The Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) plans to exhibit a new machine system at JEC World. The Ultra-Fast Consolidator Machine is designed for the mass production of tailored thermoplastic laminates with reduced scrap. According to AZL, it can produce consolidated multi-layer laminates with different fiber directions and minimized scrap in cycle times below five seconds using a combination of laser-assisted tape placement with in-situ consolidation and a piece-flow principle.
Productivity can reach up to 500 kg/hour with carriers moved through multiple application stations equipped with multiple tape placement applicators, the company says. The new machine is scalable with the possibility to add multiple application stations – for example, for each layer one station for mass production, or for each fiber direction one station with a carrier-conveyor carousel.
The machine setup is one of three finalists for the JEC Awards 2019 in the Industry and Equipment category.
This story is adapted from material from AZL, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
