Assessment of Hybrid Heating for Curing of CFRP Structures

Kurzfassung

In manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) a wide variety of technologies are used nowadays. Besides the significant potential to develop novel technologies that enhance cost and lead-time reduction, there is a need to develop a comprehensive assessment framework and models to assess these new technologies. In practice, technologies have been directly compared with each other blanking out their consequences on the rest of the manufacturing processes. To enable assessing new technologies of CFRP manufacturing processes a detailed activity-based modeling has been introduced allowing tracing each technology within the production chain. Therefore, a systematic decision support framework has been developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to establish the activity-based eco-efficiency assessment model (EEAM). Thus, decisions can be taken at an early development stage, if a certain technology proves being beneficial. In the context of the H2020 funded project EFFICOMP DLR implemented this framework and the related EEAM to compare hybrid heating technologies in curing CFRP parts. These hybrid heating concepts consist of two combined systems, a water heated mold and an autoclave. The standard autoclave process is used as a reference process. It is compared to the stand-alone water-tempering process as well as a combined water-tempering inside the autoclave, employing the convectional heating capability of the autoclave. These three curing concepts are applied and recorded at DLR facilities. The obtained data is used to parametrize the EEAM. The technologies are interchanged within a complete part manufacturing process chain in the assessment model, from fiber-cutting, to preforming, preparation, infusion, demolding and cleaning. Then the associated unit processes are defined to be considered for the comparison of the three technologies. The results facilitate sensitivity analyses showing benefits and drawbacks of all used techniques and the further developments potential.