Integrated system solutions for cost-effective lightweight design
State-of-the-art lightweight design, and thus sustainable mobility, would be hard to imagine without intelligent, highly-integrated processes. Compared with aerospace engineering, car manufacturing is characterised by high volumes, and thus exposed to considerably greater cost pressure. This necessitates completely new methods in the production of fibre-reinforced plastic components. The Center for Lightweight Composite Technologies established in 2012 by Engel in St. Valentin, Austria, aims to accelerate the development and market launch of this process. The Center provides an interdisciplinary platform for collaboration with customers, partner enterprises and universities. Core areas of activity include the processing of thermoplastic semi-finished parts (thermoplastic fabrics and tapes) and thermoset compression moulding materials such as SMC along with reactive technologies using thermoset and thermoplastic systems (such as HP-RTM and the in-situ polymerisation of ε-Caprolactam).Engel is expanding the capacity of its Center for Lightweight Composite Technologies in order to widen its range of applications and technologies still further. A second (larger) Engel v-duo 1700 machine with clamping force of 17,000 kN is already in service. The machine is equipped with an injection unit, an Engel easix robot and a high pressure metering system for reactive process technology, and may be combined with the IR oven developed by Engel. It is available for both development work and customer trials at the Engel premises in St. Valentin.
Engel at Composites Europe 2016: Hall 8b, stand F31
