Lanxess subsidiary Bond-Laminates is exhibiting new applications for its Tepex range of continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites at the JEC World Composites Show.
‘We’re looking to highlight the opportunities offered by Tepex semi-finished composites in large-scale series production of components in terms of their mechanical properties and optical performance,’ saids Jochen Bauder, MD of Bond-Laminates. ‘This applies in particular to hybrid molding, which combines forming of semi-finished products with injection molding.’ In hybrid molding, semi-finished composites are formed and overmolded in an automated one shot process in the injection mold, shortening the production process The result is 3D components in highly reproducible quality that do not require reworking and can directly integrate functions such as fixings and guides. ;The cycle times for this reliable and stable production process are now 60 seconds and less, which also facilitates cost-effective large-scale series production of complex components,’ said Bauder. Bond-Laminates can simulate all hybrid molding process steps, including the draping of the semi-finished composite and mold filling in overmolding the formed insert. ‘Starting with the local fiber alignments in the formed semi-finished product that result from the draping simulation, we can also calculate a component’s mechanical properties precisely and adapt the design to the load scenario accordingly,’ says Bauder.
Hidden components
Hybrid molding with Tepex semi-finished composites is suitable for manufacturing structural components that are hidden from view, such as front ends, brake pedals and seat shells, as well as visible applications, including electronic housings and sports equipment components. At JEC, Bond-Laminates will be showcasing a range of crash-resistant seating shells from a German sports car and a ski binding as an example of series-produced structural components using hybrid molding.
This story uses material from Lanxess, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
