Feature Automotive El Dorado, or a lure 28 3D printing 30 Cycle time 32 Raw mateirals 36 Reinforcements 39 Compression moulding 40 Lightweighting 42 Interior part 3D printing 3D printing meets FRP: more flexibility for highly-stressed components DIPL.-ING. DIPL.-WIRT.ING. HENNING JANSSEN Head of the Fibre-reinforced plastics and laser system technology department Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT 3 D printing ensures maximum flexibility in terms of the component shape and function. The fibre composite material provides the stability required, even when subjected to high loads. The Fraunhofer-Institute for Production Technology (IPT) in Aachen, in collaboration with its partners within various engineering groups, is investigating the combined manufacturing process as part of LightFlex, a research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The initial results were presented for the first time last March to expert visitors at the JEC World Trade Fair. 28 jec composites magazine / No110 January - February 2017 Individuality and adaptability need not be at odds with robustness and stability. It is envisaged that products such as car seat shells or medical prostheses, which are required to meet all of these characteristics, will be produced using a combination of 3D printing and fibre composite technology in the future. Injection moulding Injection-moulded plastic components combined with fibre-composite materials for reinforcement have one major draw- Lightflexhttp://www.jeccomposites.com