TECHNOLOGY | WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES
Right: A 3Dprinted sample produced at Fraunhofer WKI for evaluation in construction and building applications
materials they use in their products,” said Wagner. One of the most challenging requirements for WPC decking is the structural performance needed for use as stair treads, says Wagner. “This is primarily due to a deflection limit under a 300lb concentrated load required in ASTM D7032. Manufacturers often need to limit stair tread spans to something less than what you’d find in typical deck construc- tion or develop installation details that provide some additional support for the stair tread,” he said.
3D print ideas While most WPC products are produced using extrusion, Germany’s Fraunhofer WKI (Institute for Wood Research) has initiated a new project that aims to demonstrate what is possible in novel light-weight 3D-printed designs for building and construction applications that incorporate wood- based filaments and as much bio-based content as possible. Project lead Dr Arne Schirp says the researchers are exploring wood particles, pure cellulose and lignin, and mixtures of these in PLA (polylactic acid, a biobased thermoplastic polyes- ter) compounds with 20 and 40% fibres by weight. The compounds will be made into filaments and 3D-printed. “One of the main challenges is to find the right balance between printing speed and quality when it comes to large parts. This summer, the first prototypes will be designed and printed by our project partners,” says Schirp.
Additive manufacturing has the potential to save
material and cost in the production of complex, customised components, according to the Fraun-
hofer team. The project will look at simplifying production of existing architectural components, such as facade elements and partition walls, as well as development of new and innovative designs. PLA reinforced with wood or cellulose fibres has
already been used in 3D-printed parts but (so far) rarely in building applications, says Schirp. PLA is, however, desirable as a material based on renew- able resources.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.fiberondecking.com �
www.oldcastleapg.com �
www.trex.com �
www.teknorapex.com �
https://laniercolor.com/ �
www.dow.com �
www.mitsui.com/de/en/ �
www.mixaco.com �
www.intertek.com �
www.wki.fraunhofer.de
CONEXTRU pipe heads are produced at highest manufacturing standard to ensure best pipe quality for long production times
IMAGE: FRAUNHOFER WKI/MANUELA LINGNAU
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