Open AccessSPARE project – improvement of continuous compression moulding process for the production of thermoplastic composite beams
Author(s) -
Riccaro Angiuli,
Federica Dell’Anno,
Leonardo Cosma,
Umberto Raganato,
Alessandra Passaro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
iop conference series. materials science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1757-899X
pISSN - 1757-8981
DOI - 10.1088/1757-899x/1024/1/012024
Subject(s) - spare part , thermography , automotive industry , materials science , process (computing) , process engineering , thermoplastic , mechanical engineering , cost reduction , computer science , automotive engineering , composite material , engineering , infrared , aerospace engineering , physics , management , optics , economics , operating system
In recent years, thermoplastic matrix composites have seen an increasing interest from the research and development sector due to the versatility of use and the wide potential in sectors such as automotive, aeronautics and transport. Furthermore, the thermoplastic matrix allows the use of simpler, faster and automatable production cycles and joining systems. As part of the SPARE project, the continuous compression moulding process (CCM) was upgraded using as numerical simulation, monitoring via infrared thermography and induction welding. Thanks to these innovations, the CCM process can ensure savings in terms of production costs, reduction of waste and a higher level of automation, the proposed work will illustrate the activities carried out during the project. The numerical simulation was used to analyze the heating process and verify its uniformity in order to identify the best configuration to obtain uniform heating, infrared thermography, on the other hand, was used to continuously monitor the temperate of the laminate at the entrance and exit of the compaction zone and to measure the process temperature and the degree of uniformity. Finally, at the end of the production process, a tool was developed for the induction welding of the laminates for the construction of complex beams with a T or H cross section.