LowFlip - An innovative direct 3D placement technology for plies and tapes

Breaking down the cost structure of state of the art CFRP part shows that about 50% of the costs are caused by labor & equipment as well as process energy consumption. Therefore, the main goal of the EU funded project FP7 LowFlip (Low Cost Flexible Integrated Composite Process) is to decrease these costs by introducing new technologies into CFRP production processes. The LOWFLIP concept focuses on three main aspects: 1. Development of a new out-of-autoclave (OOA) prepreg system with snap cure capabilities [2] 2. Development of a direct 3D placement technology for plies and tapes 3. Development of energy efficient and fast heating tooling [3] The main content of this paper is detailed information on a novel direct 3D prepreg layup process for automated production of large fiber reinforced parts. The LowFlip process, that is able to drape and compact UD prepreg tapes up to 300mm width directly into a double-curved tooling, is being introduced. Two large scale demonstrator parts from the truck and aerospace applications sector will be presented. A solution for manufacturing small and medium sized parts with an adaptive pick and place end-effector is presented as well as some results of the practical equipment testing. The proposed demonstrator for the pick and place application, a CFRP - sandwich part for a car body main structure, will be introduced. Experiences gained during prototype manufacturing will be reflected.