JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #111 - March 2017 - Special JEC World - o - 82

JEC WORLD 2017
High-power VCSEL systems
> Booth:
for composite manufacturing
Hall 5A - F56
New kilowatt laser sources based on VCSEL
(Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser)
micro-laser arrays are delivering directed
rectangular beams of well-controlled near infrared power. The target area can be treated directly, without expensive optics or scanner systems,
thereby realizing considerable cost advantages compared to conventional
laser systems. The robust and compact laser modules are easily integrated
into industrial heating applications and production processes.
An electronic driver system enables precise control and fast switching of
the infrared power. Beyond that, individual emission zones of the VCSEL
source can be controlled independently, thereby enabling adjustment not
only of the total power, but also of the spatial heating profile. Heating patterns can even be changed dynamically during operation, enabling an unprecedented level of process flexibility.
For carbon fibre placement/tape laying, the new VCSEL heat sources offer an attractive alternative to flames, halogen lamps or fibre coupled lasers.
Depending on materials and process parameters, partial tacking up to full
consolidation can be achieved. Benefits of the VCSEL systems are:
- High process speed due to a power density of 100 W/cm2;
- Localized heat to the target, not the surroundings;
- Precisely controllable, dynamic heating profiles;
- Very compact source head;
- Scalable working width, adaptable to tape formats;
- Lower system cost than with conventional laser systems.
Multi-sector

Multi-sector

LSAM used to print large tooling
> Booth:
for various industries
Hall 6 - Q31e
Thermwood Corporation, a manufacturer of high-performance
three- and five-axis CNC routers for over 40 years, has now developed one of the world's largest additive manufacturing systems
called LSAM. The LSAM performs both the additive and subtractive functions on the same
machine. Using an approach,
called "near net shape", the
LSAM will print reinforced
thermoplastic composite materials to quickly create a part
that is nearly, but not exactly,
the final net shape. The "subtractive" function then machines the part to the exact final net shape. The
LSAM can be used to create tooling, moulds, masters, patterns, fixtures
and plugs for a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, boating, foundry and thermoforming. Thermwood believes it will find additional applications as various industries become aware of the substantial
benefits of large part additive manufacturing. For tooling, the primary
benefits of this approach are a substantially lower cost and a dramatically shorter build cycle. Thermwood's print gantry features an advanced,
Thermwood-developed vertically-mounted PH Series print head that
melts and precisely meters the polymer bead. Advantages of this unique
triple-servo design include a much more accurate print bead, the ability to
change bead dimensions while printing, the ability to print at high output
rates, better fusion between printed layers and a superior void-free printed
structure.
www.thermwood.com

www.philips.com/photonics

Multi-sector

AFP/ATL robotic cell for high-performance composites
> Booth:
At the JEC World 2017, Mikrosam will present its latest innovative solutions, including a recently developed
Hall 5A - P77
robotic workcell that integrates an AFP head for thermoset materials and an ATL head for thermoplastic prepreg laying. The whole system is programmed and simulated by the MikroPlace machine-independent software.
Small- to medium-sized composite parts can be produced applying the automated fibre placement (AFP)/tape
laying (ATL) technology on flat or highly contoured surfaces. The thermoplastic material's temperature is controlled via a compaction laser (heating up to 400°C) integrated to the ATL head and an infrared heating system (heating up to 100°C) is provided for the thermoset material used by the AFP head. One of the greatest strengths of this
integrated solution is the possibility for fast transition from automated fibre placement to automated tape laying and
vice versa. This helps customers achieve process efficiency and higher productivity, and thus significantly faster turnaround times for the production of new composite parts. The fully-automated solution will revolutionize the development of high-performance final
composite products not only for the aviation and space industry, but also for the automotive, marine, gas and oil piping industries. www.mikrosam.com

> Booth:
Ultrasonic mobileBLOCK: a mobile 5-axis CNC milling unit
Conventional machining processes for fibre composite materials are often pushed to their technological limits due to their high Hall 5A - D62
degree of tool wear, frequently inadequate component quality and insufficient feed rates. The new Ultrasonic mobileBLOCK
from DMG Mori/Sauer is intended for MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) and for the production of composite components. For the very
first time, this mobile 5-axis milling unit enables structured handling of actual repair tasks in a few minutes while guaranteeing 100% consistent quality, precision and repeatability. Sophisticated +/- 95° machining is also possible on curved surfaces thanks to the 5-axis kinematics of the integrated
rotary swivel axis. The high-performance 35,000-rpm spindle is mounted on a Z-axis slide made of CFRP. The tools
benefit from ultrasonic technology due to a special actuator. Its lightweight design means that the Ultrasonic mobileBLOCK can be simply and flexibly attached to the part by means of 16 vacuum suction feet that generate a holding force of up to 400 N per foot. Thanks to its extremely compact design (1300 x 1300 mm frame size) and a low
overall weight of 185 kg, this mobile 5-axis milling unit is ideally suited for direct, fast and simple attachment onto
the damaged area. The frame, Y-axis gantry, servo-motors housing, adjustment arms and Z-axis slide are all made of
CFRP. Thus, the machine design is only very slightly influenced by thermal expansion effects. www.dmgmori.com

jec composites magazine / No111 March 2017

http://www.thermwood.com http://www.philips.com/photonics http://www.mikrosam.com http://www.dmgmori.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #111 - March 2017 - Special JEC World - o