CFRP-AM

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers and Additive Manufacturing
Individualized cost-efficient and sustainable ultra-lightweight structural components

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.

Core of an aircraft instrument panel with structural components made by AM, Source: ETH Zürich

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.

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 Technical Problems to Solve

Fiber distribution for variable stiffness laminated structures
3D printing of complex materials
Fracture interface mechanics of complex, inhomogeneous materials

Demonstrators

Exo-skeleton component
Transcatheter heart valve
Structural aircraft component

Leading Principal Investigator

Prof. Dr. Paolo Ermanni
Laboratory of Composite Materials and Adaptive Structures, ETH Zürich

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, EPF Lausanne
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Terrasi, Laboratory for Mechanical Systems Engineering, Empa
Prof. Dr. Roger Gassert, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems / Rehabilitation Engineering Lab, ETH Zürich
Dr. Markus Zogg, ics, Inspire AG
Dr. Christoph Klahn, ipdz, Inspire AG