All Composites articles – Page 5
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Article
VW's new VP for product innovations
US – In his role as vice-president at Volkswagen’s North American Engineering and Planning Center (EPC), Burkhard Huhnke will encourage innovation in the market, build relationships with national R&D organisations and liaise with universities. His appointment is effective immediately.“Dr Burkhard Huhnke’s 18 years of experience in research and development have ...
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ArticleFormaplex boosts CNC capability
UK – An investment of £300,000 ($426,330) has enabled the purchase of three new, three-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machines from Haas Automation plus a trunnion table for five-axis milling. Formaplex says the equipment will help its Specialist Engineering Division “to meet the growing demand for high-speed machining of a ...
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ArticleSchuler to lead iComposite 4.0 project
Germany – In partnership with a number of other organisations, the press manufacturer is exploring the economical series production of components made from fibre-reinforced plastics. The project will address the high manufacturing costs which currently limit the use of composite parts.According to Schuler, iComposite 4.0 will achieve cost savings through ...
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Article
BMW using Hexcel carbon fibre for 7 Series
Germany – The composites company is supplying BMW with preforms made of unidirectional carbon prepreg set in various orientations and combined with adhesive. The carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) technology is used to reinforce the metal shell of the B pillar, while saving weight.In order to meet demand from the automotive ...
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ArticleCost-effective composites
As OEMs explore reinforced plastics, the composites industry is preparing to capitalise on this trendUS materials supplier Cytec Industries has done well out of the aerospace industry's switch from metal to carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP)-intensive aircraft, and the company sees the automotive industry as key to its future growth. In ...
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ArticlePolymers with power
Composites are now being explored as alternative materials for engine-cylinder housings and may soon become mainstream – enabling the production of lighter-weight powertrains and more fuel-efficient vehiclesIn as little as three years, automotive engine housings made of polymer materials will start to enter the market as volume production items. That ...
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ArticleShine the laser light
Fibre-reinforced composites are popular, but tough to machine. So production engineers are turning to laser light as a choice of tool, writes Trumpf’s Marc KirchhoffCarbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are all the rage, especially in the automotive, aviation and wind power sectors. They represent a key part of the solution to ...
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Article
União Firme
Os engenheiros estão desenvolvendo processos para compósitos que devem ser incorporados à produção de veículos de alto volumeIncorporando componentes em materiais compósitos em estruturas automotivas - juntando-os a outras peças compostas e, talvez mais importante, para as peças feitas a partir de metais - apresenta um novo conjunto de desafios. ...
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ArticleUK joins global composites competition
If the number of exhibitors and visitors involved in the production of vehicles at this month’s Advanced Engineering 2015 (AE2015) show in Birmingham was anything to go by, the UK’s automotive industry is in rude health.This impression is supported by the statistics. According to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and ...
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ArticleSticking together
Engineers are developing processes for composites to be incorporated into high-volume vehicle productionIncorporating composite components into automotive structures – joining them to other composite parts and, perhaps more importantly, to parts made from metals – presents a new set of challenges. Resistance spot welding has been used by carmakers to ...
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ArticleEditor's note: All the small things
It’s possible that those responsible for Volkswagen’s emissions-cheating software thought it was only a minor transgression, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Seismic scandals apart, global carmakers like VW constantly have to deal with a lot of small, and to the casual observer, seemingly insignificant things. But this multitude of ...
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Article
Fibra adicionada
OEMs estão usando agora compósitos em aplicações mais amplas e maiores volumes para auxiliar a leveza do veículo.No início deste ano, a BMW anunciou que faria uso extensivo de plástico reforçado com fibra de carbono (CFRP) no chassi da próxima geração de seu sedan de luxo Serie 7. Os novos ...
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Article
Más fibra
Los fabricantes de automóviles utilizan los materiales compuestos cada vez en más aplicaciones y en mayor volumen para reducir el peso de los automóvilesA principios de este año BMW anunció que realizaría un uso extensivo de los plásticos reforzados con fibra de carbono (CFRP, carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) en el chasis ...
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ArticleAdded fibre
OEMs are now using composites in wider applications and higher volumes to assist vehicle light weightingEarlier this year, BMW announced that it would make extensive use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the chassis of the next generation of its 7 Series luxury sedan. The new models will be up ...
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Article
Forma e conteúdo
Novos desenvolvimentos procuram entregar formação de compósitos rentável para o setor automotivo.No final do ano passado, Toray Industries do Japão anunciou que sua CFRTP (fibra de carbono reforçado termoplástica) era para ser usada em um aplicativo estrutural automotivo. Alegando que ela seria a primeira do mundo, o material CFRTP é ...
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Article成型与材料
冲压技术不断发展，为汽车制造业推出高成本效益的复合加工材料。去年年底，日本东丽公司（Toray Industries）宣布，要在丰田Mirai燃料电池车上使用碳纤维增强热塑性塑料（CFRTP）。CFRTP是世界上首次应用于Toyota Mirai燃料电池车上的所谓的“栈框架”上。据Toyota公司称，组件设计是通过吸收来自保险杠和其他道路障碍的冲击来保护燃料电池堆的。有人说，CFRTP能够以更短的冲压时间，进行更加合理的量产制造。作为一个组件，堆栈框能够提高公路车辆负荷量的优势。然而，Toray并不是唯一奋战在这个技术领域的先锋。早在2011年，另一家日本公司，Teijin就利用CFRTP车体结构制造一个四座概念车。车身成型时间还不足1分钟，重量只有47公斤，是钢结构（通常碳纤维的强度是钢的10倍，而重量只有四分之一）重量的五分之一。 Composite content on the Toyota MiraiTeijin公司把这种CFRTP冲压成型技术成为Serrebo，是“拯救地球，碳的革命与进化”的缩略用于，目前与通用汽车公司等汽车制造商一同合作，加快Sereebo品牌的开发，用于轻质汽车的量产，成果要分享。目前的组合材料应用宝马公司采用成型符合材料的历史也很长，主要用于电动车，比如i3和i8。比如i3车上的乘用空间，被宝马公司叫做“生命模式”，就是由碳纤维材料构成。这是用回收碳纤维制成的复合顶盖盖上，而内饰和其他部分使用天然碳纤维加固而成。在i8上，碳纤维乘用空间能提供2+2座位排列，碰撞性能良好，重量比钢轻50%，比铝轻30%。蝴蝶风格的车门也是用CFRTP制造的，并用铝加固。此外，保险杠和挡泥板使用一块复合塑料制造而成。很显然，在轻质结构组件的生产上，汽车制造商正在不断走向复合材料。据化学巨头BASF公司称，到2025年，汽车车身和底座上的复合材料市场价值会达到20亿欧元。然而，热固性复合材料价格昂贵，而且以目前的工艺制造组件的速度远不及传统材质，跟不上量产速度。汽车制造商、研究中心和材料生产商都在寻找方法，解决这个瓶颈。“我们装备了世界上最大的、易进入的、高速率复合材料制造加工冲压机…目的是为汽车业等部门提供技术支持。高速、低成本的制造复合组件对这些行业来说非常重要”– Tom Hitchings, National Composites Centre专门的冲压方案在英国布里斯托尔的国家符合材料中心（NCC）就可以看到实例。不久前，这里刚刚安装了Schuler冲压机，用于高产量制造。向上的短程冲压的力量达到36,000kN，加紧面有3.6×2.4m。NCC业务开发主任Tom Hitchings说，“我们已经安装了世界上最大的，易进入的高速度复合材料加工冲压机。目的是为汽车业等部门提供技术支持。高速、低成本的制造复合组件对这些行业来说非常重要。这个冲压机能在不足5分钟的时间内就完成零部件生产。” On the BMW i8, the carbon fibre-built passenger cell offers a 2+2 seating configurationNCC采用了HP-RTM(高压树脂传递模塑)工艺，把碳纤维放置在一个充满树脂的模具里，然后用冲压机进行高温高压硬化处理。HP-RTM工艺不仅能缩短几何结构复杂零部件的循环时间，而且还能保持零部件和水平面的高质量。此外，此工艺能真正消除空隙，树脂零部件内部边缘不会出现真空气孔或缝隙。在HP-RTM工艺中，树脂必须快速平缓地注入真空模塑，因为只要有十分一毫米的缝隙就会打开。缝隙灌浆法会把树脂喷到膜板上，流动阻力更低，注射压力更低。因此，要在热感应聚合反应开始之前快速浸润膜板。根据零部件或腔体表面几何结构，冲模中心加载区不一定要在重要及的中间。还有来自注入为止中心以外的力量。重要的是，平行度控制阻止了滑动或上模在缝隙注射期间的扭动，因此保证了平滑度，整个表面都会注入。传统的下行冲程是用一个固定的车床和活动工作台，还要一个滑梯，将压力通过气缸转移。平行度是通过四个伺服控制的车床边角的背压气缸进行的。这些还需要负责冲破开启力，才能反击粘附力并打开模子。相反，NCC上行冲程的滑道只是在冲压过程起到支撑座通。从顶端到上止点，滑道是通过一个传动缸到达支撑位置，并在那里固定住。实际工作冲程是由座板完成的，由多个短击气缸驱动。平衡度是由一个伺服控制这些气缸的，而上行冲程启动力是在座板收回时产生的。上行短程冲压与下行设计（关闭速度为1,000mm/s）相比，冲压时间更短，不到0.3麦种，而且结构高度也明显要低。Hitchings说，“在处理大型热塑复合材料零部件是，快速关闭可以避免过早冷却现象”。Open Hybrid Lab Factory The Engel V-Duo 3600 is the largest in the range德国Wolfsburg的Open Hybrid Lab Factory正在开展合作研究，解决行业和技术上的课题，涵盖混合动力轻型结构组件量产的材料开发、理念与生产技术，重点投资冲压技术。比如，目前正在制造一步Engel V-Duo 3600机械，用于研发中心的工作。事实上，Engel是这个中心的奠基人兼赞助商，该中心于2012年建于Volkswagen。除此之外，新的Engel机械还要用于ProVorPlus项目，该项目重点解决纤维强化塑料金属混合预装配技术中的综合功能。为了保证在研究中能够发挥最大灵活性，机械上装配了两个注射装置。Engel V-Duo 3600的夹紧力达到36,000kn，是这个系列中最大的机械。在宝马Landshut工厂里也安装了具有相同夹紧力的机械，该厂用于制造大型结构组件，利用HP-RTM工艺制造前位增强塑料组件。为Open Hybrid ...
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ArticleForm and substance
The latest solutions are aimed at delivering cost-effective composite forming for the automotive industryAt the end of last year, Toray Industries of Japan announced that its carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) was to be used in an automotive structural application. Claimed to be a world first, the CFRTP material is used ...
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ArticleEditor's note: Metal matters
It would seem that OEMs are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting the materials with which to build their vehicles. Steel still dominates, but aluminium is gaining ground and composites are now becoming a more realistic option in high-volume production. The competition between the different material suppliers is ...
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ArticleSSAB – Sitting comfortably with Faurecia
The design of automotive seating has evolved radically over the past four decades. Anna McQueen reports on the developments in materials, sustainability and weight reduction The first focus on seat design from a safety perspective really came about in the 1970s. At that time, millions of people were dying ...
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ArticleSchuler press now operational at composites centre
UK – Designed for high-volume production of composites, the upstroke short-stroke press has a press force of 36,000kN and a clamping surface of 3.6 x 2.4 metres. The machinery has been installed at the National Composites Centre (NCC) owned by the University of Bristol.“We have installed the world’s largest openly ...