Exhibitors & Products

Stuttgart University’s Institute of Aircraft Design , for example, in cooperation with three other companies, has researched the automated remodeling of components for aeronautical applications with high lightweight construction potential. They used the 3D TFP (Tailored Fiber Placement) process to improve the conversion of individual reinforcement threads into ideal 3D structures. As a result, the products can now be produced in a more material-efficient way, and there is a reduction in the CO₂ emissions from air traffic.

Within the scope of Baden-Württemberg’s collaborative research , Furtwangen University has also made the grinding process profitable and environmentally friendly: In the "fiber-reinforced materials" project carried out in collaboration with four other companies, it concentrated on the high-grade processing of hybrid lightweight construction materials such as CFK and ceramic. Innovative laser conditioning and laser structuring were some of the procedures used. Other projects focused on resin transfer molding, the optimization of joining technology and a new procedure for producing fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites.

Lightweight construction is also the number one topic in the automobile industry. For example, Toray Industries , the Japanese specialist for high-performance plastics and carbon fibers, announced its plans to build an Automotive Center Europe in Munich. It is scheduled to start business in August 2018 and will focus mainly on developing new materials for the lightweight automotive construction.