DRIFT-Technology
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Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. KG, Bamberg (Germany)
Partner(s): 1 A Autenrieth Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Germany - Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft, Germany - Fraunhofer IGCV, Germany - Kube GmbH Ingenieurbüro, Germany - WAFIOS AG, Germany
Wire-shaped inserts for load-oriented fiber reinforcement of injection-molded thermoplastic components.
Implemented on two full-scale industrial demonstrators within the automotive sector The DRIFT-Technology features a combination of thermoplastic pultrusion, wire bending technique and injection moulding technology. With this, three-dimensional fibre-reinforced composite structures with outstanding property profiles can be produced. While various types of inserts in the form of metallic components, composite laminate inlays and local tape reinforcements are already widely known, the DRIFT technology presented here represents a disruptive new process route.
The key lies in the use of inherently stable, fully consolidated fibre composite pultrudates that can be formed into almost any three- dimensional reinforcement structure using modified wire bending technology. Inserted into a surrounding matrix system using injection moulding methods, optimal force transmission paths result. To cover all existing load cases, the injection-moulded base body can be equipped, for example, with corresponding ribbing to accommodate complex load directions, while at the same time defined load absorption can be introduced into the pultrudate-reinforcement structure.
All in all, the combination of three individually modified single process steps results in a completely new overall technology with a very broad field of application. The novel process enables product designs with an extremely high degree of freedom, e.g. also directly based on bionic design principles. The new technology combines large-scale production capability, cost efficiency, design freedom and sustainability to an unmatched degree.
Key benefits
- Topology-optimised load-adapted 3D-design-freedom
- Disruptive structural/functional property profiles
- Large-scale production capability
- Significantly enhanced cost-efficiency & material-utilization
- Distinct integration of sustainability concept
