Commissioning of a force measurement system for the targeted optimization of process parameters in UD tape production

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Bachelor’s Thesis or Master’s Thesis

The aim of the work is the commissioning of a force measuring system at the height of the spreading section to improve the process speed and tape quality.

Stuwi-Inbetriebnahme-eines-Kraftmesssystems-in-UD-Tapeherstellung — Facility for the production of unidirectional thermoplastic tapes at IKV

Topic of the work:

The direction-dependent properties of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) pose a major challenge for the design and production of components. With the help of unidirectional (UD) tapes, these components can be reinforced locally and in line with the load path. However, certain minimum requirements apply to the properties (e.g. impregnation quality, fiber distribution, geometry) of the tape.

The work is written in this working group:

The tape processing and production working group is part of the IKV’s research area for fiber-reinforced plastics. The department focuses on the development, manufacture and processing of thermoplastic UD tapes.

Objective:

The aim of your work is the commissioning of a force measurement system to investigate the forces acting on the reinforcing fibers on the spreading section of a specially constructed tape system. The process-related influences (e.g. process speed, clamping force, deflection radius) are determined with regard to the effects on the material properties (geometry, fiber volume content, defect formation) of the thermoplastic UD tapes to be produced.

Your task:

You will work on the following tasks for a Bachelor's thesis:	For a Master's thesis, you will work on the following tasks:
Development of the state of the art	Development of the state of the art
Installation, setup and commissioning of a force measurement system	Installation, setup and commissioning of a force measurement system and investigation
Development of an experimental plan to investigate the tape properties as a function of the process parameters	evaluation, interpretation and correlation of the results
Evaluation, interpretation and correlation of the results	Two in-depth options: 1) Transfer of the methodology and results into an approach to increase process speed while maintaining tape quality; 2) Validation and optimization of the force measurement system

Your profile:

Preferred degree programs: Mechanical Engineering, Computational Engineering Science (CES), Materials Science or similar
Experience: Preferably basic knowledge in plastics technology, such as the lectures KV I-III, WK II or WkdK; ideally you have gained initial practical experience with the processing of FRP
Skills: You are motivated, a team player and have the willingness to solve problems independently
Main interests and goals: Plastics processing, fiber composites, systems engineering, material testing

If you are interested in the subject matter described above and would like to work in an exciting, practical environment in a highly motivated team, please get in touch with me. We agree on the exact scope of content and schedule individually.