InPro

Integral lightweight profile structures made of fiber-thermoplastic composite functionalized using the injection molding process

The provision of reliable, lightweight and cost-effective components with a wide range of variants poses increasing challenges for the aviation industry. One possible solution for the cost-effective production of hollow profiles such as drive shafts, pipelines or tension-compression struts could be to adapt the hybrid injection molding process to the specific requirements of the aviation industry. The overarching aim of the InPro project is therefore to develop a highly productive process chain for the manufacture of fiber-thermoplastic composite (TPC) hollow profiles using high-performance thermoplastics. A TPC drive shaft made of CF/PAEK with an integrated splined shaft connection serves as a demonstrator. The developed process chain is divided into three sub-process steps. First, thermoplastic tapes are processed into semi-finished textile products in a braiding process. These are then consolidated into hollow profiles in an innovative continuous blow molding process. In the final step, load introduction elements are attached to the inside of the hollow profile by injection molding and targeted forming of the hollow profile. The work carried out along the value chain from semi-finished tape product to functionalized lightweight profile structure has demonstrated a forward-looking production process in terms of process reliability, process and resource efficiency and cost-effectiveness in a near-series environment.

Lightweight profile structures of the InPro project manufactured using the CBM process and functionalized using the injection molding process.

Period

01.08.2020–31.01.2024

Project partners

Associated partner

Funding

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK): Federal Aviation Research Programme LuFo VI-1, Funding line "KMU"
Funding code: 20Q1918A