Closing event of the BMBF’s OPTO-Light

27/02/2018

The inter-disciplinary BMBF cooperation project OPTO-Light which started in 2014 was completed in February with a closing event. The project successfully developed a new process for the adhesive-free functionalization of perspectively for car body relevant epoxy-based CFRPs with thermoplastic fiber-reinforced plastics within a close-to-series production cell with cycle times of 2 minutes.

 

Project

Together with its project partners BMW AG, KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, ARGES GmbH, Precitec GmbH & Co. KG, Sensortherm GmbH and Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH, the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production, short AZL, proved this new process and its mechanical realization with a demonstrator part derived from the current BMW i3, a carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin shell element and glass fiber-reinforced PA6 ribbed structure. The AZL was involved in this development as the process- and system integrator.

The potential of different process routes - with/without joining pretreatment - for integrated production were analyzed.
For the first time, Prepreg Compression Molding was used in a conventional injection moulding machine and thus significantly increases the processing potential of epoxy-based CFRP in the plastics industry.

The project partners were awarded with the AVK Innovation Award 2017 for the project results and the new process.

During the closing event, the developed technologies of the research project have been presented thoroughly in the machine hall of AZL in Aachen. BMW AG emphasized the cost-potential of over 30% for future serial production.

Watch the video summarizing the developed process and system technology:

 
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Functionalization of CFRP parts for car body based on laser technology