Thermoplastic hybrid structures using the example of a plastic seat pan with local endless fibre reinforcement "Thermoplastic hybrid structures" are structural components that are made of plastic and are reinforced with local textile inserts in areas exposed to high levels of stress. Due to this mixed type of construction, it is possible to substitute highly stressed, structural metal components with lighter plastic components. Economical series production method ← combined with →

local reinforcement inserts

¾ Pressing Thermoplastic hybrid structures

¾ with thermoplastic glass fibre prepregs (woven, layered, knitted fabrics or similar)

The Volkswagen seat pan has been made with a newly developed production method that combines an economically efficient serial manufacturing procedure that involves pressing long-fibre-reinforced thermoplastics, on the one hand, with the use of a new kind of inserts reinforced with endless fibres, on the other. The seat pan consists of long glass fibre reinforced

polypropylene

and

features

Reinforcement inserts made of endless glass fibre / PP

inserts reinforced with endless glass fibres in areas likely to be affected by crashes and in places where force is applied. It meets the mechanical requirements of the technical specification and considerable

45%

weight

enables

a

reduction

compared to conventional seat pans made

long glass fibres / PP

of steel. With the seat pan as an example, it has been shown that a structural component which is built into an automobile and subjected to a high level of stress in the event of a crash can be manufactured economically in large series with a suitable, highly automated production procedure involving the use of thermoplastic composite fibre materials instead of the metallic materials or cost-intensive carbon fibre materials that have mostly been used up to now. Contact person:

Dr. M. Ehleben, tel. +49-5361-9-41621, [email protected] Dr. H. Kurz, tel. +49-5361-9-42674, [email protected] Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Group Research

Project partner:

Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology, Prof. Dr. W. Hufenbach, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Dürerstraße 26

Product description plastic transmission cross beam  

Until now transmission cross beams for BMW cars were made of aluminum diecasting. The gearbox mountings are 2-component plastic and elastomer parts. For weight reduction it was analysed whether the transmission cross beam can be made of glass-fiber reinforced plastic.

The requirement profile covers the fulfillment of the functional characteristics (operating strength, heat management, acoustics, crash behaviour) as well as economic aspects. In a preselection the materials SMC, PUR-GF, GMT and PA+GF were evaluated regarding fulfillment of the functional specifications and economic aspects. For the further development the injection moulding technology was selected using PA66+50%GF.

The design was optimized in co-operation with the raw material manufacturer. A numeric simulation method has been used considering the local production-determined material properties (integrative plastic transmission cross beam

simulation).

The matrix for the trials on the test rigs considers the temperature collective over vehicle life time. Parts in different aging and humidity conditions were secured by this matrix regarding thermal working reliability and breaking load. In addition the alignment between numeric simulation and part tests were accomplished.

Vehicle crash, dynamic corrosion as well as endurance testing had to be passed sucessfully. The acoustics were improved by geometrical changes.

Pilot application for the plastic transmission cross beam is the new BMW 5Series GT. Available space and mounting concept are identical to the aluminum diecasting design used so far. The weight reduction is approx. 1kg.

 

DSM DYNEEMA PRESS RELEASE DSM Dyneema Press Office Mauritslaan 49, Urmond P.O. Box 1163, 6160 BD Geleen The Netherlands Tel. +31 46 476 64 66 [email protected] www.dyneema.com

DOKASCH LAUNCHES LIGHTWEIGHT, ULTRA DURABLE AIR CARGO CONTAINERS MADE WITH DYNEEMA® AND AERONITE® FROM DSM New containers made with advanced composite RP10 panels are lighter and stronger than traditional aluminum, delivering major weight and fuel savings helping airlines reduce their environmental impact

URMOND (NL), October 6, 2009 - Following two years of successful flight trials, DoKaSch GmbH, a leading manufacturer of air cargo equipment, today introduced the new AKE lw-65 air cargo containers that are the first to be made with RP10 panels made from advanced composite material technology from DSM. The panels are designed to provide maximum strength at a minimum weight and are both stronger and lighter than traditional aluminum used in cargo containers. This advanced material breakthrough has been enabled through the use of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™, and Aeronite® resin from DSM.

The majority of the airline industry has recently committed to halve CO2 emissions by 2050 and is exploring all possible weight saving options that do not compromise on safety or performance. The new AKE from DoKaSch is more than 30 lbs (15.5kgs), or around 20% lighter than standard aluminum containers. A typical mid size cargo fleet will load around 5,000 ULDs (Unit Load Device) over the course of a year which could result in savings of up to 1.5 million gallons (330,000 liters) of fuel, yielding a 28,000 ton reduction in CO2 emissions and potential cash savings of euro 2 million ($3 million USD) for airlines.

Klaus Borowski, Global Sales Manager for DoKaSch commented: “The issue is clear. The airline industry needs to lose weight in response to rising fuel costs and environmental and regulatory pressures. New material developments and applications can help this.”

The DoKaSch lw-65 ULD with rigid RP10 panels replace aluminum sheets and are constructed using the same proven structural extrusion framework. As RP10 panels are up to 4 times stronger than aluminum sheets, the DoKaSch lw-65 ULD is extremely tough, strong and durable. In addition, the lw-65 ULD has excellent resistance to heavy impacts and general wear and tear which helps lower maintenance and repair costs by as much as 50% per year. The lightweight RP10 panels have excellent adhesion properties allowing IATA code stickers to be applied more easily and securely, avoiding damage or loss of labeling.

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The DoKaSch lw-65 ULD can also be manufactured in any airline color, which allows for easy identification. In addition, the panels display exceptional color and mechanical stability over their service life and are also FAR 25.853 certified.

The adoption of advanced composite, lightweight materials by the aviation industry is in its early phases and needs to be supported by appropriate testing and certification. DoKaSch and DSM Dyneema are taking the lead in addressing this with the recent proposition of rigorous new material test procedures for lightweight ULDs. The tests are designed to provide more comprehensive assurance and validation of both the performance and benefits of composites to the air cargo equipment industry.

DoKaSch light weight ULDs made with RP10 panels are already proving themselves in service with several carriers around the world. Based on the success of the AKE lw-65 inflight trials, DoKaSch has expanded its light weight ULD product offering to include AKH and all types of main deck containers, which are certified and commercially available.

DoKaSch AKE and AKH containers with light weight composite panels made from DSM’s Aeronite® and ® Dyneema material technology are already proving themselves in trials with leading carriers around the world.

(Photos DoKaSch, DYNPR148)

For for information please check following sites: www.dokasch.com www.aviation.dyneema.com www.compositeresins.com

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AVK Innovation Award 2009 Investigations for automated and high-volume capable production of continuous fibre reinforced plastic parts using the Gap-impregnation process Until today industrial production of continuous fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) parts in large series is still a challenge. The most established manufacturing process for automated series production of such parts is the Resin-Transfer-Moulding-process (RTM). One main disadvantage of the RTM-process is the long duration for impregnating preforms at high fibre volume contents, which are necessary to exploit the light weight potential of FRP. This is due to the impregnation mechanism, as the resin has to flow through the entire preform in the preform plane. An approach to speed up the manufacturing process is the so called Gap-impregnation process. This is achieved by using a special processing technique in combination with a novel machine and mould technology, which has been developed at the Institute of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen (IKV). Phase 1: injection

Phase 2: impregnation/ compression

translational and rotational movable mould carriers

Phase 3: curing

flow-gap preform upper mould resin

g

lower mould

x

x

gate

injection machine

upper mould

lower mould

Verfahrenskonzept und automatisierte Spaltimprägnieranlage im IKV-Technikum Process concept and automated Gap-impregnation manufacturing system at IKV laboratory Contrary to a RTM mould the mould segments of the Gap-impregnation mould can be moved translational and rotational relative to each other. Thereby the geometry of the cavity can be changed during the process and a flow gap for a fast distribution of the resin can be created on top of the preform. To achieve high fibre volume contents, the preform can be compressed by a fulling movement of the mould segments. To prove the potential of the Gap-impregnation process for high volume production of FRP parts, a prototype manufacturing system has been developed in cooperation with Hille Engineering, Aachen which facilitates an automated and repeatable control of all process parameters. With aid of this manufacturing system it has been shown, that parts (dimensions: 500x500 mm2) with fibre volume contents of 50 % can be manufactured in cycle times below 10 min. Impregnation and compression only afford 19 s, which is a significant reduction compared to the RTM-process. Due to the fast part manufacturing in combination with a high robustness of the process, the investigations constitute an important contribution for improved productivity during manufacturing FRP parts. The results can be used to open new markets for highperformance parts e.g. within the field of automotive and transportation industry.

Contact: Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV) an der RWTH Aachen Dipl.-Ing. Kai Fischer Composites Tel: +49 (0) 241 80-23883 [email protected] www.ikv-aachen.de

INSTITUT FÜR KUNSTSTOFFVERARBEITUNG · LEITER: PROF. DR.-ING. DR.-ING. E.H. W. MICHAELI RWTH Aachen · 52056 Aachen · Germany · Telefon +49 (0) 241 80-93806 · Fax +49 (0) 241 80-92262 · www.ikv-aachen.de

PRESS RELEASE cpm composite products, Bad Krozingen, AVK Innovation Award 2009

Neat and clean vehicle Electric driven vehicle 'SplashCar' combines fun driving and environmental protection

The remarkable all terrain amphibium SplashCar unites leight weight construction, high efficient electric drive and future orientated battery technology. SplashCar is suitable for unlimited fun and leisure as well as for observation of nature without disturbing noise and exhaust fumes. Main component of the vehicle is the leight weight tub made of fibre reinforced epoxy resins with foam core. The vehicle is driven by high efficient electric motors with 4 kW power. Lithium Polymer Battery Technology allows up to one hour of operation at full power rate and speed. Longer times of operation are possible at lower power rates and speed. The bigfoot-tires care for comfortable off-road operation. Speed and direction of SplashCar are controlled by a joy-stick – courtesy to young people who are used to play computer games. Changes of direction are effected through different speeds of the bigfoot-wheels. This way, SplashCar allows speedy straight runs as well as tight turns even on the spot. SplashCar achieves its outrages attraction in offroad cruising, e.g. in sandpits or on dunes. Up and downhill, through mud holes and pools – even a run through deep water can not stop the amphibium SplashCar. The operation of SplashCar is very efficient: one our of operation costs only about 80 EURO Cent. As distinguished from conventional motor bikes, Quads and carts, SplashCar operates without any environmental annoyance, no exhaust fumes and no noise. Through this, the vehicle SplashCar can develop to an ideal fun vehicle for leisure parks, hotel areas, clubs and private users. It is also useful for nature oberservation. In combination with a solar power station for recharging the batteries the vehicle SplashCar is among the most environmental protective possibilities of human mobility. pic: Fun and leisure vehicle SplashCar: an ideal combination of electric drive, leight weight design, all terrain capabilities and environmental protection

For further information contact: cpm composite products mücke Am Mengener Weg 4

D- 79189 Bad Krozingen-Hausen

phone +49 7656 262 456 [email protected] www.composite-products.de

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PRESS RELEASE Dipl.-Ing. Konrad Mücke mobile phone: +49 172 6455809 [email protected]

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