Impulse project InDiMat: Innovative joining processes and stress-appropriate design concepts for hybrid lightweight CFRP multi-material composites
Project partners:
Institutes of the institution of higher education involved:
- LaserApplicationCenter (LAZ) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Department, Institute for Materials Research (IMFAA) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Foundry Technology Aalen (GTA) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Technology Center Lightweight Construction (TZL) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
Project period: June 2017 - May 2021
Project description:
Lightweight construction is of outstanding importance for transportation, energy supply and industrial automation. Due to the increasing importance of resource and energy efficiency, the cross-industry key technology of lightweight construction will play an important role in Germany's future competitiveness.
Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are among the most promising lightweight construction materials. These are often realized as multi-material composites with a wide range of applications, e.g. in automotive, aerospace and mechanical/plant engineering. The current focus of this hybrid lightweight construction is on composites made of CFRP and light metals as well as cost-efficient process approaches.
Various solutions are to be developed for this as part of the "InDiMat" impulse project: Light metal die casting is aimed at the process-integrated creation of functional cavities in cast structures, while hybrid joining addresses high-strength, durable adhesively joined multi-material composites.
Impulse project AddFunk: Additively manufactured functional and intelligent components (parts/tools/sensors)
Project partners:
Institutes of higher education involved:
- LaserApplicationCenter (LAZ) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Department, Institute for Materials Research (IMFAA) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Center for Optical Technologies (ZOT) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Center for Virtual Product Development (ZVP) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
Project period: June 2017 - May 2021
Project description:
Additive manufacturing is one of the key technologies for Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things. Customized products can be manufactured in a commercial, economical, profitable way with great design freedom, and new business models and markets can be developed. As a result, 3D printing has disruptive potential. Additive processes, procedures are already being used in individual industries to exploit the advantages of this technology and produce small and very small series in a commercial, economical, financially, cost-effective manner.
However, there are still major gaps in knowledge about the possibilities for using additive technologies in both the plastics and metal sectors. This concerns, for example, the design of the components as well as the understanding of the mechanical, physical and optical properties and the possibilities of new material combinations in the direction of customized heterogeneous materials (such as CerMets, hard metals) or optical plastics. Another key challenge is surface quality.
This is where the "AddFunK" impulse project comes in and addresses the scientific questions posed by industry: Research is being conducted into additive manufacturing with new materials such as hard metals and optical materials for intelligent sensors for cyber-physical systems. The focus is on functional integration, surface quality and microstructuring using lasers.
Explorative project SurfPlus: Release agent-free die casting using laser-structured tool surfaces (SurfPlus)
Project partner:
- LaserApplikationsZentrum (LAZ) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
- Foundry Technology Aalen (GTA) Aalen University of Applied Sciences
Project period: April 2019 - March 2020
Project description:
Lightweight construction is becoming increasingly important in terms of the use of resources and energy in order to achieve cost advantages. An important technology for this is aluminum die casting.
Release agents are still used to prevent the molten aluminum from sticking to the component. They are sprayed onto the hot tool, which increases tool wear due to high cooling rates.
The aim of this project is to investigate the extent to which release agents can be dispensed with by using laser structures permanently introduced into the tool using a USP laser ("cold processing").