Project
ProFit –
Process Chain for a Flexible and Intelligent Tow Placement Technology
ProFIT will analyse the entire production process for composite parts with the aim of developing a highly efficient and intelligent placement technology based on an articulated robot system. This finally allows automated production of components with locally complex structures – such as parts with cut-out reinforcements or similar – in a single operation and thus opens new opportunities in the component design. The envisaged higher degree of automation will lead to shorter cycle times and a reduction of production costs. The process chain will include intelligent sensors, full CAD integration, offline programming of the robot and automatic placement of non-autoclave prepreg or dry fabrics by use of different endless fibre types (C-fibre, G-fibre and the economical interesting basalt fibre) with various resin infusion technologies. Using of the resulting automation concept will reduce both costs for the setup of a manufacturing system as well as cost for ongoing operation. The resulting high efficiency of the system makes this technology very attractive, not only to the primary application area of aviation industry, but also for other industries such as general engineering or the automotive industry.
The ProFIT Consortium
In order to address the challenges of the ProFIT project a network of universities, research institutions, SMEs and industry partners has been established, which will enable to bundle the respective competences and fosters applied technology development. The project is a joint research project between a group of Austrian partners and a German consortium that is funded in the framework of the “LuFo” funding programme.
The Austrian part of the ProFIT project is funded by the FFG under grant No. 498817.