Process evaluation of a double belt press with innovative elastomer coated rollers and inductive heating for energy efficient continuous manufacturing of thermoplastic composites
Topic(s) : Manufacturing
Co-authors :
Philipp WIGGER (GERMANY), Kai FISCHER (GERMANY), Christian BRECHER , Michael EMONTSAbstract :
Composite manufacturing processes continually seek improvements in efficiency and product quality. This paper presents a comprehensive process evaluation of a novel approach in composite manufacturing, focusing on a double belt press integrated with innovative elastomer coated rollers and inductive heating of the steel belt.
At the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) of RWTH Aachen University a double belt press with inductive heating and elastomer pressure rollers is used to impregnate woven textiles in a multilayer structure with a component thickness of up to 2 mm. In addition to the established materials polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA) for film impregnation in double belt presses, the impregnation with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) film was also successfully carried out.
Optimizing thermoplastic composite manufacturing necessitates a comprehensive analysis of temperature control and pressure distribution. This paper therefore focuses on investigating the influence of the inductive heating and the heated rollers on the resulting temperature profile.
The study examines the effects of inductive heating on the process temperature, evaluating its role in achieving temperature homogeneity across the steel belt width crucial for a uniform processing of the thermoplastic matrices. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the impact of heated rollers, assessing their contribution to the temperature profile across the length of the machine. This analysis aims to evaluate the thermal impact on the material, critical for ensuring consistent material properties across the manufactured thermoplastic composite.
Additionally, the research delves into the pressure profile resulting from elastomer coated rollers. The pressure distribution achieved during the process is investigated to provide insights into its correlation with surface quality, structural integrity, and overall material performance.
Through experimental analysis and simulations, this study offers a detailed understanding of the interplay between inductive heating and heated rollers for the process temperature, as well as the usage of elastomer coated rollers for the pressure profile in continuous thermoplastic composite manufacturing. The findings contribute essential insights into achieving precise temperature control and pressure distribution for enhancing the quality, consistency, and mechanical properties of thermoplastic composite materials manufactured in the efficient double belt press.
At the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) of RWTH Aachen University a double belt press with inductive heating and elastomer pressure rollers is used to impregnate woven textiles in a multilayer structure with a component thickness of up to 2 mm. In addition to the established materials polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA) for film impregnation in double belt presses, the impregnation with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) film was also successfully carried out.
Optimizing thermoplastic composite manufacturing necessitates a comprehensive analysis of temperature control and pressure distribution. This paper therefore focuses on investigating the influence of the inductive heating and the heated rollers on the resulting temperature profile.
The study examines the effects of inductive heating on the process temperature, evaluating its role in achieving temperature homogeneity across the steel belt width crucial for a uniform processing of the thermoplastic matrices. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the impact of heated rollers, assessing their contribution to the temperature profile across the length of the machine. This analysis aims to evaluate the thermal impact on the material, critical for ensuring consistent material properties across the manufactured thermoplastic composite.
Additionally, the research delves into the pressure profile resulting from elastomer coated rollers. The pressure distribution achieved during the process is investigated to provide insights into its correlation with surface quality, structural integrity, and overall material performance.
Through experimental analysis and simulations, this study offers a detailed understanding of the interplay between inductive heating and heated rollers for the process temperature, as well as the usage of elastomer coated rollers for the pressure profile in continuous thermoplastic composite manufacturing. The findings contribute essential insights into achieving precise temperature control and pressure distribution for enhancing the quality, consistency, and mechanical properties of thermoplastic composite materials manufactured in the efficient double belt press.