JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 20

trend

of the preform is measured
photo-optically during
production and the corresponding mechanical properties
are calculated by the production system. Based on this,
potential product fluctuations
are identified inline by the
production system and then
compensated by a subsequent
fibre placement process. This
process applies a small amount
of fibre strands with high precision according to the required property profile. The layup
paths and the amount of fibres
are calculated individually for
Fig. 3: Functional principle of the iComposite 4.0 production line (Source: IKV, AZL)
every sprayed preform on the
system intelligence has to be
of products, intermediates
basis of photo-optical measupotential and are therefore
established. Hence, research
and sub-systems as well as
rements. Afterwards, within
well suited for material subsdemands within wide fields
complete machine and system titutions in the automotive
the subsequent adaptive
of technology need to be
development are part of the
RTM process, the variating
sector, for instance. However,
addressed to push forward the investigations.
impregnation properties due
the extensive use of FRP is
transformation to a Composite The iComposite 4.0 procurrently retarded by resource to individual intermediate
Industry 4.0.
ject, funded by the German
production are compensated
inefficiency and the accomFederal Ministry of Education panying additional costs. Due and an optimized impregnaResearch at AZL
and Research (BMBF), was
tion is enabled, based on an
to high raw material costs,
RWTH Aachen Univerlaunched in January 2016. The resource efficiency holds
individual adaption of process
sity is one of the hot spots
aim of this project, conducted tremendous potential for cost parameters (see figure 3). To
of research in the context of
by AZL and its partners, is
achieve this, the production
savings. Presently, material
Industry 4.0. Within the Inte- to setup an intelligent and
system itself has to become
losses of up to 50% are to be
grative Production Technoself-regulating production
accepted during the manufac- "expert" in material science
logy for High-Wage Countries system for economic serial
ture of RTM preforms, as well and process technology to
cluster of excellence, funded
production of structural fibre- as reject parts due to variations make the right decisions for
within the excellence initiative reinforced plastics (FRP)
achieving zero-failure proin product properties. The
of the German government
based on improved resource
objective of iComposite 4.0 is duction in terms of product
since 2006, more than 25
efficiency. A zero-scrap manu- to tap the cost saving potenproperties.
institutes have established an facturing system with 30%
The system regulation within
tial using a resource-efficient
interdisciplinary collaboration lower throughput times and a production line. Therefore, an the subsequent process steps
on this topic. AZL was foun100% material utilization rate RTM process and two additive is based on a system intellided to transfer these results
will lead to a 50% reduction of and highly flexible preforming gence enabled by continuous
to composite lightweight
part costs compared to statequality metrology. This means
processes will be merged in a
production, based on a
of-the-art textile-based Resin networked production system, a change in paradigm: not
close collaboration between
Transfer Moulding (RTM)
only the process parameters
self-regulated by superior
academia and a core network processes. The project stands
are regulated, but also the
system intelligence.
of 60 partner companies. For for a paradigm shift from
part properties. For full data
example, traceability based
traceability, the production
tolerance-based production
At first, the basic structure of
on identification devices,
to product function-oriented
the part is manufactured with history is stored on an RFID
production of individualized
chip. This way, a networked
production.
a highly productive, threecomposite parts, decentralized
production system and contidimensional additive fibre
production control, componuous data availability will be
Due to their high weight-spespraying process (~150 kg/h
site specific data processing,
established. Hence, iCompocific strength, FRP materials
labscale, anisotropy controlautomated manipulation
site 4.0 is a lighthouse project
offer a huge weight saving
lable). The fibre distribution

20 jec composites magazine / No104 April - May 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016