Self-regulated production of an automotive composite floor pan

Abstract

In collaboration with seven partners from industry, the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) of RWTH Aachen University and the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University are developing a self-regulating production system for structural composite parts, which combines the automated preforming technologies 3D Fiber Spraying and Towpreg Placement with a High Pressure Resin Transfer Moulding (HP-RTM) process. By embedding optical measuring equipment and a structural simulation into the production system, the system itself is capable to detect production fluctuations of the 3D Fiber Spraying process and to compensate these by deliberately adjusting the fiber structure of the subsequent Towpreg Placement process. The technical and economic advancement of this self-regulating system is demonstrated by the manufacturing of an automotive floor pan from long and continuous fiber reinforced epoxy. In this paper, the impact of production fluctuations on the mechanical performance is shown for representative load cases. Subsequently, the effect of a deliberate adjustment of the continuous fiber structure on the component stiffness is numerically investigated. Laws for fluctuation compensation are derived and presented.