JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #76 - October/November 2012 - 73

solution. The use of standard systems results in inefficiencies since they are not adapted to the main production challenges. Based on more than 15 years of experience, Fraunhofer IPT has unique knowledge, resources and equipment to optimize existing equipment, develop new tape-placement systems and establish complete production lines according to customer specifications. Fraunhofer IPT is the only institute capable of performing product, process and machine development simultaneously to achieve the best customer solution for laserassisted tape placement. n
Contact: alexander.kermer-meyer@ipt.fraunhofer.de Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology for funding the “3D-Thermolay” project (IN6518), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for funding the “GreenGlassFibre - Energy efficient production of continuously glass fibre-reinforced thermoplastic components” project (01LY1107) and the European Community for funding the EU project “FibreChain - Integrated Process Chain for Automated and Flexible Production of FibreReinforced Plastic Products” as part of the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (grant agreement no. 263385). We also want to thank our industrial partners. References [BAI05] Bai, J.-M.; Leach, D.; Cease, S.; Pratte, J.: High Performance Thermoplastic Polymers and Composites, SAMPE 2005, Corina, CA, USA, S. 1391-1405 [EDE06] Edelmann, K.; Räckers, B.: Verbundwerkstoffe im A380, Internationaler Kongress, Kunststoffe im Automobilbau, 29.-30.03.2006 Mannheim, 2006 [ESC01] Esche, R.v.d.: Herstellung langfaserverstärkter Thermoplastbauteile unter Zuhilfenahme von Hochleistungslasern als Wärmequelle. Diss. RWTH Aachen, 2001 [GAO01] Gao, S.: Cooling rate influences in carbon/PEEK composites, Part III: impact damage performance; Composites Part A: Applied science and manufacturing, 2001 [REPL05a] N. N.: Airframers exploit composites in battle for supremacy, Reinforced Plastics, Volume 49 Number 3, ISSN 0034-2617, March 2005, pp.26-32 [REPL05b] N. N.: Mandrel forms composite fuselage, Reinforced Plastics, Volume 49 Number 3, ISSN 0034-2617, March 2005, p.24 [REPL06] N. N.: One-piece fuselage by fibre placement, Reinforced Plastics, Volume 50 Number 1, ISSN 0034-2617, January 2006, p.17 [SCH09] Schledjewski, R.: Thermoplastic tape placement by means of diode laser heating, SAMPE 2009 Baltimore, MD - May 18-21, 2009 [SPAE07] Spaeth, A.: Lighter on all sides, in: Aerotec, Ausgabe 5, December 2007, pp.34-38

Fig. 6: Tailored blanks and tailored thermoformed parts manufactured at Fraunhofer IPT

with every fibre orientation with high precision, quality and speed. Using this method, tailored fully-consolidated components and tailored blanks can be produced directly. However, for mass application purposes, it is beneficial to mainly reinforce fabric-reinforced blanks and components locally with unidirectional (UD) tape according to the load case. The combination of mass production of blanks, thermoforming and local reinforcement (either part or blank) results in high productivity and an excellent price-to-performance ratio of the components. In addition, it enables considerable technical and economical design freedom. The costly carbon fibres are applied only where they achieve the highest benefit and take the major loads, whereas the base panels achieve the economical (plastic or GFRP base blank) or sustainable boundary conditions (e.g. natural fibre reinforced base blank). Figure 6 shows some tailored blanks produced with a diode laserassisted tape placement unit and thermoformed into tailored top-hat profiles at Fraunhofer IPT. Local reinforcements can also be applied to wound, extruded or injection-moulded components, e.g. radial strengthening of pipe fittings or tube connectors in hydraulic pressure applications, as well as axial reinforcements for cantilever beams.

Conclusion
Laser-assisted tape placement is a highly productive method for flexible and serial manufacture of advanced composite components. The generative process approach allows the production of large structural parts (e.g. wings, tail planes), pipes, pressure vessels, tailored blanks and local reinforcement of fabric blanks, FRP and plastic parts. Every application has particular challenges that have to be taken into account to develop the most cost-effective laser-assisted tape placement

No76 October - November 2012 /

jec composites magazine 73

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #76 - October/November 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #76 - October/November 2012