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Digitalized Process & Material Development

Digitalization forms the basis for enhanced and efficient product development. In this competence field, the focus is on the corresponding hardware and software based digitalization "tools" themselves, which are researched from their basics to the final application.

Following the principle of "the right sensor at the right place", application-specific concepts for data acquisition are developed and realized, whereas virtual studies with process simulation models make it possible to minimize data acquisition effort and to maximize information value at the same time. Furthermore, this research area includes micro-scale material simulation for more accurate predictions of material behavior during processing and application. To build up the necessary material understanding, validate models and generate input data, innovative experimental methods for characterizing the processing behavior of semi-finished products are also developed. In all areas, machine learning methods are applied for effective data analysis.

All technologies are developed for the entire spectrum of composite process chains and materials. A special focus, however, is on liquid composite molding (LCM) processes.

PD Dr.-Ing. habil.

David May

Research Director Digitalization & Manager Digitalized Process & Material Development

Special expertise: Process monitoring, experimental-simulative characterization of processing behavior (esp. permeability), Resin injection/infusion, Preforming

Telephone: +49 631 2017 400

Special Expertise

  • Manufacturing concept development including data acquisition strategies
  • Technology carrier tools with extensive sensor equipment
  • Patented measuring systems, e.g. for textile permeability and organo sheet shearing
  • Patented sensor technologies for flow front tracking in LCM
  • Software packages for material simulation
  • LCM-one-stop-shop: Tool design, material selection, manufacturing, testing
  • Additive manufacturing with in situ thermoset impregnation and continuous fiber reinforcement
  • Caprolactam-based Thermoplastic Resin Transfer Molding
  • Highly qualified, interdisciplinary team
Economic Sectors Applications (Examples)
Mobility Data acquisition and end-to-end RTM simulation chains
Sports & Recreation Solid resin systems for yacht building
Energy Infusion technologies for rotor blades

Materials and Questions

Typical Materials

  • Liquid and solid resin systems, acrylic resin, reactive PA6
  • Glass/carbon fiber-based rovings and textiles, new and recycled
  • Thermoset and thermoplastic binder materials

Current research topics

  • Workflows for computer generation of realistic textile models
  • Machine vision based on polarization imaging for fiber recognition
  • RT storage-stable thermoset prepregs based on solid resins
  • AI-based quality assurance for thermoplastic profile production

Typical Questions

  • Which sensor types and positions provide the most meaningful process data?
  • Which semi-finished product is suitable for my application?
  • How can machine learning methods be used for quality assurance?
  • Which liquid impregnation process is suitable for my application?

Projects in this field

[Translate to English:]

Curved Composites

Subsequently Formable Profiles made of FRP

Development of a material model for unidirectional and continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastics

[Translate to English:]

EasyEntry2TPC

Thermoplastic liquid impregnation

Thermoplastic liquid impregnation for rapid entry into the production of continuously fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites based on established thermoset process chains

[Translate to English:]

Hypersaddle

High-Performance Bicycle Saddle in Hybrid Design

The aim is the development of an individualized bicycle saddle that unites comfort, lightweight design and durability on a high level.

HyRoS

Multifunctional Hybrid Rotor Blade Protection System

Development of an erosion protection layer for wind energy plants and a rotor blade heating system

[Translate to English:]

MarineCare

Sustainable Composite Materials for Maritime Applications

The aim of MarineCare is to develop a sustainable composite material from recycled and bio-based materials and to develop a corresponding waste-reducing manufacturing process.

Math2Composites

Material Simulator for Textile Based Composites

Development of a simulation software module for the determination of material parameters, which replaces experimental tests by validated simulations.

Next-Move

Concepts of Next Generation of Moveables

Introduction of a new methodology that enables the production of closed FRP box structures efficiently and enables new possibilities of construction

PowderTape

Flexible Prozesskette für Thermoplast-Composites

Ziel des Projekts PowderTape ist die Umsetzung einer flexiblen Prozesskette für die Herstellung hochleistungsfähiger Thermoplast-Composites auf Basis pulverimprägnierter Fasertapes und die Entwicklung einer entsprechenden Anlagentechnik.

Through-the-Thickness Permeabiltiy of the Reinforcing Tex

Design of a more efficient resin injection process

Knowledge about the impregnation behaviors of reinforcement textiles

[Translate to English:]

ZEUS

Integral Thermoplastic Design Concepts and Processes

Active hybrid structures enable a novel situation-dependent adaptation of aircraft aerodynamics, which increases efficiency and reduces noise pollution.

Publications from the IVW papers in this field of competence

  • Willenbacher, B.

    Bestimmungsmethoden für das transversale Imprägnier- und Deformationsverhalten textiler Verstärkungssturkturen

  • May, D.

    Prozessentwicklung für Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde: Studien zu Verarbeitungseigenschaften von Halbzeugen als Basis einer ganzheitlichen Forschungsmethodik

  • Rimmel, O.

    Grundlagen der Imprägnierung von Dry Fiber Placement Preforms

  • Kühn, F.

    Sequenzielle Imprägnierung thermoplastischer Puler-Towpregs

  • Neumann, U.

    Kontinuierliches Ultraschall-Preformen zur Fertigung von CFK-Bauteilen in der Luftfahrt

  • Grieser, T.

    Textiles Formgebungsverhalten beim kontinuierlichen Preforming

  • May geb. Becker, D.

    Transversales Imprägnierverhalten textiler Verstärkungsstrukturen für Faserkunststoffverbunde

  • Arnold, M.

    Einfluss verschiedener Angussszenarien auf den Harzinjektionsprozess und dessen simulative Abbildung

  • Weiland, F.

    Ultraschall-Preformmontage zur Herstellung von CFK-Luftfahrtstrukturen

  • Rieber, G.

    Einfluss von textilen Parametern auf die Permeabilität von Multifilamentgeweben für Faserverbundkunststoffe

  • Molnàr, P.

    Stitching Technique Supported Preform Technology for Manufacturing Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

  • Ogale, A.

    Investigations of sewn preform characteristics and quality aspects fort he manufacturing of fiber reinforced polymer composites

  • Stadtfeld, H.

    Entwicklung einer Messzelle zur Bestimmung von Kompaktierungs- und Permeabilitätskennwerten bei flächigen Faserhalbzeugen

  • Mitschang, P. (Hrsg.)

    Prozessentwicklung und ganzheitliches Leichtbaukonzept zur durchgängigen, abfallfreien Preform-RTM Fertigung. BMBF Projekt - leider vergriffen!

  • Stöven, T.

    Beiträge zur Ermittlung der Permeabilität von flächigen Faserhalbzeugen

  • Weimer, C.

    Zur nähtechnischen Konfektion von textilen Verstärkungsstrukturen für Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde

  • Kissinger, C.

    Ganzheitliche Betrachtung der Harzinjektionstechnik - Messsystem zur durchgängigen Fertigungskontrolle

  • Reuter, W.

    Hochleistungs-Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde mit Class-A-Oberflächenqualität für den Einsatz in der Fahrzeugaußenhaut - leider vergriffen!

    External Publications „Digitalized Process & Material Development“

    Modeling transverse mirco flow in dry fiber placement preforms

    Journal of Composite Materials 04/2019

    https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998319884612

    Impact of Stitchin on Permeability and Mechanical Properties of Preforms Manufactured by Dry Fiber Placement, Polymer Composites 5/2018
    doi.org

    Out–of–plane capillary pressure of technical textiles

    Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 09/2019

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2019.105495

    Wet Fiber Placement: A novel manufacturing technology for continuous fiber reinforced polymer composites

    Journal of Composite Materials 06/2018

    https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998318786998

    Integrated Product Development with Fiber-Reinforced Polymers

    Integrated Product Development with Fiber-Reinforced Polymers | David May | Springer

    Evaluation of different bonding strategies for glass fibre-reinforced epoxy resin with embedded elastomer layers

    https://doi.org/10.1080/14658011.2022.2111512

    Out-of-plane permeability of 3D woven fabrics for composite structures

    The Journal of The Textile Institute 08/2019

    https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2019.1682759

    Recycling langer Kohlenstofffasern, Kunststoffe 5/2018
    www.kunststoffe.de

    In-plane permeability characterization of engineering textiles based on radial flow experiments: A benchmark exercise

    Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 06/2019

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2019.03.006

    A combined experimental–numerical approach for permeability characterization of engineering textiles

    https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.26064

    An overview on current manufacturing technologies: Processing continuous rovings impregnated with thermoset resin

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pc.26274

    Solid epoxy prepregs with patterned resin distribution: Influence of pattern and process parameters on part quality in vacuum-bag-only processing

    https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.27696

    Textile-Integrated Elastomer Surface for Fiber Reinforced Composites

    22nd Symposium on Composites 06/2019

    https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.809.53

    Development & Validation of Recycled Carbon Fiber-Based Binder Tapes for Automated Tape Laying Processes, Journal of Composite Materials 11/2018
    doi.org

    Metrological determination of inhomogeneous hydrodynamic compaction during unsaturated out-of-plane permeability measurement of technical textiles

    Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science 04/2019

    https://doi.org/10.1080/20550340.2019.1598049

    Out-of-plane permeability measurement for reinforcement textiles: A benchmark exercise

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359835X21002025

    Saturated out-of-plane permeability and deformation metrology of textiles at high levels of injection pressure

    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20550340.2022.2064070

    Numerically predicted permeability of over 6500 artificially generated fibrous microstructures

    https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10047095

    A Novel Simulative-Experimental Approach to Determine the Permeability of Technical Textiles

    22nd Symposium on Composites 06/2019

    https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.809.487

    Präzise Charakterisierung von Verstärkungstextilien
    PDF

    Dry fiber placement of carbon/steel fiber hybrid preforms for multifunctional composites

    Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science 03/2019

    https://doi.org/10.1080/20550340.2019.1585027

    Concept for Darcy-based viscosity measurement for fast-curing resin systems

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coco.2021.100881

    Structural topology optimization and path planning for composites manufactured by fiber placement technologies

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2022.115488

    Dual-Curable Epoxy-Amine Thermosets: Influence of Stoichiometry and Ratio between Hardeners on Thermal and Thermomechanical Properties

    https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.3c03132

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