JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 61

Fig. 2: Comparison of production strategies for thermosetting and thermoplastic composite structures

to 160 m/min, so that mechanical properties comparable to pressed and autoclave-cured FRPs can be reached [6]. Laser-assisted thermoplastic tape laying thus allows the cost-efficient production of fully-consolidated load-optimised tailored FRP blanks.

Targeted use of synergies in mass production
The process characteristics of the thermoforming process are opposite those of tape laying. Thermoforming enables economic mass production of comparatively small, very complex structures with defined, high-grade surfaces. To use the synergies between tape laying and thermoforming in a targeted way, the production process was designed so as to begin with the manufacture of loadoptimised pre-shaped tailored FRP blanks using laser-assisted tape laying. This way, the complexity of the laminate construction has no significant influence on productivity. The pre-shaped tailored blanks are automatically fed to the thermoforming station by a handling system where the pre-heated blanks are stamped to the final contour. Subsequent automatic unloading and potential finishing, as well as storage of the parts, are the last steps of the production chain. Due to this short cycle time, a high productivity level can be reached (Fig. 3).

subsequent process steps. Compared to metallic parts, tailored FRP blanks are lighter, have a higher surface stiffness, significantly higher strength and threefold higher energy absorption [9, 10]. These characteristics make them suitable for automotive applications (e.g. bumpers or roof frames), security-relevant parts such as helmets, sports equipment (e.g. bicycles) and, in particular, aerospace applications (A340 window frames and front wings). Non-load-optimised state-of-the-art tailored FRP blanks (isotropically-oriented long fibres/fabrics) with continuous parallelepiped shapes are oversized and lead to disproportional material requirements. In contrast, load- and cut-optimised tailored FRP blanks consist of laminated layers of unidirectional and non-crimped continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes. These allow the build-up of near-netshaped (integral approximation of the shape) multidirectional and multimaterial reinforced tailored FRP blanks (combining glass, basalt, natural and carbon fibres) with locally-specified material concentrations (thickening, notches). Thus, weight can be reduced by 50%, waste by 50-75% and component costs by 30% compared to conventional tailored FRP blanks [5]. The achievable forming radii within the subsequent thermoforming processes is also reduced (minimum radii = component thickness) [5]. To use these advantages in automotive production, the

Fraunhofer IPT has designed an integrated process chain that consists in laser-assisted tape laying of thermoplastic prepregs followed by a thermoforming step.

Laser-assisted tape laying of thermoplastics
The laser-assisted tape laying technology uses pre-impregnated, dimensionally-stable tapes made of a thermoplastic matrix reinforced with continuous fibres. These tapes have a fibre volume content of up to 60%. During tape laying, the laminate stack-up is built up by laying down several tape layers in any desired fibre orientation. Load-optimised three- or two-dimensional parts are built up automatically layer by layer by means of modular tape laying units routed by robotics. The laser-assisted laying process enables tape lay-up rates up

Fig. 3: Potential tape laying and thermoforming chain for automated mass production of lightweight components

No65 May - June 2011 / jec composites magazine The essential timing factor of the production

61

Technology & Innovations



JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011

Cover
Edito
Point of view: Reducing the gap between carbon and glass
Contents
Agenda of Events
COMPANY & BUSINESS
- In Brief
- Glass fibre
APPLICATIONS
- Sports and leisure
- Civil engineering
- Water filtration
MARKET
- Human ressources
- Focus: Carbon
- Business trends
- Sustainability
FEATURE AERONAUTICS
- Automation
- RTM
- Thermoplastic
- Productivity
- Software
- NDT
- Companies
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
- Nanotechnology
- Filament winding
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
- SMC
- D-SMC
- Thermoplastic
- Innovations
Index
In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - Point of view: Reducing the gap between carbon and glass
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - Agenda of Events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - In Brief
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Glass fibre
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 11
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Sports and leisure
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Civil engineering
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Water filtration
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Human ressources
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 16
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Focus: Carbon
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 19
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 20
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Business trends
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Sustainability
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 26
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 27
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 28
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 29
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Automation
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 31
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - RTM
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Thermoplastic
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Productivity
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 36
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 37
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Software
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 40
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 41
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 42
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 44
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - NDT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 46
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Companies
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 48
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Nanotechnology
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 51
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Filament winding
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 53
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 54
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - SMC
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 57
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 58
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - D-SMC
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Thermoplastic
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 61
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 62
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 63
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - - Innovations
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - Index
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 67
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #65 - May/June 2011 - 68
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