Editorial | Page 3 New products | Page 4Top topic CFRP | Page 22Interview with Dr. Michael Keigler | Page 32In brief | Page 34Looking ahead: Commercial vehicle cockpits | Page 35

Report 25

2

Contents

Editorial 3

New products

Cover systems 4

Commercial vehicle components 8

Leisure vehicle components 16

New from C. F. Maier USA 18

Top topic CFRP

Materials of the future at C. F. Maier 22

Alternatives to CFRP: HP-RTM with glass fibre 29

Why CFRP? 30

Interview with Dr. Michael Keigler 32

In brief 34

Look ahead to EP Report 26: “Cockpits for commercial vehicles” 35

Europlast Report 25

PublisherThe Management Board of the C. F. Maier group of companies

Responsible for contentBirgit LüddeckePostfach 11 1089548 KönigsbronnPhone +49 7328 81-171birgit.lueddecke@c-f-maier.de

Design and technologywortundform GmbH, Munichwww.wortundform.de

ProductionKopp-Druck

Photo creditsAdria Mobil d.o.o.: 16 bottom leftAmbulanz Mobile: 15 top left, 15 centre leftBürstner GmbH: 16 topC. F. Maier: 4 – 7, 9 centre, 9 bottom left, 11 top right, 18, 17 (Figures 6 and 10), 19 top, 19 bottom, 20 top, 21, 25 bottom, 34Claas: 8 top, 9 top leftEvoBus GmbH: 29 centre topHymer AG: 17 (Figures 5 and 7)Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG: 9 bottom rightLMC: 17 (Figures 8 and 9)Magna Steyr AG & Co KG: 12 top, 12 bottomMain Street Pedicabs, Inc.: 20 bottomMercedes-Benz: 1 right, 11 bottom right, 31 topPrinoth AG: 10 bottomCinelli: 30 topRAFI GmbH & Co. KG: 11 bottom leftSEA: 1 left, 16 bottom right, 17 bottom leftSiemens AG: 29 centre bottomTerex Corporation: 14, 15 bottom leftTerraHawk: 19 centreTU Munich: 30 centreultraMEDIC GmbH: 15 top right, 15 centre rightVolante Verkleidungssysteme: 13 top right, 13 bottomwortundform: Title, 3, 8 bottom, 9 top right, 10 top, 11 top left, 12 centre, 13 top left, 15 bottom right, 22 – 24, 25 top, 25 centre, 26 – 28, 29 top, 29 bottom, 30 bottom, 31 bottom, 32, 35

3Editorial

Editorial

Dear Readers,

The Europlast Report has a long history. It was introduced as the GRP Report (in German GFK-Report) more than 40 years ago. The idea was to acquaint potential users in mechanical engineer-ing and automotive construction, in agriculture and viniculture with the material GRP – glass fibre reinforced plastic resin – and to highlight its advan-tages. At that time hardly anyone was aware of “fibreglass”. Then followed a long period in which the GRP Report was a kind of up-to-date brochure in which we presented new components from all consumer sectors. With the present edition, the Europlast Report has once again taken on a new look. The content is now more varied, and (hope-fully) more interesting. Process and material inno-vations are discussed as well as the latest market developments. In addition, we have news from the individual C. F. Maier Plastics Group factories; members of staff have their own say. Interesting new product developments are, of course, pre-sented as before.

The focus of this Europlast Report is on the HP-RTM process and its groundbreaking advantages, particularly for CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic), which would not be able to be used for serial production without this process. We see ourselves as pioneers for medium batch sizes and annual requirements of a few hundred to over 10,000 parts. Such requirements are com-mon in the commercial vehicle sector and also for sports vehicles and niche cars, in mechanical engineering and in medical engineering. In this regard, it is interesting to note that HP-RTM is also an outstanding manufacturing method for GRP components with very high accuracy and strength requirements.

The elder brother of the HP-RTM process, the VA (vacuum)-RTM process, which has long led a shadowy existence, is increasingly being used at C. F. Maier as a replacement for hand lamination. As a closed process, it not only has advantages for health and safety in the workplace, but also provides smooth surfaces on both sides and is more efficient. On page 8, you will see that even parts with lengths of several metres can be man-ufactured by this method.

In the vacuum expansion process – we call it VEX for short – glass fibre reinforcement is combined with expandable resins. We have acquired con-siderable expertise for this process in our Hun-garian factory, and are mainly involved in the leisure vehicle sector with insulated external panel parts. Its positively unique advantages are extremely low weight, finished external surfaces, smooth internal sides, embedding options for cables, furniture anchors, etc. You will find interesting applications on pages 16 and 17.

Large-area cover systems have been a C. F. Maier speciality for more than 30 years. In the meantime, the foreign market is dominant and you can read about more recent projects on pages 4 to 7. On page 34, you will see that we have founded a joint venture in Saudi Arabia to provide a better service to the increasingly im-portant Arabian market.

I hope that this Report will also provide you with some suggestions for improving and reducing the price of your products.

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Gerhard Lettl,Managing Director, C. F. Maier Europlast

4

Increasing exports of cover systems

C. F. Maier has made a name for itself as a tech-nically leading manufacturer of sewage-treatment plant covers by successfully carrying out hundreds of projects in Germany. In the meantime, exports have overtaken the domestic business. The largest ever cover supplied by C. F. Maier, with an area of 60,000 m², is currently being erected in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). We will be reporting further on this order in the next issue. Some other interesting projects which have recently been completed are described below.

In Crossness (London), the requirement was to cover two tanks with an outside diameter of 37.2 m and central support. A solution was chosen with 16.2-metre-long barrel shells as the main sup-porting elements arranged in a spoke pattern. The wedge-shaped intermediate spaces were filled with cross-ribbed secondary supporting ele-ments. The individual elements were made by our Tunisian company ITAP; their transportation to a site across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic was a logistical challenge. The customer was highly satisfied with the construction, design details, erection and overall quality. In the mean-time, follow-up projects have also been imple-mented (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1: Finished cover in Cross-ness

Figure 2: Crossness cover during assembly

The Dewa Dome project in Dubai was interesting, as C. F. Maier had to supply a total of eight covers for tank water reservoirs with a diameter of 25.4 m as a replacement for collapsed sandwich domes provided by another manufacturer. As there were numerous references for the single-shell C. F. Maier solution with main and secondary supporting elements, the – naturally very cautious – customer placed his trust in this design and initially ordered two covers followed by the remaining six. One of the covered reservoirs can be seen in Figure 3.

Some years ago, C. F. Maier supplied various covers for the sewage-treatment plant of a large refinery concern in Hungary. The concern man-agement recommended us to their Slovakian branch in Bratislava where a similar project was planned. We won the invitation to tender against the local competition, which had previously done work for this customer, as we were able to exactly fulfil the technical machine requirements with differ-ent types of element. More than 700 parts were built for a total covered area of 3005 m² (Figure 4).

5

37090

37330

existingladder

existingladder

NT1NT1

NT1

Roof Dome No.1 Roof Dome No.2

NT2

NT3

NT4

NT5

NT6

NT2

NT3

NT4

NT5

NT6

NT2

NT3

NT4

NT6

NT5a

NT1NT1

NT1

manhole600x600

NT2

NT3

NT4

NT5

NT6

NT2

NT3

NT4

NT5

NT6

NT2

NT3

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manhole

600x600

NT6

stainless steel ring

stainless steel ring

3360.6

1600

3370.5

1601.1

12660

from

conc

rete t

o top

of frp

from

conc

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3600

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25444

11587

12660 12660 12660 1266075 12585 12585 75 75 12585 12585 75anchorsanchors

outside radius roof dome outside radius roof dome

25380

3039

75 75

1028

8

R=12510

Dome No.2ø=25444mm

137 100 163

32Dome No.1ø=25380mm

105 100 195

R=12660

measurements für installation see special drawing

New products

Figure 3: One of the Dewa Dome covers Figure 4: Cover with barrel shells in Bratislava

Dimensions are grid dimensions measured on the outside radiusElements (R=12660 mm)

Chord lengthArc length

existingladder

existingladder

manhole

600x600

manhole600x600

6

Figure 7: Barrel shell cover at the Gut Großlappen sewage works

Figure 9: Screw pump covers at the Göttingen sewage works

Two biological tanks with a diameter of 12 m were to be covered for a chemical company in the French part of Switzerland. The technical solution was difficult, as a plethora of pipes, nozzles and service openings (up to 2.5 x 2.5 m in size) did not allow a self-supporting cover to be used and profiled sections were not approved. The design implemented consisted of vertical enclosure walls with integral swing doors. On top of this were placed flat elements reinforced with GRP supports with integral hatches; the surface is completely flat. The roofs were hung from a series of points on a steel beam substructure (Figures 5 and 6).

Sand filtration systems are used as the final stage of sewage treatment plants in order to absorb any suspended matter which is still present before the purified wastewater is fed back into rivers or other water bodies. The filter sand has to be replaced from time to time, as a result of which the cover el-ements must be easy to dismantle. After C. F. Maier had already covered a large filter system at the Gut Marienhof sewage works near Munich, the covering of twenty-four 6 × 12 m filter cells with a total area of 1900 m² at the Gut Großlappen sewage works in Munich-Freimann was now in the offing as a sec-ond project (Figures 7 and 8). The pale blue metallic surface of the elements is an interesting feature.

A cover was required for the screw pumps at the sewage works in Göttingen. The Architect and the customer placed great importance on the ap-pearance of the system. The profiling of the cover elements is therefore based on the trapezoidal sheet metal facade (Figure 9).

Figure 5 Figure 6

7New products

Figure 8

8

Important market for C. F. Maier: Mobile machines for construction, agriculture and the care of ski slopes

A few decades ago, there was no question. Only metal was a match for the harsh operating condi-tions found on construction sites and in agriculture. Covers and panels had to be made of sheet steel. In the meantime, it has long become clear that plastics now dominate, even in large sizes. They are rust, temperature, weather and age-resistant, light, impact-resistant, easy to fit and, in spite of better shaping options, more cost-effective than steel designs. C. F. Maier is a major supplier for mobile machines. Here are a few new examples of our applications.

The large agricultural machinery manufacturer Claas in Harsewinkel has been a C. F. Maier cus-tomer for many years. Among other things, its French subsidiary in Metz manufactures bale presses. The Quadrant baler produces bales with a size of 1 × 1 × 1–3 m. C. F. Maier supplies two 5.0 × 2.5 × 0.4 m GF-UP side panels as well as front and roof panels for two vehicle widths in the same material (Figures 1 and 2). The large

dimensions and the severe dynamic loads in the field make sandwich construction a necessity; the largest parts have weights of around 105 kg and a two-tone gel coat finish. The vacuum injec-tion process (VA-RTM), which also gives a smooth surface on the inside, was chosen in spite of the large dimensions.

The Quadrant’s little brother, the Uniwrap, produces round bales and also has GF-UP panels with a similar construction. There are six different moulded parts for three machine types. The side panel dimensions are 180 × 120 × 30 cm (Figures 3 and 4).

The TA 230 Litronic is the first of a new range of articulated dumper trucks from Liebherr. C. F. Maier supplies the three-part engine cover with two-tone surface finish ready-to-fit (Figures 5 and 6).

Figure 5

Figures 1 and 2: Claas Quadrant bale press

9New products

The cab of the Kässbohrer Pistenbully has been fitted with C. F. Maier parts for many years. Apart from the floor assembly, we also supply a right and left side panel for the new Type PB 400 (Figure 9) which is positioned behind the door (Figure 7), and a panel (Figure 8) which covers the so-called support frame on both sides as a design detail. The parts are manufactured in pairs in a common mould from GF-UP using the VA-RTM process.

Figure 6: Litronic dumper truck from Liebherr with C. F. Maier engine cover

Figure 9: Kässbohrer Pistenbully PB 400

Figure 3: Claas Uniwrap bale press with C. F. Maier side panel

Figure 4: Rear side panel of the Claas Uniwrap bale press

Figure 8Figure 7

10

Control console for Prinoth Leitwolf snow groomer

Prinoth, an Italian manufacturer of snow groomers, refers to the C. F. Maier products for its Leitwolf model simply as “armrest, right and left”. However, the armrest is only a small part of the delivery. Rather more important is the composite, forked control console consisting of top and bottom part made from PUR-Kompakt. Parts of the top sec-tion have a bonded, deep-drawn sheet metal cover. The control joystick is fitted immediately next to the driver’s seat. The folding armrest itself is made of soft integral PUR foam, and at the same time serves as a cover for a mobile phone com-partment. What is more, the control combination has been ergonomically designed by the Italian design studio Pininfarina.

The Leitwolf in action Right-hand control console in the Leitwolf cab

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Control panel for Vögele asphalt paving machine

Electronic control systems in plastic housings are gaining ground even in the harsh road-building environment. RAFI has therefore come up with a new development for the main and auxiliary con-trol stations for Vögele asphalt paving machines. The polyurethane housings come from C. F. Maier. The picture shows the housing for the auxiliary control station with foamed-in inserts.

New products

Components for the Mercedes-Benz Zetros off-road truck

Even unsurfaced terrain is no problem for the Zetros; the design is appropriately robust. C. F. Maier supplies two wing elements right and left for the front wheels. They are made of Baydur 110 PUR compact foam. One of the pair of com-ponents is supplied in primer and the other with a glass-bead-blasted finish. The picture shows a wing element.

The Zetros off roadAn auxiliary control station

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Electric Vito from Magna-Steyr

Magna-Steyr, the Austrian branch of the global motor vehicle component supplier Magna, is also involved with electric mobility. An electric vehicle based on the Mercedes Vito has been produced by Magna E-Car Systems, the end product being named the Vito E-Cell.

C. F. Maier is supplying four-part body panels made from GF-UP for a series of test vehicles. They will be wet-pressed at C. F. Polimer Teknik in Turkey (picture below).

13New products

Railway train components

C. F. Maier’s customer VOLANTE is a Siemens component supplier. The three-part doorframe cladding for its Desiro train (Figure 4) is produced by C. F. Maier (the right-hand side can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, and a complete connecting passage in Figure 3). The parts are pressed in sets from SMC and supplied with a textured finish.

Figure 3

This control desk, likewise a VOLANTE product, is used as a carrier for dis-plays and controllers of an ICE. It is made of GF-UP, then painted and finished with screen-printed inscrip-tions.

Figure 4

Figure 1

Figure 2

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New Terex mobile crane

The new Terex mobile crane has become an im-pressive vehicle with a very attractive design. As our pictures show, new standards have also been set inside the two cabs. As a component supplier, C. F. Maier contributes a total of 36 components including thermoformed parts, polyurethane parts and foam-backed films. We will look at our supply in more detail in the next Report. The pictures show the two cabs and their interiors.

Driver’s cab

View of the driver’s cab

Operator’s cab

Patient transportation

For many years, C. F. Maier has also been sup-plying roofs for rescue vehicles as part of the company’s roof programme for van conversions. The latest example is the “Tigis Ergo” produced by the company Ambulanzmobile. The roof has been developed in a wind tunnel and its CW value varies only slightly from that of the base vehicle. It is made of GF-UP and has special integrated signalling systems such as the Multilux LED blue light.

Ultramedic’s basket stretcher is intended for a different kind of patient transportation. Here, the focus is on the rescue of injured persons from impassable terrain, in particular in mountainous regions. It is made of unbreakable plastic, has recessed handles, slinging points and a fixed up-holstered cover. It is stable and can be roped down without an accompanying person for safety. Made in one piece, it measures 2170 × 640 × 200 mm and weighs only 12 kg complete. For easy transportation, it is also available in a two-part design; it then weighs just over 16 kg.

15New products

Control desk in operator’s cab

16

New developments for motor caravans

External panel parts for motor caravans make an important contribution to sales for C. F. Maier, particularly for its Hungarian factory with its con-centration on the VEX process with expandable polyester resins. Insulated external panels with smooth surfaces on both sides are the preferred parts for manufacture. These sandwich compo-nents with an expanded PUR core have a very low weight and enable cables, furniture supports etc. to be embedded without difficulty. They are therefore outstandingly suitable for the require-ments of the motor home and caravan sector. C. F. Maier is also involved in the supply of com-ponents for numerous new models.

For its new, fully integrated Sonic model, Adria has chosen the VEX process for its front end complete with engine cover (Figure 1). No painting is required. The front end is supplied with bonded-in front windscreen complete with windscreen wipers.

Figure 3Figure 2Figure 1

Figure 4

The Italian SEA Group, which operates particularly in the Italian and French markets, has recently been using C. F. Maier parts produced by the VEX process for its three models, Mobilvetta, Elnagh and McLouis. These include front masks, dashboard extensions, engine covers and steps. Vehicles from the Mobilvetta and McLouis range are pictured (Figures 2 and 3).

For the new Bürstner IXEO 2012, a partially in-tegrated vehicle, the company supplies the roof and both front wings with a painted finish. Ex-ceptionally, not VEX but another interesting combination is used here. The outer shell of the roof is hand-laminated while the inside is insu-lated with moulded PUR foam. A foaming mould is available for this purpose which is used to produce accurately dimensioned hard foam parts in house. The wings are also hand-lami-nated (Figure 4).

17New products

Figure 5

From the top: Figures 6 to 9

Figure 10

It is well known that C. F. Maier has been producing high roofs and pop-up roofs for motor caravans based on different van types under the renowned brand name SCA for many years. Recently, the company has also been making roofs for Hymer for three of its motor caravan models as stand-alone constructions (Figures 5 to 7 and 10).

The idea of also fitting pop-up roofs to partially integrated motor homes and caravans is new and obviously very successful (Figures 8 and 9). The advantages are an additional raised sleeping area, better ventilation and more daylight when the bed is folded up. As well as Hymer, in the meantime LMC and T.E.C. have also become customers for C. F. Maier roofs.

18

Antenna housings in the USA

The problem that antennas for mobile phone net-works are not appreciated in inhabited areas also exists in the USA; furthermore they need to be protected against the weather. However, conven-tional building materials are impermeable for tele-phone frequencies while glass fibre reinforced polyester resins are outstandingly suitable for this purpose. C. F. Maier Composites has made an interesting but also very demanding business from this subject.

Church towers are often used for antenna stations. In Figure 1, the whole upper part of the tower is made of GRP. In the dome-shaped antenna hous-ing on the silo building (Figure 2), the individual segments are held together by GRP screw fixings. The tower of a municipal library (Figure 3, during erection) was originally made from metal with a galvanised sheet metal skin. The C. F. Maier design was made from GRP sheet material with GRP square tubes for the substructure. The former appearance was copied in all details. The individual segments, which were produced in the factory in transportable formats, were assembled on site and bonded at numerous points. In Figure 4, we show an original antenna housing in the form of an imitation rock. The tower for the Regis University in Denver was an extraordinary challenge. This tower was dismantled years ago, as the load was too great for the old building. The university ad-ministration agreed to the installation of a new antenna system on the roof if a lightweight tower as a true-to-original copy of the earlier tower would be built as a housing. C. F. Maier Composites achieved this (Figures 5 and 6).

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 4

19New products

Figure 5 Figure 6

Special vehicle for customs and police

It is well known that the USA – up to now with little success – has been battling against illegal immi-grants from Mexico who continuously cross the long land border in the south-west of the USA. The “Terrahawk”, a vehicle with a hydraulically elevated look-out capsule, has now been devel-oped as an observation aid for the customs au-thority, Homeland Security and the FBI. C. F. Maier supplies the high vehicle roof and the capsule.

Because of the heavy weight of the hydraulically operated scissor lift, great importance was placed on low weight of the GRP parts. The high roof and capsule are made of sandwich laminate with a balsa wood core. The capsule has a door at the front which enables direct access from the passenger seat. The vertical movement – up to a height of almost 9 m – is controlled from the cap-sule. When docking the capsule, a rubber seal under its projecting roof edge ensures a water-tight and windproof closure with the GRP high roof. An infrared camera, which can be extended over the roof, is fitted as special equipment; fur-ther cameras are located on the floor of the cap-sule, as can be seen in the picture on the right. The picture above shows four ready-to-fit capsules.

20

“Pedicab” bicycle rickshaws

Rickshaws pulled by coolies – this used to be a familiar image from the Far East at a time when there were no taxis in the region. And now it ap-pears they are to become established in the USA. Impossible, is the immediate reaction! But haven’t bicycle couriers recently been used in our large cities because they reach their destination more quickly than cars? This is exactly the reason for the appearance of bicycle rickshaws, which trans-port people or urgent packages in American downtown areas faster than taxis and delivery vans. In the meantime, they are also making an appearance in the urban tourist traffic in Germany.

C. F. Maier Composites has been involved in the development from the very beginning, and sup-plies the ever increasing number of types of pas-senger seats in many colours and varieties. They weigh only about 20 kg and are 1.2 m wide and 1.12 m long. The vehicle manufacturer is based in the vicinity of Denver (Colorado) and it would appear that an increase in production is on the cards here. The taxi industry is naturally annoyed about the new competition, but this will not stop the Pedicabs!

A Pedicab on the move Pedicab “station”

21New products

Weather protection for surface ski lift

Not yet known in Europe, but widely found in the USA, are conveyor belt ski lifts. C. F. Maier Com-posites supplies panelling parts for the weather protection superstructure (pictures above).

It doesn’t get any more comfortable. After his descent, the skier, with skis still buckled, steps onto a conveyor which takes him back to the top. Wind, snow and ice cannot harm the mechanism or the sportsmen and women, and the whole system is provided with a superstructure to en-sure that there are no accidents when crossing cuttings in the terrain. It is made in 3-metre-long sections with galvanised steel frame and GRP elements for sides and roof. Two rows of windows ensure adequate light in the interior. In the USA, they are of the opinion that lift structures of this kind do not appreciably affect the appearance of the landscape.

Single chute with 3½ turnsTypical in-line system with discharge roller track

Series of chutes

Parcel sorting and transfer systems with GRP chutes

The company Portec, internationally active US manufacturer of sorting and transfer systems for cartons, parcels, bags, aircraft baggage and the like, has already been a C. F. Maier customer for 15 years. So-called spiral chutes, which are avail-able in six different diameters from 1 to 3 m and which have GRP sections from C. F. Maier Com-posites as their most important element, are a constituent part of Portec systems.

The goods to be transported slide down 90-degree elements made from GRP which are fitted around a mast. After many years of development, C. F. Maier has found an optimum shape for the ele-ments, which allow the goods to slide smoothly without coming to a stop or rolling. The profile surfaces have a wear-resistant and, if required, an antistatic gel coating.

High-performance fibre reinforced plastics – materials of the future at C. F. Maier

High-performance fibre reinforced plastics are composite plastics which contain aligned rein-forcing fibres (mainly carbon fibres but also glass fibres or a mixture of the two) and are usually surrounded by a duroplastic matrix material.

A major difference from most other construction materials, such as metals for example, is the ani-sotropic behaviour – the mechanical properties are not the same in every direction. High-perfor-mance fibre reinforced plastics are used to spe-cifically and radically reduce the weight of overall systems with the same or even better mechanical characteristics.

22

Top topic CFRP

The majority of structures which are today made from CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastics) are produced using the expensive prepreg autoclave process in which a semi-finished fibre product which is pre-impregnated with duroplastic resin is placed in a mould for hardening in an autoclave under the influence of pressure and temperature. This process is time and cost intensive and there-fore not suitable for medium and larger batches. On the other hand, with the HP-RTM process (High Pressure Resin Transfer Moulding), entry to genuine serial production is possible, especially as production times can be reduced by up to 90% compared with the prepreg autoclave process.

As one of the pioneers in this field, C. F. Maier start-ed to introduce the HP-RTM process industrially as long ago as 2007. At that time, considerable invest-ment in the multi-million range was made in the C. F. Maier plastic resin factory. A complete range of ma-chinery for producing complex plastic assemblies from high-performance fibre materials was installed in a new building. This start-up period was charac-terised by initial orders from customers in the com-mercial vehicle sector, mechanical engineering and medical engineering as well as by intensive work on the process. C. F. Maier therefore has its finger on the technological pulse and is able to meet the highest demands on the process and the products.

23

24

Materials

Carbon fibre has become less expensive in recent years, which has enabled it to be used economi-cally in industries outside the aircraft industry for the first time. This trend is set to continue so that CFRP can surely be looked upon as the construc-tion material of the future. However, as there is still a tremendous price difference between glass fibre and carbon fibre, C. F. Maier has been opti-mising the use of fibre with computer-aided nu-merical processes. Depending on the application, price reductions are also possible by using hybrid materials – mixtures of glass and carbon fibres.

There are a number of matrix materials (for ex-ample epoxy resins) which are today used with high-performance fibre reinforced plastics. The choice of the right material to meet the custom-er’s requirements is part of the comprehensive know-how of the C. F. Maier material specialists.

Designing with CAD / CAM

The latest 3-D development environments, such as CATIA and ProEngineer, are today commonly used tools in the design of complex moulded parts. For years, C. F. Maier has been working with a closed CAD / CAM chain which covers all areas from parts design and the design of tools and fixtures to quality assurance with high-accu-racy optical measuring systems. Numerical cal-culation methods, particularly with regard to the anisotropic behaviour of materials, are necessary for designing the components in order to avoid wastage due to oversizing or a failure of the com-ponent due to undersizing.

Laboratory testing

The performance of new materials is tested in the company’s own laboratory. Bought-in raw material is also subjected to goods inward inspection so that parts produced from this material satisfy the consistently high quality requirements.

25Top topic CFRP

The manufacturing process

Pre-cutting

The required reinforcing fibre layers are cut to precise shape by a high-performance cutter. At the same time, software ensures that waste is minimised in order to save costs.

Tool pre-tempering

A pre-tempering unit is provided so that tools do not have to be pre-heated in the HP-RTM system and thus block machine capacity.

The HP-RTM process

The aligned fibre materials, which have previously been made into so-called pre-forms, are placed in the mould which is then sealed. The matrix material is then injected into the mould and the cavity filled under very high pressure. At the end of the process, the two-part mould is opened and the workpiece removed.

Many improvements have been achieved since the process was introduced. Cycle times have been greatly reduced, the fibre distribution has been optimised and the surface quality improved. Every new part brings different problems with it and extends the expertise of the development department and production.

Centre: The HP-RTM systemBottom: Open steel mould

Cutting unit

26

Tempering oven

The components are heat-treated (tempered) in a special oven which increases the degree of cross-linking in the plastic. This improves heat-resistance and mechanical properties.

Mechanical processing

For mechanical processing, parts are clamped on vacuum jigs, and milled and drilled fully auto-matically in a CNC machining centre. As the CFRP dust is explosive, the system is completely encap-sulated and is connected to a dust extraction system.

Bonding

Many moulded parts made from high-performance fibre composite plastic are bonded to form com-plex systems. This is automated in order to achieve the required accuracy and reliability of the bond-ing process. When the components to be joined have been fixed on the clamping device, a robot applies the primer to the workpiece in order to pre-treat the surface. An optical system simultane-ously monitors this process. The subsequent application of the adhesive bead is likewise auto-mated by the robot. The components are then joined and fixed. This enables precision, high-strength multi-part systems to be produced in less time.

Bonding stations

CNC system with extended table

Tempering oven

Top topic CFRP 27

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Surface refinement with plasma pre-treatment

Manufactured components are often visible parts which are subjected to appropriate surface treat-ment. Depending on the customer’s requirements, this can involve priming or final painting. In order to guarantee perfect adhesion of the individual paint layers, the components are pre-treated by means of surface activation in a plasma unit. With the HP-RTM process, it is even possible to achieve Class A surfaces such as those required in the automobile industry. All known inspection facilities for paint quality are available in the laboratory.

Quality assurance

The actual data relating to the components pro-duced are recorded using a tactile or optical measuring system, which is capable of measuring components of almost any size with the utmost accuracy. These data are compared with the cus-tomer’s 3-D data records by means of software in order to detect deviations at an early stage.

Recycling

The increasing use of high-performance fibres in different industries and, not least, the foreseeable boom in the automobile industry raises the question of the ability of carbon fibre composite materials to be recycled. In order to prevent worldwide re-sources from being further diminished, thermal recycling – that is to say incineration – is not a solution. The requirement of every new material is full recycling capability, and therefore the recovery of valuable raw materials. In 2010, the first recycling plant for carbon fibre composite materials was commissioned in the vicinity of Hamburg. With a capacity of around 1000 tonnes per year, this pro-duces 100-percent reusable carbon fibre. In ad-dition, in a study financed by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Public Health, research is being carried out into the possibility of recovering carbon fibre from composite material by means of large-scale pyrolysis. As carbon fibre is an extremely valuable resource, it is to be ex-pected that the facilities for recycling fibre com-posite plastics will soon be considerably expanded, as a result of which the life cycle assessment of high-performance fibre materials will soon ap-proach the excellent level of traditional materials.

Centre: Painting process Bottom: Optical measuring system

Plasma unit during filling

29Top topic CFRP

It doesn’t have to be carbon fibre every time:

HP-RTM with glass fibre

The HP-RTM process is regularly referred to in conjunction with CFRP – carbon fibre reinforced plastics. However, FEM calculations frequently show that the required strength or stiffness can also be achieved with more cost-effective glass fibre reinforcement or with hybrid materials – mixtures of glass and carbon fibres. This is be-cause, in contrast to conventional GRP process-ing methods, very high fibre contents of up to 60% can be achieved with HP-RTM. An example from the omnibus industry: In its earlier aluminium GRP design, the tailgate of a Setra bus weighed 25 kg. As it was required to reduce the load on the rear axle, C. F. Maier initially proposed an HP-RTM solution with car-bon fibre/glass fibre hybrid mesh. The results were very impressive: the weight of the tailgate was reduced to 11.8 kg at an acceptable cost. In a second step, pure glass fibre mesh was used. The weight did not increase significantly as a result, but surface improvements were achieved and the required stiffness was fully retained.

The problem associated with the freely cantilevered table for a magnetic resonance tomograph (MRT) produced by Trumpf Medizinsysteme was rather different. In this case, there was no question of using GRP as a material, as carbon fibres are electrically conducting and would interfere with the imaging process of the MRT. On the other hand, glass fibres are very good in this case (the reverse is true when using x-rays for imaging). The FEM calculation for the component was car-ried out on the basis of triaxial glass fibre cores. A high-performance expanded core was incor-porated in order to improve the stiffness of the structure. As well as the desired high stiffness, very tight manufacturing tolerances were also required. After cutting on a 5-axis CNC machining centre, several functional elements were attached in a PLC-controlled assembly jig. The table was subsequently given a textured finish.

Here too, the HP-RTM process with glass fibre was the ideal solution.

30

Why CFRP?

Low density with high strength and rigidity in con-junction with high integration potential make CFRP the ideal lightweight construction material. With minor design changes, weight can be saved by replacing steel or aluminium components. Savings can be up to 60% compared with steel and up to 20% compared with aluminium. What are the benefits in automobile manufacturing, for example? A weight reduction of 100 kg means a CO2 re-duction of 9 to 12 g/km, a reduction in fuel con-sumption of 0.3 to 0.5 l/100 km or, in the case of electric vehicles, a possible increase in battery volume by 100 kg and therefore an increase in range of 100 km. Apart from the known properties such as low density, high specific strength and rigidity, CFRP also offers a range of other advan-tages which enable it to be widely used. CFRP has a very high fatigue strength and a long life. Values have been achieved in endurance vibration tests which far exceed those of steel. The material therefore lends itself particularly well when many changes in load are required. Examples of this are components in knitting and weaving machines or bicycle handlebars. The combination of fatigue strength and corrosion and chemical resistance opens up further applications for carbon fibre.

Another well-known property of CFRP is its enor-mous energy absorption. The serious accidents in Formula 1 or in the 2011 Le Mans 24-hour race illustrate this. Without their CFRP monocoque, neither Allan McNish nor Mike Rockenfeller would have survived their accidents.

It is not only the mechanical properties of CFRP that have promoted its use in recent years, but also its image as a high-performance material. In the meantime, there are many applications where the focus is not on the technical properties but where the component is given a marketing statement as a result of its appearance. Bezels in vehicle interi-ors, tennis rackets, golf clubs, motorcycle fairings and engine covers are good examples of this.

Carbon fibre reinforced plastics have also found their way into medical engineering. The very good biocompatibility ensures that implants are made from carbon fibre reinforced plastics. The permeability of x-rays increases the number of applications in the operating field, as CFRP does not interfere with the image when x-ray pictures

These days, crash safety of vehicles is a matter of course. However, with many electric vehicles, there is no concept for front and rear crashes due to the absence of a specifi-cation for L7e vehicles. As part of the MUTE project, the Chair for Carbon Composites at the LMU will be develop-ing a concept which will fulfil the requirements of Euro NCAP in a frontal collision and thus increase the safety of the occupants using crash boxes made from carbon fibres.

Bicycle handlebars made from CFRP

Spine board made from CFRP for supporting and trans-porting injured persons, permeable to x-rays, CT and MRI scan compatible, 7.5 kg in weight

31Top topic CFRP

are taken during the operation. Patient loungers for x-ray machines are increasingly made from CFRP for the same reason, as are the accessories for patient loungers for securing head or joints. Because of the potential for lightweight construc-tion, modern medical stretchers are also increas-ingly made of CFRP. Only in the field of magnetic resonance tomography is it necessary to resort to glass fibre reinforced plastic, as in this case the electrically conducting carbon fibres would interfere with the image – see also contribution on page 29.

The electrical properties of carbon fibres open up a wide range of applications. By increasing the electrical voltage, heat can be produced due to the electrical resistance. This principle is also known from the field of metals and resistive heat-ing. There are also applications in mould making where carbon fibres are laminated into the mould to produce moulds which can be heated. A further advantage of the electrical conductivity is the use of carbon fibres as sensors. The resistance of the carbon fibre changes when it is mechanically loaded. The degree of mechanical loading can be determined or damage can be detected with the help of mathematical conversions. This property can also be used in future for detecting damage in large-scale components in aeroplanes. Imped-ance switches are also possible. Handles will no longer be used to open doors; an electrical pulse to release the catch will be produced by a “short circuit” between two carbon fibres with the help of the finger. A Faraday cage can also be produced to provide protection against lightning in a motor vehicle with the help of carbon fibres.

The carbon fibre composite can also be a solution in high-temperature applications. Carbon fibre has a negative coefficient of thermal expansion in the fibre direction. With a skilful choice of lami-nate, this can lead to there being no change in length when the temperature changes. For this reason, carbon fibre composites are often called upon, particularly in metrology. Optical measuring systems frequently work with two independent cameras which must be at a defined distance from one another. The slightest change in this distance leads to measuring inaccuracies. A cam-era mount made from CFRP which joins the two cameras together eliminates such inaccuracies.

Double-shell door for mobile crane with carbon fibre/glass fibre hybrid reinforcement, primed and painted

Carbon fibre covers and storage compartments in the centre console of the Mercedes SLS AMG

32

Dr. Keigler, just a few years ago CFRP was the reserve of the aerospace industry and motor racing. Now, all of a sudden, CFRP is on everyone’s lips. The automobile industry is already talking of major serial production of body and structural parts. What has happened?

The automobile industry has discovered light-weight construction as a motivation for inno-vation and CFRP is the most suitable material for this, even before aluminium. The trigger for this has certainly been discussions about oil crises, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles where the catchword e-mobility has become established. In this area in particular, attempts must be made to compensate for the weight of batteries by lighter vehicle designs.

Where does C. F. Maier stand on working with CFRP?

Questions to Dr. Michael Keigler, Technical Manager of C. F. Maier Europlast.

However, the problem of the high price of carbon fibres has still not been resolved?

The price situation has changed. Whereas five years ago we were talking about a price potential of 1 to 2 euros for every kilogram of vehicle weight saved, because of e-mobility, this value has changed to 5 to 10 euros for each kilogram of vehicle weight saved. This value varies between individual vehicle man-ufacturers, while I am of the opinion that seven euros is a realistic value. As a result, CFRP components can be more cost-effective than steel components even today – although this is still limited to small batches and niche vehi-cles (for example the BMW M3 roof and Audi RS3 wing).

And what about the absence of large-batch pro-cessing technology with short cycle times and the world shortage of fibre production capacity?

Manufacturers are currently practising with CFRP and are trying to get to know the mate-rial. However, in parallel with this, there are many developments in hand which should make large batches possible. The cost of a manufacturing facility for such large batch production is currently about 10 million euros for each manufacturing unit. For their part, the carbon fibre manufacturers are in the process of massively expanding production capacity. Manufacturers, such as SGL or Torray for example, are forming joint ventures with renowned OEMs, in the case of SGL with BMW, and Torray with Mercedes. This will not only cover the increasing demand for carbon fibre, but it is also sure to become cheaper.

And how far have you got at C. F. Maier?

C. F. Maier’s strengths lie in niche markets. Large-scale manufacturing imposes require-ments which are difficult to reconcile with our current organisation and our present business areas (for example, motor caravans, buses and construction machinery). In 2007, we built a facility for CFRP processing, in which in the meantime all the necessary production facilities have been provided. We already produce demanding components here, for

33Top topic CFRP

example double-shell doors for commercial vehicles and double-shell engine covers for buses, as well as medical engineering com-ponents. We have been widening our experi-ence with CFRP processing for four years and are one of the few who can boast a com-petitive process for the serial manufacture of CFRP parts.

Is there also collaboration with other institutions as well as internal research and development?

As well as membership of Carbon Composites e.V. we are in active contact with various uni-versities. These institutions are technology-oriented and are therefore not concerned exclusively with the motor vehicle sector, which is naturally important to us.

Several large German automobile companies are involved in setting up their own CFRP component manufacturing facilities, with the high investment costs that you have already mentioned, where talk is of five minutes per CFRP part. How do you ex-pect to be able to keep up with this?

We don’t want to keep up, but to make use of our strengths and serve niche markets in the passenger car sector and also in the com-mercial vehicle industry – one of our traditional customer circles – and in other industries, for example medical engineering. In all these sectors, the annual requirement lies between a few hundred and maybe just over 10,000 parts, and we believe we are strong with this order of magnitude. It is true that we do not achieve the cycle times of the large automobile concerns, but neither do we have the tremen-dous investment and hourly rates which are associated with this.

What possibilities for rationalisation do you see for CFRP processing at C. F. Maier?

We have already achieved a lot in the last two to three years. The cycle times which we started with have been more than halved. We must continue to follow this path consist-ently in order to maintain our current advan-tage over direct competitors. One of the next important topics will be pre-forming, that is to say the pre-manufacture of the reinforcing fibres for the component geometry. This will enable the time between removing a compo-nent from the mould and the next resin injec-tion to be further reduced.

How important is the surface treatment of CFRP parts?

Visible parts – unlike most structural parts – usually have to be painted, and C. F. Maier supplies predominantly primed components which are ready for final painting. By using a plasma unit in preparation for priming, we have taken an important rationalisation step in what was earlier a very time-consuming surface processing operation.

How do you see the future of CFRP?

In the automobile industry, technologies and trends are fast moving. After the steel body came the aluminium body, then the steel body again with high-strength steels; now the trend is towards CFRP. The competition between materials in the automobile industry is there-fore not at an end, but has only acquired a further participant. The future will show whether the material really will become established in large-scale production. It has already become established with niche passenger cars and in sectors to which we already deliver. In any case, we see great future opportunities for C. F. Maier with CFRP material and with the HP-RTM process, which it turns out is also outstandingly suitable for highly stressed GRP components.

34 In brief

C. F. Maier joint venture in Saudi Arabia

The expansion of C. F. Maier’s business with sew-age treatment plant covers in the Gulf region is the background to the formation of a joint venture with the Saudi Arabian company Shairco. One argument in favour was the requirement of the Saudi authorities that the local content, that is to say the added value in the country, had to be at least 30%. Furthermore, the transport costs for very large and bulky cover elements from the ITAP manufacturing plant in Tunisia to the Gulf states were a competitive disadvantage.

Production Manager at C. F. Maier Shairco KSA is the ITAP Works Manager of many years, Harald Rötlich, who brings with him the necessary know-how for the manufacture of high-quality hand lami-nates and RTM parts.

Shairco is a long established company in Saudi Arabia with subsidiaries in Egypt, Tunisia, Qatar and the USA. As well as the manufacture of chemi-cals, Shairco is also involved with the processing of GRP. Examples from the product range include check-in desks for airports, reception furniture and seating for clinics, architectural elements such as facades and partition walls, and even masts for street lighting. With this strong partner, we will be in a position to successfully collaborate not only in the field of sewage-treatment plant covers, but also in other markets.

Polyurethane processing rolled out in Turkey

C. F. Maier Polimer Teknik in the Turkish city of Çorlu, a company which previously specialised in the manufacture of GRP components in low-pressure SMC and using the vacuum-RTM, wet pressing and hand laminating processes, now has a polyurethane processing facility.

Two foam moulding plants and several mould carriers have been installed in a 2200 m² build-ing. The output of one system ranges from 100 to 1600 g/sec and of the other from 300 to 3000 g/sec. Moulded parts with a weight of 200 g to 12 kg can be produced in four types of foam (integral and compact foam).

The first serial product is the driver’s workstation for the MAN Tourliner. Further driver’s workstations and other components for the interior of urban buses and coaches will follow. The first moulds were broken-in in the C. F. Maier Schillingsfürst factory and then shipped to Çorlu.

CNC side-trimming machineThe C. F. Maier Shairco KSA factory

View of the foam moulding department

35Look ahead

Top topic in the next edition of Euro-plast Report:

Driver’s workstation, cockpit, dashboard, dash panel – there are many different terms for parts and components which are used in the driver’s cab of a motor vehicle. C. F. Maier specialises in components of this kind. Read more on this topic in the next edition of EP Report.

C. F. Maier GmbH & Co KGPostfach 11 1089548 KönigsbronnWiesenstraße 2489551 KönigsbronnPhone +49 7328 81-01Fax +49 7328 81-104cfm-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier Polimer Teknik Ltd. Şti.E-5 Karayolu üzeriMarmaracık Mevkii59850 Çorlu / TekirdağTurkey Phone +90 282 68467-00Fax +90 282 68467-01info-ptt@c-f-maier.com.trwww.c-f-maier.de

ITAP – Industrie Tuniso-Allemande du Plastique S.A.R.L.Zone Industrielle El Mazraâ8024 TazarkaTunisia Phone +216 72 225278Fax +216 72 225435itap-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier Polimer-Technikai Kft.Felszabadulás útja 1122645 NagyorosziHungaryPhone +36 35 574571Fax +36 35 375066ptu-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier Composites Inc.500 East Crystal StreetLamar, Colorado 81052USAPhone +1 719 3368745Fax +1 719 3363091mail@cfmaier.comwww.cfmaier.com

C. F. Maier Composites Inc.Coors Technology Center16351 Table Mountain Pkwy.Golden, Colorado 80403-1641 USAPhone +1 303 2788013Fax +1 303 2780940golden@cfmaier.comwww.cfmaier.com

C. F. Maier Shairco KSA Ltd.#194, Al-Naghi StreetP.O. Box 9301, Jeddah 21413 Saudi ArabiaPhone +966 2 2682840Fax +966 2 2682430cfm-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier Europlast GmbH & Co KGPostfach 11 6089548 KönigsbronnWiesenstraße 4389551 KönigsbronnPhone +49 7328 81-07Fax +49 7328 81-286ep-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier Kunstharzwerk GmbH & Co KGPostfach 11 6089548 KönigsbronnWiesenstraße 37–4389551 KönigsbronnPhone +49 7328 81-02Fax +49 7328 81-218khw-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier Polymertechnik GmbH & Co KGPostfach 11 4191581 SchillingsfürstIndustriestraße 1091583 SchillingsfürstPhone +49 9868 75-0Fax +49 9868 75-99pts-info@c-f-maier.dewww.c-f-maier.de

C. F. Maier LeichtgusswerkGmbH & Co KGPostfach 11 6589548 KönigsbronnWiesenstraße 43–4789551 KönigsbronnPhone +49 7328 81-05Fax +49 7328 81-196lgw-info@c-f-maier.de www.c-f-maier.de