”3D-FAIM: Technology Fusion of 3D Fiber Application and Injection Molding for the Production of Load-Adapted Lightweight Structures”
Motivation
Mass customisation is a relevant aspect of lightweight construction, as further material savings can only be achieved by individually adapting lightweight structures to the load. This is realised through merging the technologies of:
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Injection moulding:Established process for the efficient and cost-effective mass production of lightweight structures
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3D fibre application:Flexibilisation and individualisation of the product, upstream and downstream of injection moulding process
Research focus
Three different integration variants (in terms of efficiency, robustness and resulting component quality) are considered:
- Pre-mould (fibre application before the injection moulding process)
- In-mould (fibre application in the injection moulding process)
- Post-mould (fibre application after the injection moulding process)
These three variants differ in the timing of the process fusion of 3D fibre application and injection moulding.
The technological innovation of the project is the multifunctional laying and printing technology (laying of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic impregnated tapes and printing of short fibre-reinforced thermoplastics), which has the following advantages:
- Novel technology combination by means of 3D fibre application for local integration of thermoplastic reinforcement structures in injection moulded components
- Large-scale production capability through use of synergy effects of injection moulding and 3D fibre application
- Consideration of the entire product life cycle and thus reduction of market entry barriers
Consortium
To implement the selected merged technology, the complementary competencies in the network are used. The project consortium consists of five German, two Dutch and six Polish partners.
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| Chemnitz University of Technology / Central Institution MERGE | Saxion University of Applied Sciences / TPAC | Wroclaw University of Science and Technology / CAMT |
| KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH | CompTape B. V. | University of Science and Technology Bydgoszcz |
| Westfalia Presstechnik GmbH & Co. KG | Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster | |
| FKT Formenbau und Kunststofftechnik GmbH | Opole University of Technology | |
| R & R Automatisierungstechnik GmbH | Rzeszów University of Technology | |
| Dopak SP. z o.o. |
Project duration
09/2018 – 08/2021
Contact persons
Motivation
The worldwide volume of scrap tyres is over 1.5 billion per year. In future, the recycling (work-material utilisation) of used tyres will take priority over incineration. Increasing legal tightening in Germany and the EU is making market access more difficult for products made from recycled scrap tyres. In order to ensure that resources are conserved for sustainability and competitive purposes in the future, this project will create technical, economic and ecological framework conditions for the use of recyclates in new material systems.
Research focus
- Use of different processing methods to grind used tyres into rubber powder
- Comprehensive chemical investigations regarding the content of pollutants in fine rubber powders and reference products
- Development of new recycling concepts to expand the sales opportunities for used tyre recyclates and new material systems
- Realisation of a new mixing technology suitable for large-scale production with fine rubber powders (grain sizes < 0.4 mm) with high filling degrees (up to 70% by mass)
- Development, design and implementation of a prototype plant for the implementation of the mixing technology
- Design of a plant for large-scale production and generation of new sales opportunities
Consortium
For the development of this new mixing technology, the complementary competencies in the network are used. The project consortium consists of seven German and four Polish partners.
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| Chemnitz University of Technology / Central Institution MERGE | University of Science and Technology Bydgoszcz |
| Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology | Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster |
| MRH Mülsen | Opole University of Technology |
| ERMAFA Sondermaschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH | Rzeszów University of Technology |
| COVAC Elektro und Automation GmbH | |
| Estoma e. Kfm. | |
| PTO PolymerTechnik Ortrand GmbH |
Project duration
01/2018 - 12/2019Contact person
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Phone:+49 371 531-30497
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Email:
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Address:Reichenhainer Straße 31/33, 09126 Chemnitz
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Room:
StructureSens: Development of a structurally integrated sensor system for fibre-reinforced plastics based on technical fibres with metal coatings and sensor wires
Motivation
Due to their excellent material properties, fibre-plastic composites are increasingly used in lightweight construction applications and in automotive engineering. Fibre-reinforced components can exhibit potential weak points such as cracks and delamination at the interface between fibres and matrix as well as other damages during use. These are not visible from the outside and spread throughout the laminate until the component fails. The sudden total failure of the component is to be detected and prevented at an early stage by a new in-situ monitoring system. This new system for structural health monitoring of the component will be cost-effective and easily integrated into the production processes for continuous fibre-reinforced semi-finished products suitable for large-scale production.
Research focus
The aim of the project is the integration of component-specific sensor inserts (functionalised fibres and sensor wires) into continuous fibre-reinforced components for structural health monitoring and functionalisation. A sensor principle based on conductive metallic coatings for technical fibres will be developed and implemented. The basis of the intended sensor system for structural health monitoring and functionalisation of fibre-plastic composites are the coated glass fibre rovings and sensor wires. The functionalised sensors exploit the inherent material properties of the electrical conductivity of the sensor inserts. By measuring the electrical resistance, mechanical deformations can be detected and additional sensor functions integrated into the component.
The advantages over current structural health monitoring systems are:
- Structure- and process-integrated functionalisation
- Application for thermoplastic and thermoset matrix systems
- Structural health monitoring for damage detection
- Adaptive structures of the sensor insert for the application
Consortium
For the implementation of these new sensor systems, the complementary competencies in the network are used. The project consortium consists of three German, three Polish and two Czech partners.
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| Chemnitz University of Technology / Central Institution MERGE | Wroclaw University of Science and Technology | Technical University of Liberec |
| Hugo Stiehl GmbH Kunststoffverarbeitung | Opole University of Technology | Vecernik Ltd. |
| Santenberg Maschinen Deutschland GmbH | Dopak SP. z o.o. |
Project duration
01/2019 – 12/2020
Contact person
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Phone:+49 371 531-32498
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Email:
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Address:Reichenhainer Straße 31/33, 09126 Chemnitz
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Room: