Print2fly · Can we print an aircraft at room temperature?
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-06-01 → 2021-05-31
- EU contribution
- €187,572
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Can we print an aircraft at room temperature?
With rising environmental concerns and fuel costs, we urgently need to reduce the weight of commercial aircraft to enhance fuel efficiency. Within the Print2fly project, the capabilities of additive manufacturing (AM) are combined with room temperature polymerization chemistry to fabricate thermoplastic composites with significant weight reduction and high recyclability. The adaption of aerospace-grade thermoplastics for conventional AM processes is extremely challenging, considering the complications associated with their high processing temperatures and melt viscosity. Within Print2fly an extrusion-based AM method named Reactive Liquid Deposition Modelling (RLDM) is developed to fabricate reliable and high-performance continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites at room temperature. The RLDM technology replaces the conventional melt processing with photopolymerization of a liquid resin with tailored flow-ability and polymerization kinetics. The RLDM demonstrated promises to fabri-cate defect-free and first-time right parts by eliminating interface defects and voids. The RLDM technology extends the applicability of AM for printing large structures with customized design, reduced cost, and lower environmental impact. Following objectives were followed during the project: 1- To adapt thermoplastic resin chemistry for the RDLM process and tune the photopolymerization kinetics 2- To correlate interphase microstructure to bonding strength and its relation to macro-mechanical proper-ties 3- To validate and demonstrate AM of fibre reinforced parts through the RDLM process
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Within the field of aircraft manufacturing and aerospace sector, there is an increasing emphasis on thermoplastic composites and Additive Manufacturing (AM). However, current thermoplastic AM techniques are not suitable to manufacture parts with required reliability. These products suffer from poor mechanical performance stemming from the inherent weakness of printable polymers, high void content and weak bonding between printed layers. Current thermoplastic AM techniques are thermally-driven processes with serious limitations in processing of engineering thermoplastics due to high melt viscosity and process temperature of such polymers. Therefore, Print2fly is devoted to developing a new extrusion-based AM method named Reactive Liquid Deposition Modelling (RLDM) to fabricate reliable and high-performance continues fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites at room temperature. The RLDM technology employs photopolymerization of a liquid resin with tailored flow-ability and polymerization kinetics instead of the conventional melt processing. Print2fly conceptualizes a novel interphase formation between the freshly deposited layer and solidified layers and bridges the nano/micro-structure to the bonding performance and composite macro-mechanics. Print2fly will be a futuristic composite manufacturing technique to produce durable, robust, complex and recyclable parts for the aircraft industry.The chance to perform this multi-disciplinary project within a world leading thermoplastic composites laboratory will give me the opportunity to excel my competencies in polymer chemistry, mechanics of composites and advanced characterizations. This will extend my scientific knowledge in thermoplastics and AM and augment my professional maturity and independence, helping me to grow my professional network. The fellowship will open excellent career possibilities for me to reach a group leader position in the materials science and production technology fields as a future prospect.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE · EnschedeCoordinatorNetherlands
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union