AdaptiveS

Numerous static and continuous process variants exist currently for the production of fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC). In terms of composite quality, these technologies are still compared to the manufacturing in an autoclave, where the combination of vacuum and overpressure enables the highest component or semi-finished product quality. However, the major disadvantages of autoclave production are relatively long cycle times and high energy consumption. Additionally, large facilities must be operated for large composite structures, which rises the manufacturing drastically. To meet the demand for those FRPC and to increase their market acceptance, economically as well as ecologically efficient processes with high variability need to be developed and established.

Together with Fotoverbundglas Marl GmbH (FVG Marl), the Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH (IVW) is developing a novel manufacturing unit for FRPC production within the AdaptiveS project. This unit is based on the LamiPress® technology, which was developed by FVG Marl as a specialist in laminated glass production and has been available on the market since 2010. As part of the project, the system technology is being further developed to meet the requirements for FRPC production in order to at least achieve temperatures of 250 °C and pressures of 0.3 MPa. The newly developed production cell is designed for a press table size of 1.5 m x 1.5 m, thus enabling the production of large-scale FRPC structures. In addition to impregnating dry fiber structures, the focus of the development is on the consolidation of tape preforms. It will be possible to manufacture not only flat, but also FRPC structures with variable thicknesses. The advantages of this technology lie in the relatively low investment volume and its modularity, allowing systems to be built in sizes of up to 3 m x 8 m. In addition to the system development, a corresponding process model is being established in the project to determine process parameters in advance for maximizing processing efficiency.

During the course of the project, several fiber and polymer materials have been characterized to obtain input parameters for the process model. The production cell has been designed and is currently under construction. Further project work will include extensive testing of the completed system, as well as the finalization and validation of the process model.