CompositesWorld
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NEWS 39 CompositesWorld.com Fraunhofer ICT Polyurethane HP-RTM? Pictured here, yes, is a KraussMaffei polyurethane HP-RTM injection unit, with a production cell for long fiber injection molding with polyurethane resin. Notably, this entire workcell can be moved to either of the buildings that house compression presses, as needed, to trial parts. Within the cell, a Fanuc robot works to transfer the cut materials to the heated mold, into which PU is sprayed, eliminating manual intervention. Source | Fraunhofer ICT run, hence the precautions. Roch proceeds past the press to the back of the building, where he points out an SMC line that feeds into the press. An adjacent, second SMC line, set up for direct long-fiber-reinforced SMC (Direct SMC), was there during the visit, but has since been removed and replaced with a new RELAY tape-laying machine. e RELAY will be combined with a new injec- tion unit installed in August 2017 for ther- moplastic co-molding of organic sheets, either fabric or unidirectional tapes, produced by the RELAY machine. Further downhill, Roch opens the door into another lab, where high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) activities are housed. Near the door is a preforming center within a safety cage, equipped with a robot to transfer material from an automated cutting table to a heated shaping mold. e preforming setup is similar to the Dieffenbacher Preform- Center installed in Fraunhofer's Ontario, Canada, facility in 2014. Roch explains that the preform shaping mold is capable of complex sequential movements during closing, that allow for a highly shaped part preform without wrinkles. A struc- tural part for Mercedes Benz is displayed outside the cage, which shows how the relatively high-areal-weight woven carbon fiber twill fabric conforms without pulling or wrinkling (see photos on p. 38). Inside is a large KraussMaffei HP-RTM epoxy injection unit, with an impinge- ment mixing head for fast-cure epoxy resins, paired with a 630-ton Dieffen- bacher press. Fraunhofer is investigating two types of HP-RTM: the first is high- pressure injection resin transfer molding, in which the resin is injected under high pressure into a completely closed mold, and the resin flows through the plane of the preform, in the x- and y-directions. COMPLETE SOLUTIONS? WE GET IT... COLLABORATION COMPLETES THE PUZZLE. Being the leading core supplier to the composites industry for decades is just not enough. Our consistent collaboration with preferred industry suppliers and their knowledge of glass, resin, kit cutting, panel making and distribution separates us from the rest. And spares you the burden. So put us to task. Ask us for solutions. We'll assemble the team and make sure all the pieces fit for superior results . That's how we operate. Contact us for details. BALTEK®AND AIREX® STRUCTURAL CORES... THE FITTING PIECE FOR ALL COMPOSITES ENGINEERING CHALLENGES. www.airexbaltekbanova.com North America I South America Baltek Inc. I High Point, NC 27261, USA T +1 336 398 1900 I F +1 336 398 1901 corematerials.americas@3AComposites.com Europe I Middle East I India I Africa Airex AG I 5643 Sins, Switzerland T +41 41 789 66 00 I F +41 41 789 66 60 corematerials@3AComposites.com Asia I Australia I New Zealand 3A Composites (China) Ltd. I 201201 Shanghai, China T +86 21 585 86 006 I F +86 21 338 27 298 corematerials.asia@3AComposites.com Core Materials