Lightweight construction solutions – tailor made, sophisticated and field-tested
At JEC Europe 2014, the only trade fair which brings together the global composite industry, FRIMO will once again present an extensive range of manufacturing solutions for composites. From March 11 to 13, the company will be in Paris to demonstrate its expertise in fields ranging from RTM (epoxy or PUR) and processing organo-sheets to natural fiber PP applications.
Next to Composites Europe, this is the most important event for the lightweight construction and composite processing industry – and FRIMO has been there every year since 2010 to showcase interesting developments that make even large-scale series production of fiber composite components more cost-effective and robust. As in previous years, FRIMO will join forces with Schuler under the name „Composites Alliance“ Pavilion 7.2 – M76 + M82) to exhibit a range of services for manufacturing fiber composite components, from pre-forming and pre-cutting, through the RTM process itself, to component finishing processes such as milling or water-jet cutting.
One exhibit with particular „fin-esse“ is the Street Shark collaborative project on show in the Innovation Corner (also in Pavilion 7.2). The hood and roof module of this BMW Z4, which was modified for experimental and demonstration purposes, are made from a composite with a 3D core sandwich structure. The particularly low pressures and temperatures of the special composite concept (jointly developed with Huntsman) made it possible, by working with other partners, to give both components a shark skin surface through an in-mold coating (IMC) process. The tooth-shaped plates of the shark skin significantly reduce drag – an effect that humans have long been attempting to imitate.
Visitors will also find FRIMO covering a range of other interesting key themes, including:
Strong material for future lightness and speed
The ability to manufacture large parts in short cycles with PUR composites, and all at a manageable level of investment, is the result of a collaboration between FRIMO and Huntsman Polyurethanes. Using Huntsman“s Vitrox® technology as a basis, it is now possible to produce high-performance fiber composite components with polyurethane matrices at extremely low reseating pressures. This allows standard tool holders and more flexible plant technology to be used, making the process more robust and simultaneously more cost-effective than traditional epoxy resin processing technologies. In addition to this, the process can also create high quality surfaces.
Manufacturing solutions for producing components with RTM technology:
A cooperative project between FRIMO and Toho Tenax Europe shows that spray lay-up and UD preforms created from the bobbin in a single step using Toho Tenax „part via preform“ (PvP) technology can be impregnated with various matrix materials in the high pressure RTM process, and that the resulting RTM components feature excellent mechanical properties.
The two companies have worked together to develop a „chicane component“ with various complex features that are very laborious to create with conventional preforming technologies and result in high levels of CF waste. The chicane component includes:
– Wall thicknesses increasing from 2 to 15 mm in several stages
– Tight radii and sharp edges
– Corner blends
Sample parts can be seen at the FRIMO and Toho Tenax stands.
Processing organo-sheets
The organo-sheet injection (OSI) process was specially developed by FRIMO for processing composites with thermoplastic matrices, and integrates the two stages of organo-sheet compression molding and back injection into a single step. Flat semi-finished products, whether NFPP (random oriented natural fiber mats + PP) or organo-sheets (CF, GF or Aramid fabrics/mats with different thermoplastic matrices), are pre-heated in the injection mold and shaped before being back injected immediately afterwards. During this back injection, features such as mounting lugs or targeted reinforcements etc. can be integrated, and the edge of the part can even be completely finished. Combining materials in a single step in this way makes it very cost-effective to manufacture components with potential for use in lightweight construction.
Other FRIMO exhibits will include innovations in NFPP processing, mixing and metering technology from the PURe Mix kit, finishing through milling or abrasive water-jet cutting, and much more.
About FRIMO (www.frimo.com)
The FRIMO Group includes global production and sales locations with more than 1,200 employees in Europe, Asia and America, and numerous representatives around the world.
Companies of the FRIMO Group have been repeatedly awarded for outstanding achievements. FRIMO already received 20 times the SPE awards, also known as the „Plastic-Oscars“. Three of these were awarded in 2012, both for achievements as tool manufacturers and as equipment manufacturers in the category of „body interior“.
FRIMO“s portfolio for the plastics processing industries covers an extremely wide range of technologies PU processing along with flexible trimming, punching, pressing and forming, as well as thermoforming, laminating, edgefolding, joining and gluing. FRIMO offers its customers tailor-made tools, machinery and systems as separate or turnkey solutions from a single source.
FRIMO Group GmbH
Martina Schierholt
Hansaring 1
49504 Lotte
+49 (0)5404 886-157
schierholt.m@frimo.com
http://www.frimo.com