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generated by experimental evaluation of various cutting, handling and joining technologies, a preforming process chain for a flat panel with local reinforcements was designed at ITA. This manufacturing sequence was compared to the existing manual manufacturing process. With the improved automated process, the cycle time could be decreased from 37.8 to 3.7 minutes. The costs per unit were lowered from €30.86 to €8.26 [17].

Conclusion
Single-step preforming deals with the production of semi-finished textile parts. These non-crimp fabrics (NCF), which can also be referred to as tailored NCF, have locally-adjusted properties such as fibre orientation, thickness, drapability and bending stiffness. Drapability is defined as the spherical deformability of a textile planar material without structural folds. Thanks to the above-mentioned properties, handling and cutting operations can be reduced [Huf07]. Furthermore, a reduction of the blend and therefore greater cost efficiency can be achieved with tailored NCF. The described fabrics require novel production technologies based on warp-knitting machines with multiaxial weft insertion. The production of near netshape textile structures is referred to as multi-step preforming. The textile parts are produced in a sequence of automated processing steps. Multi-axial non-crimp fabrics or woven fabrics, but specifically tailored NCF, are converted. To enhance productivity, the cutting, handling and joining technologies are individually analyzed and further developed. Furthermore, highly-efficient planning tools were developed to create economically-viable and cost-effective preforming process chains.

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for supporting and funding the FOR860 working group of researchers (“Development of new process chains for fibre-reinforced plastic components and integration of preforming, forming and crosslinking processes”). Furthermore, we would like to thank LIBA Maschinenfabrik GmbH for their stunning work. n
More information: www.ita.rwth-aachen.de References 1. Herbeck, L.: Anforderungen an eine Faserverbund-Produktionstechnik: Deutsches Institut für Luft- und Raumfahrt (Hrsg.): Wissenschaftstag – Funktionsintegrierter Leichtbau für bodengebundenen Verkehr, Braunschweig, 30 September 2009 2. Beier, U.: High-performance fibre-reinforced composites prepared by a novel preform manufacturing routine; Bayreuth: Wissenschaftlicher Arbeitskreis Kunststofftechnik (WAK) / Kunststoffe.de 3. Palinsky, A., Eisenhauer, C., Bünker, J., and Ischtschuk, L.; “Effizientere Faserverbundherstellung durch den Einsatz funktionalisierter Multiaxialer Gelege (More Efficient Composite Production Using Functionalized Non-Crimped Fabrics (NCF’s).)”; In: Dörfel, A. (Ed.): Proceedings of the 2nd Aachen-Dresden International Textile Conference, Dresden, 4-5 December 2008. Dresden: Institute of Textile

and Clothing Technology, TU Dresden (2008) 4. Herrmann, A.S.: Automatisierte Prozessketten in der CFK-Fertigung. PRO-CFK, Teilprojekt ProTex: Ergebnisse aus drei Jahren Forschung im Verbundprojekt PRO-CFK. Motto: Luft- und Raumfahrt: Lehre, Forschung, Industrie - gemeinsam innovativ: Deutscher Luftund Raumfahrtkongress 2006, Braunschweig, 6-9 November 2006. Bonn: DGLR, 2006 5. Grundmann, T.: Automatisiertes Preforming für schalenförmige komplexe Faserverbundbauteile; Aachen: Shaker, 2009 6. N.N.:LIBA Maschinenfabrik GmbH (2007), Tricot Machine with Multiaxial Weft Insertion: Copcentra Max3 CNC, Naila: LIBA Maschinenfabrik GmbH, 08/2007 [corporate literature] 7. Ermanni, P.: Composites Technologien, Kapitel 7 Textile Halbzeuge, Skript zur ETH-Vorlesung; 151-0307-00L, Version 4.0, Zürich, August 2007 8. KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH (2009), Technical Textiles, Obertshausen; KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH, 04/2009 [corporate literature] 9. Weber, K. and Weber, M. (2004):Wirkerei und Strickerei – Technologische und bindungstechnische Grundlagen, Frankfurt am Main, Deutscher Fachverlag 10. Hanisch, V., Henkel, F. and Gries, T. (2007): Performance of textile structures determined by accurate machine settings,14th International Techtextil - Symposium, Frankfurt am Main, 11-14.06.2007 11. Hufenbach, W. (Editor): “Textile Verstärkungen, Halbzeuge und deren textiltechnische Fertigung [Ch, Di, Gr]” and „Bauteilentwicklung Versteifte Schale [Mi, Re, Schm]” in Hufenbach, W.: Textile Verbundbauweisen und Fertigungstechnologien für Leichtbaustrukturen des Maschinen- und Fahrzeugbau , Dresden, SDV - Die Medien AG, 25-56, 60-72 and 338-345,352-364 12. Herrmann, A. S., Pabsch, A., Kleineberg, M.: Kostengünstige Faserverbundstrukturen – eine Frage neuer Produktionsansätze, 3. Internat. AVK-TV Tagung für verstärkte Kunststoffe und duroplastische Formmassen, Baden-Baden 12-13.09.2000 13. Weimer, C., Mitschang, P., Neitzel, M.: Continous manufacturing of tailored reinforcements for liquid infusion processes based on stitching technologies, 6th International Conference on Flow Processes in Composite Materials, Auckland, NZ 15-16.06.2002 14. Klopp, K., Anft, T., Pucknat, J., Gries, T.: Mechanical strength of conventional stitched composite materials, Technical Textiles 44 (2001), E205-E207 15. Wulfhorst, B., Gries, T., Veit, D.: Textile Technology, Munich: Hanser; Cincinnati: Hanser Gardner, 2006 16. Gries, T., Klopp, K.: Füge- und Oberflächentechnologien für Textilien: Verfahren und Anwendungen, Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer, 2007 17. Grundmann, T.: Automatisiertes Preforming für schalenförmige komplexe Faserverbundbauteile, Aachen, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Dissertation, 2009: Zugl. Aachen: Shaker, 2009 Published in: Bailey, V.P.; Griffiths, B.; Leslie, J.C.; Beckwith, S.W. (Eds.): SAMPE 2011 Conference & Exhibition : State of the Industry ; Advanced Materials Applications, and Processing Technology, Long Beach, CA, May 23 - 26, 2011. - Covina : SAMPE, 2011, File: 1192.pdf

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

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