Subproject D4: Textile-adapted design principles and processing technologies for plane and simply curved fundamental components with high function integration
Supervision
Dr.-Ing. Frank Adam
TU Dresden
Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology
01062 Dresden
Germany
Phone: +49 351 463-38149
Fax: +49 351 463-38143
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Knut Großmann
TU Dresden
Institute for Machine Tools and Control Technology
01062 Dresden
Germany
Phone: +49 351 463-34358
Fax: +49 351 463-37073
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Eckhard Beyer
TU Dresden
Institute of Manufacturing Technology
01062 Dresden
Germany
Phone: +49 351 463-31993
Fax: +49 351 463-37755
Abstract
The subproject D4 develops the technological basics for processing of hybrid yarn thermoplastic semi finished products to structural components with high function integration. In the second research phase, the process technology is upgraded for single curved sandwich-shells. For a reproducible production, the key aspects are the design of process-active mold systems and as the development of adapted handling systems. Here, the manufacturing process is designed based on by thermal simulations.
An essential goal of this subproject is to obtain a scientific understanding of open technological questions for the processing of textile-thermoplastic composites to function integrated lightweight structures. The variety of the developed new hybrid yarn textile thermoplastic semi-finished products in the Collaborative Research Centre like multi-layered knitted fabrics with functionalised hybrid yarns and integrated sensor networks, knitted and woven spacer fabrics and sewed spacer performs require individually adapted process technologies. In the first phase, basic knowledge was acquired for hot pressing of limp multi-layered knitted fabrics and spacer textiles to plane basic components. Therefore, special mold systems were designed, which allow short cycle times in combination with a material adapted process. The compression of spacer textiles requires adapted consolidation kinematics, which are designed and integrated in the mold system in cooperation with the subproject A5.
In the second period, the technological basic knowledge for plane basic components is upgraded for processing of functionalized multi-layered knitted fabrics and single curved spacer textiles. The individual process steps (assembly, evacuation, heating, compression, cooling and demolding) have to be adapted to the special requirements of electronic components, which are integrated in the textile prefoms. For manufacturing of single curved sandwich shells made of novel spacer textiles, a process active mold system with integrated consolidation kinematics and active fluid tempering medium is developed for molding of sandwich webs, which are orientated in axial direction (axial spacer textiles). For the molding of different sandwich cross section contours, like symmetric or transversal symmetric trapezia, a kinematic construction kit will be used. The Process adapted design of the consolidation kinematics in the active mold system requires a close interaction of the previous subprojects A5 and D4, which are merged in a process technical orientated subproject D4.
The developed process technologies have to guarantee a high reproducibility. For this purpose, a good knowledge of the complex interactions between mold, part, mold system and processing machine is necessary. Therefore, numerical simulations of the whole process are planed and the results will be verified in subsequent process tests. Furthermore, a high product quality requires the development of an automated handling concept, which creates an interface between textile fabrication and consolidation for a material adapted process of the different semi-finished products from the Collaborative Research Centre.
In the last demonstrator period, based on the knowledge of processing axial spacer textiles, a novel consolidation processes and mold systems should be developed for the manufacture of sandwich-shells with webs in tangential direction. Furthermore, the central manufacturing project D4 combines the technological solutions of the individual subprojects and produce function integrated components for the demonstrator “FiF”.