ASM - Additive Sandwich Manufacturing

Innovative process chain for additive manufacturing of sandwich preforms

 

Auftraggeber: BMBF
Partner: Projektpartner: altropol, EEW protec, GFa – Gesellschaft zur Förderung angewandter Informatik e.V., Materialise, Siemens, windgigant, 2KM
Duration 10/2016 – 09/2020

 

Especially the production of smaller quantities and products that requiere special molds become more efficient using “additive manufacturing” techniques. A complete process chain for additive manufacturing of sandwich preforms will be developed und put into practice within the project “ASM”: customized machine construction parts and wind turbine components will be produced and the processes scrutinized.

The necessary system technology for this approach will undergo practical testing and modification for further improvement. The adaption of manufacturing processes, system engineering and materials will contribute to an expected reduction of production costs and the time-to-market for fiber-reinforced functional parts in excess of 25%.

With this new procedure, components are produced by applying individual layers of foam or plastics reinforced with cut fibers (e.g., resins based on epoxy and polyurethane), which can then be further reinforced with glass and carbon fibers. For precise mechanical application of the materials, the application strategy and the associated machining programs must be generated in advance. To this end, various software elements are being developed and adapted as part of this project. The application strategy is defined on the basis of targeted material and structural characteristics.

The industry partners are developing dispensing heads and mixing systems to produce the foam structures and for application of the fiber-filled resins. The system subcomponents and software developed are tested at the “BladeMaker” demo center at Fraunhofer IWES in Bremerhaven, Germany. Further machining processes will be integrated to finalize geometry of machine construction parts.

The production of demonstrator construction parts for wind turbine components which are subject to high loads supports the product development at an early stage and will help to reduce development costs for the wind industry.