Functional Small Parts Made fromThermoplastic Composites

Lorenzo DiSano, Christian Braun, SAWE Conference

About Ensinger

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Founded: 1966

Managing directors: Klaus Ensinger, Dr. Roland Reber

Employees: around 2’500

Headquarters: Nufringen (Baden-Württemberg), Germany

US divisions: PA, NJ, CT, DE, TX

Turnover: approx. $470m

Number of international production and sales

locations: 33

Products / processes:

Compounds, Stock Shapes, Machined Parts, Injection

Molding, Insulating Profiles, Spacers, Cast Nyrim,

Sintered Plastics, Industrial Profiles & Tubes, Filaments, Composites

About Ensinger Composites

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• Composite plates (PEEK/PEKK) in stock shapes

portfolio for many years

• With the acquisition of next composites GmbH in

2017 capability to manufacture complex parts

• Net-shape and near-net-shape parts

• Wide variety of polymers can be used

as matrix materials, with a focus on

engineering and high-temperature

plastics

• Glass, carbon and other fibers can be

used as reinforcement, both endless

(unidirectional/weave) and chopped

• High specific strength and stiffness

• Depending on the matrix material, they

can feature a high service temperature

• Improved FST (Fire, Smoke & Toxicity)

properties

About Thermoplastic Composites

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High-performance thermoplastic composites, compared to thermosets, offer

interesting advantages:

• Increased impact toughness, and thus

• Increased compression after impact (CAI)

• Intrinsic recyclability

• Low moisture absorption

• Potential for short cycle times

• Potential for cost reduction

• Weldable

• X-ray transparent

• High chemical resistance

Thermoplastic Composites –More Than Light Weight!

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Applications in Various Industries

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Small Parts – Big Impact

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• Brackets for connector plugs for aircraft

galleys made from PEI/GF

• Current solution (metal brackets) needs

grounding, entailing cables, fastening,

planning, installation and maintenance

of the grounding

Cost Efficiency –Connector Plug Brackets

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• Brackets made from PEI/GF are

electrical insulators, therefore no

additional grounding is needed

• Higher cost of the composite brackets

is by far outweighed by the savings

generated by the omission of the

additional grounding and inspection

costs

Cost Efficiency –Connector Plug Brackets

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• Medical target device demonstrator

made from PEEK/CF woven fabric

• Stiff, X-ray transparent, sterilizable

• State of the art: milling out of thick plate

(up to 95mm!)

• >70% of the material is scrap

Cost Efficiency –Medical Target Device

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• Our proposal: near-net-shape blank

• 80% reduction of cuttings

• Less machining necessary

• Manufacturing cost are cut in half

• Optimized fibre orientation makes adds

stiffness

Cost Efficiency –Medical Target Device

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• Hybrid CFRP/Aluminum wheel weight:

7.6kg

• Comparable Aluminum forged wheel

weight: ~11kg

• Comparable Aluminum cast wheel

weight: ~14kg

• Passed all tests required by

automotive OEM

• Manufacturing cost much lower than

competitor’s RTM CFRP wheels

Weight Reduction –Car Wheel

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• Semi-structural brackets (PEI/PEEK)

can be manufactured with optimized wall

thicknesses

• Weight savings and better utilization of

material

• Larger radii lead to lower stress

concentration in the corner

Optimized Material Utilization –«Bionic» Semi-Structural Brackets

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• Onserts made from PA6/GF fabric

• High degree of deformation

• For special screws tapping directly into

the onsert

• For automotive and aerospace

applications

• 1.6 times higher torque than the

thermoset part

• 2 times higher preload force than the

thermoset part

• No brittle failure

Increased Toughness –Onserts for Special Composite Screws

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• Leaf spring made from PP/GF

unidirectional tape

• Stiffness was matched to an established

solution

• Chemical resistance required

• Single-use part – low pricepoint

necessary

Increased Toughness –Leaf Spring for Closure of Bags for Chemical Industry

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• Bicycle crank arm for mountain bikes

made from PC/CF unidirectional tape

• Foam core, metal inserts

• High impact toughness prevents

damage through stone-chipping

• Light weight

• High out-of-mold surface quality, no

sanding and painting necessary

Increased Toughness –Bicycle Crank

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Thermoplastics Allow for AutomatedHigh-Volume Production

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Ability to Manufacture Complex Parts

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• Surface coating with:

• stainless steel (abrasion resistant)

• PFA (low coeffictient of friction)

• Rubberized material (high coefficient of

friction)

• Material hybridization possible:

PPS/carbide/PTFE/CF pressed in layers

Surface Coating and Material Hybridization

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Not every application is a suitable thermoplastic composite application, BUT:

• Is the production volume high enough to justify the investments in molds and

machinery?

• Is an automated production for high volume manufacturing required?

• Is a high level of reproducibility required?

• Are material properties required that only thermoplastics can provide (such as

thermal, mechanical and chemical resistance, fracture toughness, sterilization

capability, intrinsic fire resistance, etc... or a combination of the above)?

• Is incremental processing (e.g. welding) a necessary or desired step?

• Is recycling a requirement?

If at least one of the questions above has „YES“ as an answer, then thermoplastic

composites could be the right way to go!

Selection Criteria for Thermoplastic Composites

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Contact data

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Christian Braun

Ensinger Composites Schweiz GmbH

Libernstrasse 24

CH-8112 Otelfingen

Switzerland

composites@ensingerplastics.com

Lorenzo DiSano

Ensinger Inc.

365 Meadowlands Boulevard

Washington, PA 15301

Phone +1 724 746 6050

composites.us@ensingerplastics.com