Innovative demoulding technology: release agent-free solutions for the series production of PU and EP
The RDD project, which was launched in 2024, aims to develop a process for release agent-free demoulding in series production. This technology not only simplifies the manufacturing process, but also enables innovative surface designs that can be applied to both foamed and compact polyurethanes (PU) and epoxies (EP).
© IKVSimplifying the production of plastic-based lightweight components can improve productivity and cost-effectiveness so that a significant reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved in many industries (e.g. automotive, transport, aviation, shipping, shoe industry). Such simplification, which also enables innovative surface designs and can be applied to both foamed and compact polyurethanes (PUR) and epoxies (EP) across all materials, is the aim of the ‘Reliable Dry Demoulding – RDD’ project launched in 2024.
In order to achieve these goals, the release agents used in the production of lightweight components are to be completely replaced by permanent mould coatings. The use of mould coatings under industrial conditions has already been successfully demonstrated at IKV. Building on these results, IKV will provide scientific support to the partners in the RDD project in the use of the technology in their respective production processes and carry out a process analysis to quantify the optimisation and CO2 reduction potential.
In order to enable knowledge-based material selection and process analysis for this new technology, IKV is developing a measuring cell to characterise demoulding forces. This will be used to analyse optimum process parameters and automatically evaluate material compatibility with the release layer.
The generated measurement data, information on material and component properties, process data and energetic evaluations for release agent-free component production at the joint partners form the basis of a combined SQL/NOSQL database. The correlations stored here and the guidelines and teaching units developed in the project will then serve processors and material manufacturers as a well-founded and easily accessible knowledge base for the transfer of release agent-free component production to industrial series application.
Project data and funding
We would like to thank the BMWK for funding this project.
Project duration: 01.01.2024 – 31.12.2026
Project partners and funding
