Machine Systems for the Production of Thermoplastic Laminates with In-situ Consolidation, of Thermoset Laminates and Dry-Fiber-Preforms
The worldwide increasing industrial use of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) demands for automated FRP production technologies using unidirectional (UD) thermoplastic tapes, dry-fiber rovings and thermoset prepregs in order to enable cost-efficient lightweight components with local UD-fiber reinforcements. Conbility develops and provides industrial machine systems for the placement and winding of UD-fibers (tapes, dry-fiber-rovings, thermoset-prepregs), based on more than 25 years of experience of the Fraunhofer-Institute IPT, Aachen, Germany.
Machine System “PrePro 2D”:
Regarding the processing of thermoplastic tapes, our in-situ consolidation process accomplishes fully consolidated 2D-laminates and substitutes expensive (cost-intensive and energy-consuming) subsequent consolidation processes within consolidation molding presses. Exemplarily applications are stiffening UD-profiles which can be used in injection molding, laminates for subsequent thermoforming processes or local UD-reinforcement of existing thermoplastic textile-based “Organo-sheets”.
Characteristics PrePro2.5D
- Plug&Produce Production Machine for manufacturing tailored composite blanks by automated thermoplastic tape laying
- Small footprint of 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 m
- Flexible arrange- and reconfigurable on the shop-floor by low weight of 3.2 t, moveable by forklift
- Integrable into fully automated production lines by automated unloading mechanism
- Direct further processing of laminates in thermoforming by using in-situ consolidation (no additional costly, energy-consuming and space-demanding consolidation step needed)
- High cost- and material efficiency by independent cut and add on-the-fly for each tape
- High productivity by consolidation of tapes with up to 1 m/s and simultaneous placement of three tapes in parallel
- Highest standard for the laminate quality by using aerospace proven laser heating
- Prevention of over-heating by temperature-control in the process zone
Flexible adaptable of tape material by exchangeable modules to cover tape widths from 6 to 25 mm, thickness up to 0.3 mm - Full control and documentation of all relevant process parameters by user-friendly HMI and machine control
Applicator System “PrePro 3D”:
Our modular applicable and multifunctional tape placement applicator can be integrated into existing robot systems and is equipped with decentral control system and HMI. The “PrePro 3D” applicator is one single tool (one investment) for 3 different technologies:
- Thermoplastic Tape Placement and Tape Winding
- Dry-Fiber Placement
- Thermoset-Prepreg Placement (including a backing paper unwinding system)
