percent.

View of the production system built for the iComposite 4.0 project at the RWTH Aachen AZL

Economic Production of Fiber-Reinforced Plastics in High Volumes

Schröder, Susanne

Pressen von Kunststoffen

Self-Regulating Production Plant

Short glass fiber-reinforced plastics are exposed to complex load cases during the operating time. Therefore, the influence of alternating load and frequency in the form of load spectra on material fatigue is investigated and an integrative computational method for structural design is presented. With this practical approach, a fast fatigue life estimation is possible.

20:7

The Influence of Varying Frequency and Load Level on the Fatigue Life of Short Glass  Fiber-Reinforced Technical Thermoplastics

Thermoplaste

Cumulative Failures Prevention

Climate change and the transport revolution are demanding smart fiber-reinforced composite solutions. In sectors such as the marine industry, infrastructure, and rail vehicle construction, many different fire protection concepts are competing. The composites industry is paying increased attention to recycling.

The first natural fiber-reinforced satellite panel permits safe space exploration and completely burns up on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere

Fiber-Reinforced Composites Drive Innovation in the Transport and Construction Sectors

Composite-Halbzeuge

Kohlenstofffasern / -matten

Sekundärfasern

Composites Are Trendsetters in Lightweight Design

Organo sheets have become established in several industrial sectors for the series production of highly stressed lightweight components. The utilization of waste material is a promising recycling approach.

Even with a highly optimized production of organo sheets, considerable amounts of scrap occur

Feeding Mechanically Recycled Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics Back to Production

Mahlgut

Recycling

Kunststoff-Recycling

Mahlen

Organo Sheet Recycling

The company’s latest model in the blown film segment is a five-layer co-extrusion blown film line that enables the production of film with maximum lay-flat width of 1400 mm.

The new five-layer co-extrusion blown film line features a high performance Ø300 mm die for maximum output 600 kg/h

Kung Hsing Stands out in Multi-Layer Film Extrusion

Blasfolienextrusion

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Folien

High-Speed and Efficient Blown Film Line

Starting immediately, ips Intelligent Pelletizing Solutions GmbH & Co. KG, Niedernberg, is also supplying systems for the production of long fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (LFT). For this, the company is delivering complete systems from a single source ¿ from planning through construction to commissioning ¿ just as for strand and underwater pelletizing systems. 

Intelligent System Concept for the Production of LFT Pellets 

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Pultrusion

Granulieren

For Heavy-Duty Structural Components 

The introduction of fiber direct compounding at deller plastics Uwe Braselmann was driven by tangible economic advantages. The plastics processor uses the lightweight construction process for manufacturing cable drive housings for operating electric power windows in car doors.

The injection molding machine Allrounder 630 S is equipped with an 8-cavity hot runner mold. The even distribution of the fibers is confirmed by an incineration test

deller plastics Uses Competitive Advantages of Fiber Direct Compounding

Spritzgießen

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Lightweight Components  from the Roll

Carbon fibers are due to their high price interesting for recycling. The results of the project RecyCarb enable the multiple use of carbon fibers as functional re-use. First demonstrator parts in the areas of medical technology and automotive prove the industrial feasibility.

Plant for carbon nonwovens at STFI with guillotine cutting machine (1), tearing machine (2), feeder chute (3), airlay (4), card (5), cross-lapper (6), needle loom (7) and Maliwatt unit (8)

Re-Use of Recycled Carbon Fibers in Sophisticated Composite Parts

Second Life for Carbon Fibers

Additives often consist of additive mixtures of heterogeneous components. Their anisometry leads to part properties that depend very strongly on the orientation of the additives. For this reason, it is essential to describe such orientation behavior at an early phase of development when additized plastics parts are being designed.

Simulated fiber orientation in an additive mixture of fibers and spheres with a volume fraction of 4 % each

Simulating the Orientation Behavior of Additive Mixtures

Additiv-Konzentrate

Prozesssimulation

Spritzgießsimulation

Füllstoffe, allgemein

Additiv-Batches

Füllstoffe für Kunststoffe

Additive

Elektrisch leitende Füllstoffe (Metalllegierungen, Ruß, Graphit)

When Fibers Mix with Platelets

With innovations in metrology, processing and automation, the film industry is again pursuing the goal of process optimization and digitalization this year. But efficiency and sustainability are also the focus of the machine manufacturers, who will be serving up pioneering innovations at K 2019.

The Circular Economy – Sustainable yet Efficient?

Flachfolienanlagen

Flachfolien- und Plattenextrusion

Verpackungstechnik

Folienabzug- und -aufwickelmaschinen

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Folienreckanlagen

Folienblasanlagen

Kreislaufwirtschaft

A Perfect Concept All Round

In addition to excellent mechanical characteristics and suitability for recycling, the key feature of hybrid lightweight structures made of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics is that automated, large series production is possible. New mold and process technologies were successfully developed within the scope of the ReLei research project, enabling the production of complex shaped sandwich elements in an efficient combined process.

In the ReLei project, several research and industry partners developed a rear shelf based on a fiber-reinforced polyamide as an example for manufacturing a complex sandwich structure

Thermoplastic Sandwich Structures for Large Series Applications

Schaumspritzgießen

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Spritzgieß-Sonderverfahren

Industrieroboter

Making It Big with Small Bubbles

At the start of the year, Toray opened a European R&D center near Munich, Germany, dedicated to automotive applications. From specially manufactured carbon fibers and engineering plastic compounds to battery elements such as separator foils, a wide portfolio is on offer from a single source. Kunststoffe spoke to Toray Group managers about their evaluation and strategy. 

With a New R&D Center, Toray Is Setting its Sights on the European Automotive Industry 

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Polyamide

Japanese Multi-Material Specialists 

"The right material in the right place" is the maxim of the multimaterial design. A lack of economical production methods has so far prevented commercialization at current batch sizes. To overcome this obstacle, a modular control and production plant concept was developed and demonstrated in the MoPaHyb collaborative project. 

Development of a Production Plant for Hybrid Fiber Composite Components 

Automatisierungstechnik

Montageeinrichtungen

Modular Thinking 

Long glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene and polyamide are used in automotive lightweight construction especially where high impact toughness, very good crash behavior and low weight are required. However, care must be taken during injection molding, since not every screw is suitable for these materials. To maintain the fiber length reliably and obtain a uniform distribution of the fibers, Engel has developed a new plastification system especially for processing long glass-fiber-reinforced materials. 

Plastification System Optimized for Processing Long Glass Fiber Materials 

Better Part Properties thanks to Fewer Fiber Breakage 

The combination of fiber-reinforced face layers with a lightweight foam core combines high strength and stiffness with low part weight. However, when processing, it is anything but easy to combine anisotropic FRP materials with lightweight, cost-effective foams. A tailored material system now makes processing by high-pressure resin transfer molding possible at low temperatures and pressures, with short cycle times. 

Rapid and Cost-Effective Sandwich Parts with PU Resin and PET Core Foam 

Hard Shell, Lightweight Core 