CFRP-AM
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers and Additive Manufacturing
Main Achievement?
XXX Texttext One of thee demonstrators?
Project
Background and Main Goal
The main task of any natural and technical structure is to guarantee functionality and integrity and to be light in order to minimize material and energy consumption over the entire lifetime. Considering that material, function and form are intimately related to one another, structural efficiency can be improved by multi-material approaches, optimal design topology in terms of material orientation and distribution, and integration of functions.
A key challenge is the realization of individualized lightweight solutions with high customer value. The project consortium aims to push the potential of lightweight through the combination of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) and Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies.
Core of an aircraft instrument panel with structural components made by AM, Source: ETH Zürich
Scope of Research Activities
Optimal use of carbon fibers: ➜ Development of a flexible, cost-efficient, and sustainable design and manufacturing route for variable stiffness laminated structures Efficient design processes for Additive Manufacturing (AM): ➜ Development of methods and tools for an efficient design process, including a design tool for the parametrical CAD modeling of functional and load-bearing elements in target applications 3D printing of soft/hard complex materials: ➜ Formulation of printable inks with varied mechanical properties to enable fabrication of graded parts and interfaces and development of an additive manufacturing platform for DIW on non-planar surfaces Fracture and interface mechanics of interfaces/interphases: ➜ Characterize the durability (load transfer, stiffness) and fracture of the interfaces/interphases between the different scaffolds, produced by the 3D printing, and polymer composite, steel and/or aluminum, or other chosen appropriate materials Structural Mechanics & Design: ➜ Development of robust and integrated component-level testing and simulation environment based on in-service loading conditions to provide: (i) initial input conditions for implementing and optimizing component designs, and (ii) experimental validation of prototypes Key Challenges and Technical Problems to Solve
➜ Fiber distribution for variable stiffness laminated structures ➜ 3D printing of complex materials ➜ Fracture interface mechanics of complex, inhomogeneous materials Achievements and demonstrators
Manufacturing route for lightweight AM-CFRP parts
The production of parts from carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) requires the use of cores, molds, and tools. However, conventional manufacturing methods, such as milling, often restrict the geometric complexity of such tools. In contrast, additive manufacturing (AM) offers the possibility to fabricate complex-shaped tools at reduced manufacturing costs and time. Within the project, we explored AM cores for the production of lightweight composite structures. For example, this novel manufacturing route was applied for the fabrication of components of the VARILEG exoskeleton for the CYBATHLON competition.
Contact: Dr. Manuel Biedermann Involved Research Groups
Related Publications
Digital design process of costumized AM-CFRP parts
For biomedical applications, such as orthoses, prostheses, and exoskeletons, the combination of additive manufacturing (AM) and carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) offers the potential to fabricate novel lightweight structures that are customized to specific shape and body weight of patients. In the project, we demonstrate this potential using the example of an exoskeleton component. The developed digital process chain includes the 3D scanning of the body shape, automated design customization, and load-bearing optimization of the composite layup using patched laminates as a reinforcement.
Contact: Dr. Manuel Biedermann Involved Research Groups
Related Publications
PUBLICATIONS
2022
Vidrih, T., P. Winiger, Z. Triantafyllidis, V. Ott and G. P. Terrasi (2022) "Investigations on the Fatigue Behaviour of 3D-Printed Continuous Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Tension Straps." Polymers 14(20). 2021
Biedermann, M., M. Widmer and M. Meboldt (2021). "Additive Manufactured Break-Out Cores for Composite Production: A Case Study with Motorcycle Parts." Proceedings of the Munich Symposium on Lightweight Design 2020, Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Biedermann, M., P. Beutler and M. Meboldt (2021). "Automated design of additive manufactured flow components with consideration of overhang constraint." Additive Manufacturing 46: 102119. Pappas, G. A., A. Schlothauer and P. Ermanni (2021). "Bending failure analysis and modeling of thin fiber reinforced shells." Composites Science and Technology 216: 108979. 2020
Biedermann, M. and M. Meboldt (2020). "Computational design synthesis of additive manufactured multi-flow nozzles." Additive Manufacturing 35: 101231. Pappas, G. A. and J. Botsis (2020). "Variations on R-curves and traction-separation relations in DCB specimens loaded under end opening forces or pure moments." International Journal of Solids and Structures 191-192: 42-55. Schlothauer, A., G. A. Pappas and P. Ermanni (2020). "Material response and failure of highly deformable carbon fiber composite shells." Composites Science and Technology 199: 108378. 2019
Kussmaul, R., M. Biedermann, G. A. Pappas, J. G. Jónasson, P. Winiger, M. Zogg, D.-A. Türk, M. Meboldt and P. Ermanni (2019). "Individualized lightweight structures for biomedical applications using additive manufacturing and carbon fiber patched composites." Design Science 5: e20. Kussmaul, R., J. G. Jónasson, M. Zogg and P. Ermanni (2019). "A novel computational framework for structural optimization with patched laminates." Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 60(5): 2073-2091. Kussmaul, R., M. Zogg and P. Ermanni (2019). "A failure mechanics and strength optimization study for patched laminates." Composite Structures 226: 111165. Pappas, G. A. and J. Botsis (2019). "Design optimization of a CFRP–aluminum joint for a bioengineering application." Design Science 5: e14. Schlothauer, A. and P. Ermanni (2019). "Stiff Composite Cylinders for Extremely Expandable Structures." Scientific Reports 9(1): 15955. Türk, D.-A., F. Rüegg, M. Biedermann and M. Meboldt (2019). "Design and manufacture of hybrid metal composite structures using functional tooling made by additive manufacturing." Design Science 5: e16. 2018
Kussmaul, R., M. Zogg and P. Ermanni (2018). "An optimality criteria-based algorithm for efficient design optimization of laminated composites using concurrent resizing and scaling." Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 58(2): 735-750. Kussmaul, R., M. Zogg and P. Ermanni (2018). "An efficient two-dimensional shear-lag model for the analysis of patched laminates." Composite Structures 206: 288-300. TEAM AND PARTNERS
Project Consortium
Prof. Dr. Mirko Meboldt
Product Development Group Zürich (pd|z), ETH Zürich Prof. Dr. André Studart Complex Materials, ETH Zürich Prof. Dr. John Botsis Laboratory of Applied Mechanics and Reliability Analysis, EPFL Prof. Dr. Giovanni Terrasi Laboratory for Mechanical Systems Engineering, Empa Prof. Dr. Roger GassertInstitute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems / Rehabilitation Engineering Lab, ETH Zürich Dr. Markus Zogg ics, Inspire AG Dr. Christoph Klahn ipdz, Inspire AG
Leading Principal Investigator
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An initiative of the ETH Board
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Participating Institutions of the ETH Domain
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