CompositesWorld

OCT 2017

CompositesWorld

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NEWS 35 CompositesWorld.com Fraunhofer ICT despite its bucolic location, the activities and research projects there, as CW has reported over the years, have had far-reaching impacts throughout the world of composites. CW's recent stop in rural Pfinztal to see, first hand, where such impact had its genesis, uncovered a rich scientific heritage. Bilateral connections e tour starts at the gate house where directions are given to Building 90, located about a half-mile distant, and further uphill. Luckily, fair weather makes for an enjoyable hike to the large, multi-story building that houses much of ICT's composites-related activities. ere, Alex- ander Roch, the head of ICT's thermoplastic technology "corridor" within polymer engineering, clarifies that there are five main research centers on the campus: Two, involving energetic materials, work mainly (but not exclusively) for the German Ministry of Defense, leaving polymers engineering, envi- ronmental engineering (which includes recycling studies and weathering, among other topics) and applied electrochemistry (focused on batteries and fuel cells). One-third of ICT's budget, he says, comes from the German state, another third from industrial partners who contract research, and the final third from European Union and public German grants. Roch names, as an example of an applied electrochemistry project, the RedoxWind energy accumulation system, designed to test electrical storage of wind energy, and points out workers who Premier research institute Tucked away in Pfinztal, Germany, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) is one of more than 65 Fraunhofer institutes and research units located throughout Germany. ICT is well known to CW readers for its work on high-performance fiber composites, nanocomposites, thermoplastic processing, thermoset processing, microwave and plasma heating technology, foams and compounding/extrusion. Building 90, the large, multi-story building shown here, houses much of ICT's composites activities. Source | Sara Black are installing a large wind turbine tower and rotor on the ICT site to test the concept. "Within the polymer engineering department, we cultivate very strong collaborations with automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers," states Roch. "Our location in Baden-Württemberg, with an established industrial base, puts us close to Porsche, Diamler and Mercedes-Benz as well as Audi." He adds that the "bilateral connections" between Fraunhofer and its industrial partners are strictly confidential, and are structured such that OEMs pay for machine time, testing and consultations with Insti- tute staff. Close relationships also have been established with machine and system suppliers, including Krauss- Maffei (Munich, Germany) and Dief- fenbacher (Eppingen, Germany), that enable financial arrangements to ensure the best equipment for research. "We are not allowed to make parts for profit, only for prototyping and validation," he explains. Glass-shelved display cases in Building 90's atrium show the wide range of ICT's activities. Roch points out examples of automotive engine parts made using ICT's thermoset injection molding process, a project undertaken with SBHPP, the high-performance business unit of Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). An engine cylinder liner was injection molded with SBHPP's glass fiber-reinforced phenolic (55% fiber content) pourable molding granules, with a cycle time as low as 45 seconds (see Learn More, p. 40, and photo, p. 36). Also on display are long-fiber injection molded parts made with polyurethane resin, "Bilateral connections" between Fraunhofer and its industrial partners are strictly confidential.

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