TECHNOLOGY | LFTs
project titled: Modular production plant for heavy- duty hybrid components. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), other project participants included Fraunhofer ICT. The project developed and realised a modular production system for hybrid components combin- ing a size 4,600 modular injection unit for fibre direct compounding (FDC) from Arburg with a Dieffen- bacher 3,600 tonne vertical press (the equipment is located at the Fraunhofer ICT facility at Pfinztal in Germany. The system is said to make it possible to implement component dimensions and complexities that could not be manufactured previously. Manfred Reif, Head of the Composites Business
Above: This Dieffenbacher press is paired up with an Arburg FDC direct LFT
compounding system to provide
enhanced part production options
Right: The flexible MegaBox D-LFT luggage box in the latest Ford Puma cuts weight and offers four times the capacity
and additional fillers can be included. Chinese compounder Suzhou Hechang Poly- meric Materials is one company taking advantage of the versatility of the Protec technology. HCJH predominantly supplies companies in the automo- tive and domestic appliance industries and has been using its Protec line since August 2017. ProTec says its ongoing R&D activities ensure continuous development of LFT pellets which it produces from PP, PA, ABS and polyesters (PBT). It offers standard systems with throughputs of up to 1,000 kg/h as well as complete custom installa- tions, which include planning, construction and installation. HCJH opted for this solution for its 64-strand line equipped with a Somos Gramix gravimetric dosing and mixing system, which is also supplied by ProTec. Taiwan’s Sino-Alloy Machinery has been working for some time on its own LFT technology. International Representative Donald A Stephens says so far the company has sold one line to a customer in Taiwan, although details are covered by an NDA. “We still plan to also produce our own LFT in our new factory here,” Stephens says. “We have our initial pilot line and are currently building two more lines, for a total of three lines producing LFT pellets for commercial sale. They should be ready to start production later this year.” In September last year, Dieffenbacher and
Arburg said they would cooperate to develop new solutions for transfer moulding of hybrid components. The companies intend to combine their expertise in the fields of press systems and automated presses (Dieffenbacher) as well as injection moulding technology and direct LFT compounding (Arburg). The two companies have worked together already in the area as members of the MoPaHyb research
30 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2020
www.compoundingworld.com
Unit at Dieffenbacher, says: “Based on the positive results achieved in the MoPaHyb project, we will in future also be offering Dieffenbacher transfer moulding presses in combination with an Arburg FDC injection unit. Together with our Fiberforge UD tape laying system and the Fibercon consolida- tion unit, we can offer our customers a strong overall package.”
Hitting the road Ford Motor Company has long applied LFT technology in its vehicles. One of the most recent – and most innovative – applications is the new MegaBox multi-functional luggage compartment. Developed for the latest Puma model by Ford in conjunction with Röchling Automotive, it was detailed at AMI’s Long Fibre Thermoplastics conference in Dusseldorf in Germany in December last year by Meltem Öztürk and Egemen Erbil from Ford Otosan in Turkey, Matthias Hellriegel from Ford in Germany, and Egon Moos from Röchling. The MegaBox is a D-LFT component that replaces
IMAGE: ARBURG
IMAGE: FORD MOTOR CO
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