Production Technology – Thermoplastic Processing Production Technology

FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY ICT

PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY – THERMOPLASTIC PROCESSING PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY – THERMOPLASTIC PROCESSING

Process development for the large-scale processing of thermoplastic polymers is the key task of the rese- arch group for thermoplastic processing within the Polymer Engineering Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT. Beside standard injection molding and extrusion processes, empha- sis is placed on one-step resource- and energy-efficient direct processes, e.g. for long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (LFTs) with local continuous-fiber reinforcement.

Fiberforge, technology for the fully automated processing of unidirectional fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes (UD tapes); side view of the display motion table. 1 2

INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES

ENGEL ES 200/60 LH ST 1

Injection unit Additional equipment Screw diameter mm 30 – Tie-barless clamping unit Max. feeding stroke mm 140 – Injection compression molding Shot volume cm3 99 – Handling device for removing molded part Injection pressure bar 2150 Max. cylinder temperature °C 500

Clamping unit Clamping force kN 600 Tie-bar distance mm – Min. mold height mm 200 Max. mold opening stroke mm 450

ARBURG ALLROUNDER 320C 600-250 2

Injection unit Additional equipment Screw diameter mm 30 – Clamping unit with hydraulic pivot Max. feeding stroke mm 150 – Injection compression molding (precision opening) Shot volume cm3 106 – Servo-controlled injection unit Injection pressure bar 2470 – 4 working positions (including injection into the parting Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 line when parting line is positioned vertically or horizontally)

Clamping unit Clamping force kN 600 Tie-bar distance mm 320 Min. mold height mm 200 Max. mold opening stroke mm 350 3 4

INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES

FERROMATIK MILACRON K110 3

Horizontal injection unit Vertical injection unit Screw diameter mm 45 Screw diameter mm 35 Max. feeding stroke mm 160 Max. feeding stroke mm 140 Shot volume cm 254 Shot volume cm³ 135 Injection pressure bar 1936 Injection pressure bar 1964 Max. cylinder temperature °C 350 Max. cylinder temperature °C 350

Clamping unit Additional equipment Clamping force kN 1100 – 2-component injection molding Tie-bar distance mm 470 – GIT mold nozzle or machine nozzle Min. mold height mm 250 – Push-pull injection molding Max. mold opening stroke mm 550 – Mono sandwich injection molding – 2 core pullers (hydraulic)

ENGEL VICTORY 330/120 TECH 4

Thermoplast-Plastifizierung 1 Clamping unit Screw diameter mm 30 Clamping force kN 1200 Max. feeding stroke cm3 113 Clamping plate h x v mm 740 × 680 Max. injection pressure bar 2180 Min. mold height mm 300 Max. injection rate cm³/s 111 Max. mold opening stroke mm 500 Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 L/D 23,6 Specialized processes – Injection compression molding Thermoplast-Plastifizierung 2 Screw diameter mm 40 Additional equipment Max. feeding stroke cm3 201 – Handling system e-pic Max. injection pressure bar 1225 – Tie-barless clamping unit Max. injection rate cm³/s 198 – Single mold nozzle control (hydraulic) Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 – Rotating bolt shut-off nozzle L/D 17,5 – Duplex core pullers 5

KRAUSS-MAFFEI KM 550-2000 GX 5

Thermoplastic plastification Clamping unit Screw diameter mm 60 Clamping force kN 5500 Max. feeding stroke cm3 792 Tie-bar distance H/V mm 1400 × 910 Max. injection pressure bar 2057 Min. mold height mm 400 Max. injection speed cm3/s 848 Max. mold opening stroke mm 950 Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 Max. clamping unit stroke mm 1350 L/D 23 Specialized processes MuCell® plastification – MuCell® process Screw diameter mm 60 – DuroSet process Max. feeding stroke cm³ 792 – Injection compression molding / precision opening Max. injection pressure bar 2057 (parallel control) Max. injection speed cm3/s 848 Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 Additional equipment L/D 23, Standard screw – Handling robot KUKA KR 90 R2700 pro – APC Plus (adaptive process control) Thermoset plastification – Needle valve nozzle Screw diameter mm 60 – Rotating bolt shut-off nozzle Max. feeding stroke cm3 792 – Controlling device for 6 cascades (pneumatic) Max. injection pressure bar 2420 – Controlling device for 6 cascades (hydraulic) Max. injection speed cm3/s 848 – 6 core pullers Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 – Pressure accumulator Standardschnecke – Mold hot runner control system (32 zones) 6 5

INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES

ENGEL DUO 700 PICO COMBI M COMPOUNDER 6

Injection unit Extruder (Leistritz ZSE 40 Maxx 48D) Screw diameter mm 105 Processing section length L/D 48 Max. feeding stroke cm3 4160 Screw diameter mm 40 Max. injection pressure bar 2090 Max. rotation speed 1/min 600 Max. cylinder temperature °C 450 Max. cylinder temperature °C 350 L/D 25 3D mixing and shearing part Side feeder ø 36

MuCell® injection unit Specialized processes Screw diameter mm 80 – Direct injection molding process (in-line compounding) Max. shot volume cm3 1558 – MuCell® process Injection pressure bar 1640 – LFT-D foam / direct foam process Max. injection speed cm3/s 443 – 2-component injection molding Max. cylinder temperature °C 350 – Rotary table with mountable center plate L/D 22, LFT screw (X8000) – Injection compression molding (precision opening / parallel control) Clamping unit Clamping force kN 7000 Other aspects Tie-bar distance H/V mm 1100/960 – Handling robot VIPER40 Min. mold height mm 450 – Cascading control (pneumatic) Max. mold opening stroke mm 1400 – Shut-off nozzle Max. clamping unit stroke mm 1845 – 8 core pullers

Center plate Min. mold height mm 225 Max. mold opening stroke mm 700

H I

A x B

K 7 8 (QUELLE: DIEFFENBACHER) 9

PRESSES

DIEFFENBACHER HYDRAULIC PRESS DYL630/500 WITH PARALLEL MOTION CONTROL 7,8

Data Mold size Max. load centered kN 6300 Length max. mm 1500 Max. load centered with Depth max. mm 1200 parallel control kN 5000 Height min. mm 300 Max. opening force kN 1300 max. mm 1000 Max. parallel control kN 1300 Mold position Table size D max. mm 1600 Length A mm 1600 C min. mm 2150 Depth B mm 1300 Stroke max. mm 1300

DIEFFENBACHER HYDRAULIC PRESS COMPRESS PLUS DCP-G 3600/3200 AS 9

Daten Mold size Max. load centered kN 36,000 Length max. mm 2900 Max. load centered with Depth max. mm 1900 parallel control kN 32,000 Height min. mm 750 Max. opening force kN 2000 max. mm 1500 Max. parallel control kN 4000 Mold position Table size D max. mm 2900 Length A mm 3000 C min mm 2150 Depth B mm 2000 Stroke max. mm 2150 10

AUTOMATED THERMOPLASTIC TAPE LAYING

DIEFFENBACHER FIBERFORGE 10

Technical data Diameter display table mm 2000 Max. tape length per course mm 2000 Number of laying beams 2 Max. square lay-up dimension mm 1400 ×1400 Number of tape spools 4 Angular cut ° +45 bis -45 Number of cutting heads 2 Controllable gap/ overlap mm -2 bis +5 Cycle times (without welding) sec/Str. 1,35 Processable tape widths mm 50 bis 165 Material throughput kg/h 490 Processable tape thicknesses mm 0,1 bis 0,4 Min. tape length per course mm 50 11

TAPE MATERIAL CONSOLIDATION

RADIATION-INDUCED VACUUM CONSOLIDATION 11

Technical data Min. lay-up dimension mm 350 × 350 – patented prototype unit Max. lay-up dimension mm 400 × 400 – inert vacuum atmosphere Max. temperature °C 450 – PID-contolled heating cycles – uniform and non-uniform wall-thickness profile can be produced – release agent-free processing for many types of materials

HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR CONSOLIDATION

Technical data Table size Max. load centered kN 2000 Length mm 1400 Max. lay-up dimension mm 1000 × 1000 Depth mm 1100 Max. temperature °C 425

DIEFFENBACHER FIBERCON

Technical data Max. lay-up dimension mm 1740 × 940 – based on radiation-induced vacuum consolidation Max. temperature °C 450 – inert vacuum atmosphere – PID-contolled heating cycles – uniform and non-uniform wall-thickness profile can be produced – release agent-free processing for many types of materials 12

D-LFT TECHNOLOGY

D-LFT LINE WITH IN-LINE COMPOUNDING FOR MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT1 12

In-line compounder Glass fiber dosage – Leistritz ZSE-40 HP – Direct rovings – Processing section length: 32D – In-line short fibers – Two point vacuum degassing system – Mechanical nozzle 75 mm or 175 mm – Side feeder Dosing unit Mixing extruder – 3 Brabender dosing units for granulates – Leistritz ZSG-40 GL – 1 Brabender dosing unit for powder – Processing section length: 14D or 20D Combinable with Dieffenbacher DYL 630/500 press Maximum throughput – 4 kg/min (with PP/GF20)

1 Direct process for the production of long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. 13 14

HEATING TECHNOLOGY & AUTOMATION

CONTACT HEATING SYSTEMS

Daten Size mm 1100 × 1100 Heating power kW 2 × 50 Max. temperature °C 425

INFRARED HEATING SYSTEMS

Data Mobile system (small) Mobile system (large) Integrated system Size mm 750 × 750 1450 × 1720 1250 × 1500 Heating power kW 2 × 22,5 168 2 × 75 Max. temperature °C 500 500 500

CONVECTION OVEN

Data Batch-type oven Size mm 450 x 600 x 500 Heating power kW 5,8 Max. temperature °C 450

FANUC R-2000IB/210F

Technical data Controlled axes 6 units – More flexible design of manufacturing cells Max. load capacity 210 kg – Reduction of cycle times Reach 2655 mm – High speed of controlled axes – Fast rotation of parts possible PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY – THERMOPLASTIC PROCESSING

Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT

Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Strasse 7 76327 Pfinztal (Berghausen) Germany

Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Elsner Phone +49 721 4640-0

Contact

Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Menrath Phone +49 721 4640-421 Fax +49 721 4640-111 [email protected]