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.

Dr.-Ing.

Andreas Gebhard

Research Director Digitalization & Manager Digitalized Process & Material Development

Special expertise: tribology of plastics, tribometers and tribometry, transfer films, development of plastic composites, laboratory information management, data modeling

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

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