Thermoplastic Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures September 15, 2011 Kipp Grumm BASF Engineering Plastics Amit Kulkarni Faurecia Automotive Seating
Thermoplastic Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures VIDEO REAR CRASH SLED TEST
Outline What is Continuous Fiber Overmolding? What are the advantages of this technology? How can this technology be utilized?
Thermoplastic Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures What are these structures? These structures are made by placing continuous fiber (glass or carbon) composite parts into an injection molding tool The composite part is then overmolded with thermoplastic to form structural or part-integration features The finished part can be removed from the mold and is ready for use. Overmolded Woven Continuous Fiber Laptop Case Courtesy Performance Materials Corporation
Thermoplastic Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures Key Properties of Continuous Fiber Materials Lightweight and Cost Efficient High Strength and Stiffness High Energy Absorption Fast Manufacturing Cycle Times Environmental Benefits
Thermoplastic Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures Are these structures in commercial applications today? Laptop Case Audi A7 Front End Module
Thermoplastic Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures Future application designs Front seat back structure development with Faurecia and BASF Other proprietary automotive development projects underway
Continuous Fiber Insert Manufacturing Process Thermoforming Continuous Fiber Tape Manufacturing Thermoforming Process Steps Cut Tape Kit Sheets Heat and Consolidate Sheets Thermoform Trim (Waterjet or Router Cut) Preform blanks can be also be cut from preconsolidated sheets
Continuous Fiber Insert Manufacturing Process Quality Control Checking Mass Checks for Correct Layers Dimensional Checks (CMM, Laser Scan, etc) Microscopy Analysis µct Scanning CFRT Visible Light Microscopy CFRT Fiber µct Scan
Continuous Fiber Insert Manufacturing Work Cell Study Work Cell Setup The various stations show process from tape to final formed part Tapes assembled to from kit or sheet (sheet is shown above) Consolidation station compresses tapes together Stamping station cuts out preform shape Robot loads preform into heater, then into molding station
Overmolded Continuous Fiber Structures Manufacturing Process Video of Minco molding trial
Technology Development Material Models Develop accurate material model for continuous fiber laminate Laminate Characterization Material Interaction Study materials, process conditions & surface treatments to optimize adhesion and develop design guidelines Adhesion Interface Ultramid TG7S 6 Layer Laminate New FEA Methods Learn and apply new simulation methods for laminate analysis. Ability to model each layer of laminate Physical Testing Prove model accuracy through correlation to physical testing Rear Impact, Cargo Retention, etc.
Overmolded Plastic Adhesion to Continuous Fiber Inserts Optimized Strength Through Testing Ultramid Ultramid CompoSIT XA 3232 Adhesion to CFRTto CFRT 450 Tensile Load, lbs. 400 350 300 250 200 Ultramid TG7S Ultramid XA 3232 Ultramid CompoSIT Flame NoOverflow Resin No Flame 1x Overflow T-shaped coupons: PA6 overmolded to CFRT base Measured force required to separate PA6 from CFRT Comparisons can be made between various parameters:
Overmolded Composite CAE Tools CAE Tools were developed to accurately model the behavior of the composite materials VIDEO VIDEO Single Ply Fiber Tested and Correlated Multiple Ply Sheet Sheets Overmolded with PA6
Overmolded Composite CAE Tools Component Level Testing and CAE Correlation - Side Beam from Seat Back VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO 90 0 45 0 Load Test CAE Force (N) ~ 3.3 kn ~ 3.4 kn Disp. ~ 41 mm ~ 39 mm Load Test CAE Force (N) ~ 2.8 kn ~ 3.0 kn Disp. ~ 54 mm ~ 55 mm FEA Reaction Force Matched Test Failure Force
Application Example: Overmolded Continous Fiber Inserts in Faurecia/BASF Seating Project The goal of this project was to develop a composite seat back to replace the current steel structure
Application Example: Continuous Fiber Inserts in Faurecia/BASF Composite Seating Project Rigorous Testing and CAE Correlation VIDEO Material coupon level testing and correlation Component level testing and correlation System level testing and correlation VIDEO
Summary: Benefits of Overmolded Continuous Fiber Inserts Strong Lightweight Design Flexibilty Component Integration Where can you use this technology?