Production Systems

Machine Systems for the Production of Thermoplastic Laminates with In-situ Consolidation, of Thermoset Laminates and Dry-Fiber-Preforms

The worldwide increasing industrial use of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) demands for automated FRP production technologies using unidirectional (UD) thermoplastic tapes, dry-fiber rovings and thermoset prepregs in order to enable cost-efficient lightweight components with local UD-fiber reinforcements. Conbility develops and provides industrial machine systems for the placement and winding of UD-fibers (tapes, dry-fiber-rovings, thermoset-prepregs), based on more than 25 years of experience of the Fraunhofer-Institute IPT, Aachen, Germany.

Machine System “PrePro 2D”:
Regarding the processing of thermoplastic tapes, our in-situ consolidation process accomplishes fully consolidated 2D-laminates and substitutes expensive (cost-intensive and energy-consuming) subsequent consolidation processes within consolidation molding presses. Exemplarily applications are stiffening UD-profiles which can be used in injection molding, laminates for subsequent thermoforming processes or local UD-reinforcement of existing thermoplastic textile-based “Organo-sheets”.

_{Figure 1: PrePro 2D machine system for tape placement of tailored blanks and laminates with in-situ consolidation (Copyright Fraunhofer IPT)}

Applicator System “PrePro 3D”:
Our modular applicable and multifunctional tape placement applicator can be integrated into existing robot systems and is equipped with decentral control system and HMI. The “PrePro 3D” applicator is one single tool (one investment) for 3 different technologies:

1. Thermoplastic Tape Placement and Tape Winding
2. Dry-Fiber Placement
3. Thermoset-Prepreg Placement (including a backing paper unwinding system)

_{Figure 2: PrePro 3D tape placement applicator - available with diode laser or VCSEL or IR heating source (Copyright left picture: Fraunhofer IPT, Copyright right picture: Conbility GmbH)}

Besides our standard machine systems “PrePro 2D” and “PrePro 3D”, we offer customized machine development or adaption of our standard machines according to customers’ requirements using our engineering expertise.

Your Benefits:

• One-stop shop for process know-how, technology transfer and machine systems for UD-fiber-reinforced lightweight manufacturing
• Expertise in building special-purpose machines
• In-situ consolidation technology: cost-/ time-/ energy-efficient, high laminate qualities (100% consolidation)
• Technology leadership in laser-assisted tape placement due to the close cooperation with Fraunhofer IPT, Aachen, Germany
• Modular usage of different heating systems, according to the customers’ requirements: e.g. high-power diode lasers, VCSEL-lasers, Infrared heater