COST-EFFECTIVE USE OF CONTINUOUS FIBRE REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES IN PLASTIC PRODUCTS

摘要

The current paper describes the development and application of a novel 3D composite printing technique, using a combination of Automated Tape Laying (ATL) and recent developments in 3D printing to enable a cost-effective alternative for continuous fibre thermoplastic composite processing. With the technology e.g. preforms can be manufactured for use as structural inserts in injection, rotational or compression moulded products, or to apply local stiffening afterwards on produced parts, either inline (e.g. in extrusion or filament winding) or as a separate step. In a joint project, a consortium of 10 dutch SMEs and several centres of expertise are developing and testing the process on eight case studies in healthcare and industry products. Results show the feasibility of the technique in preparing inserts with a variety of geometries, with mechanical properties competitive with those produced in conventional processes. It thus proves its use in creating sufficient quality and cost-efficiency for use as structural inserts in thermoplastic products. Furthermore, the wide variety of thermoplastic production techniques (injection, rotational, compression moulding, extrusion, filament winding, tape laying, 3D printing) and typical production series (continuous production, medium- to large-size and small-scale series) covered by the foreseen case studies, represent a large part of plastic industry, underlining the potential impact of the results of the current technology.