ENGINEERING THERMOPLASTICS | INNOVATION
Toray Advanced Composites will produce CFRT tapes using BASF’s Ultramid PA6
New unit for in-situ polymerisation
combinations of engineered resin and reinforce- ment, fibreglass content, and laminate configura- tions. “Ultimately, a Polystrand 8-ply fiberglass reinforced PETG laminate over-moulded in nylon hit the sweet spot – providing just the right ratio of flexibility and strength that makes the binding worthy of a premium designation,” says PolyOne. “The injection-over-moulded Polystrand composite construction in Rome’s Black Label binding is the first of its kind in the industry.” Last August, Toray Advanced Composites and
BASF signed a manufacturing and supply agree- ment focused on the production of continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRT) tapes for the automotive and industrial markets. Toray Advanced Composites will produce high quality and afford- able CFRT tapes using Ultramid engineering thermoplastics developed and produced by BASF. The fibre manufacturer will reinforce BASF’s Ultramid PA6 resins with either glass fibre or carbon fibre. Toray Advanced Composites’ CFRT materials are said to be compatible with a wide range of BASF’s Ultramid compounds, based on various types of polyamide, enabling more efficient, multifunctional parts to be produced in fewer steps and with less labour compared to more traditional methods.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.engelglobal.com �
www.brose.com �
www.kraussmaffei.com �
www.arburg.com �
https://dieffenbacher.com �
https://tprc.nl �
www.styrolution.com �
https://lanxess.com �
www.polyone.com �
www.toraytac.com �
www.basf.com �
www.azl.rwth-aachen.de �
www.ikv-aachen.de
www.injectionworld.com
An alternative to over-moulding of fibre reinforcement preforms by melt processing is in-situ polymerisation. Engel first demonstrated how this could work on a global stage at K 2016, and it continues to develop the technology. It says the decisive factor for process- ing efficiency and product quality is the reaction unit that it has developed specifically for the preparation and injection of caprol- actam (which polymerises into polyamide 6). Engel has further optimised its solution with a new, smaller
reaction unit. This can handle matrix volumes between 10 and 600 cm³, which the company says offers great flexibility, especially for technology centre plants, in the production of test parts, speci- mens and parts up to a weight of 1.5kg. One benefit of the system for R&D operations with frequent recipe and batch changes is that residual material can be quickly removed without the system needing to be flushed. The larger unit can process matrix volumes of up to 1,500 cm³. Both sizes of the reactive unit can be combined with any Engel injection moulding machine. A retrofitting option is available for injection moulding machines with the CC300 control unit, or the reactive unit can work as a stand-alone system with its own CC300 control. The moulding process with caprolactam is a cross between injection moulding and resin transfer moulding, which has been used for a long time to make composites based on thermosets. “Thanks to caprolactam’s low viscosity in molten state, the dry fibres can be wetted particularly well,” Engel says. “Compared to duroplastic [thermoset] RTM, longer flow paths and a higher fibre content are possible.” Engel says the range of applications for in-situ polymerisation
extends from small parts with thin wall thicknesses through to large, highly stressed structural elements.
IMAGE: ENGEL
Above: Engel’s solution for in-situ polymerisation of caprolactam into PA6 for the production of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic components is characterised by particularly compact system technology
January/February 2020 | INJECTION WORLD 31
IMAGE: BASF
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