Draping gripper system improves the speed and quality of RTM processing Fig. 3: The draping gripper technology can also simplify the production of components with complex three-dimensional contours (Source: WBK Karlsruhe) ing of a fibre reinforcement material from a 2D to a 3D structure - is a crucial step of the production process. In industrial manufacturing, the actual shaping step has so far been largely carried out using manual procedures. A pixilated approach to manufacture diverse shapes The draping gripper technology can also simplify the production of components with complex three-dimensional contours that require several steps to produce the final shape. The first shaping procedure can, for example, be carried out during the transport by the draping gripper unit, which is made up of several so-called pixels. Each gripping pixel is an individual autonomous system that can be combined with other gripping pixels through a data bus. With its pixilated placement, the draping gripper system can be configured to fit any contours and be combined with standard mounting elements. The draping gripper system was developed by a research group established by the German industrial companies Schunk GmbH & Co. KG and J. Schmalz GmbH, and the WBK In- stitute of Production Science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts subsidized the joint research project Technology Developments in the RTM Value Chain for the Economic Production of Hybrid Components - HyPro from 1 June 2014 to 31 May 2016. The industrial partners involved in the draping gripper project are interested in further developing the system in preparation for the commercial market. More information: www.wbk.kit.edu/english Subscribe to the electronic version for FREE now Access the same content plus online ressources Use the interactive navigation of the magazine's electronic version www.JECcomposites.com/magazine-subscription 24 jec composites magazine / No110 January-February 2017http://www.wbk.kit.edu/english http://www.JECcomposites.com/magazine-subscription