Report 25 - C.F. Maier

Report 25
Editorial | Page 3
New products | Page 4
Top topic CFRP | Page 22
Interview with Dr. Michael Keigler | Page 32
In brief | Page 34
Looking ahead: Commercial vehicle cockpits | Page 35
Contents
Editorial 3
New products
Europlast Report 25
Cover systems
4
Publisher
The Management Board of the
C. F. Maier group of companies
Commercial vehicle components
8
Leisure vehicle components
16
Responsible for content
Birgit Lüddecke
Postfach 11 10
89548 Königsbronn
Phone +49 7328 81-171
birgit.lueddecke@c-f-maier.de
New from C. F. Maier USA
18
Design and technology
wortundform GmbH, Munich
www.wortundform.de
Production
Kopp-Druck
Photo credits
Adria Mobil d.o.o.: 16 bottom left
Ambulanz Mobile: 15 top left, 15 centre left
Bürstner GmbH: 16 top
C. 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, 34
Claas: 8 top, 9 top left
EvoBus GmbH: 29 centre top
Hymer AG: 17 (Figures 5 and 7)
Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG: 9 bottom right
LMC: 17 (Figures 8 and 9)
Magna Steyr AG & Co KG: 12 top, 12 bottom
Main Street Pedicabs, Inc.: 20 bottom
Mercedes-Benz: 1 right, 11 bottom right, 31 top
Prinoth AG: 10 bottom
Cinelli: 30 top
RAFI GmbH & Co. KG: 11 bottom left
SEA: 1 left, 16 bottom right, 17 bottom left
Siemens AG: 29 centre bottom
Terex Corporation: 14, 15 bottom left
TerraHawk: 19 centre
TU Munich: 30 centre
ultraMEDIC GmbH: 15 top right, 15 centre right
Volante Verkleidungssysteme: 13 top right,
13 bottom
wortundform: 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
2
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
Editorial
Dear Readers,
The Europlast Report has a long history. It was
introduced as the GRP Report (in German GFKReport) more than 40 years ago. The idea was to
acquaint potential users in mechanical engineering and automotive construction, in agriculture
and viniculture with the material GRP – glass fibre
reinforced plastic resin – and to highlight its advantages. 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 (hopefully) more interesting. Process and material innovations 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, presented as before.
The focus of this Europlast Report is on the HPRTM 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 common 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 manufactured 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 considerable expertise for this process in our Hungarian 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 important 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
Editorial
3
Increasing exports of cover systems
Figure 1: Finished cover in Crossness
4
C. F. Maier has made a name for itself as a technically 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.
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.
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 supporting elements arranged in a spoke pattern.
The wedge-shaped intermediate spaces were
filled with cross-ribbed secondary supporting elements. 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 meantime, follow-up projects have also been implemented (Figures 1 and 2).
Some years ago, C. F. Maier supplied various
covers for the sewage-treatment plant of a large
refinery concern in Hungary. The concern management 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 different types of element. More than 700 parts were
built for a total covered area of 3005 m² (Figure 4).
Figure 2: Crossness cover during
assembly
3600
3039
12660 outside radius roof dome
75
12660
12585 anchors
75
12585
from concrete to top of frp
11587
12660 outside r
75
12585 anchors
25380
Roof Dome No.1
Roof Dome No.2
existing
ladder
existing
ladder
hole
man 00
x6
600
90
370
3
NT1
NT
4
NT
12
66
0
NT2
NT
NT2
NT
NT3
.6
60 gth
33 en
dl
.5
70 th
33 leng
c
Ch
manhole
600x600
NT4
or
NT4
Ar
Figure 3: One of the Dewa Dome covers
6
NT3
Dimensions are grid dimensions
measured on the outside radius
Elements (R=12660 mm)
5a
NT1
NT
2
NT
1
stainless
steel ring
160
0
160
1.1
NT5
NT5
NT6
existing
ladder
NT6
Figure 4: Cover with barrel shells in
Bratislava
New products
5
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 elements 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 second 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 appearance of the system. The profiling of the cover
elements is therefore based on the trapezoidal
sheet metal facade (Figure 9).
Figure 5
6
Figure 6
Figure 7: Barrel shell cover at the Gut
Großlappen sewage works
Figure 8
New products
7
Figures 1 and 2: Claas Quadrant bale
press
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 conditions 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 customer 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 injection 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 twotone surface finish ready-to-fit (Figures 5 and 6).
Figure 5
8
Figure 3: Claas Uniwrap bale press
with C. F. Maier side panel
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 4: Rear side panel of the
Claas Uniwrap bale press
Figure 7
Figure 6: Litronic dumper truck from
Liebherr with C. F. Maier engine cover
Figure 8
Figure 9: Kässbohrer Pistenbully PB 400
New products
9
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 section 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 compartment. What is more, the control combination
has been ergonomically designed by the Italian
design studio Pininfarina.
The Leitwolf in action
10
Right-hand control console in the
Leitwolf cab
Control panel for Vögele asphalt
paving machine
Components for the Mercedes-Benz
Zetros off-road truck
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 control 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.
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 components is supplied in primer and the other with
a glass-bead-blasted finish. The picture shows
a wing element.
An auxiliary control station
The Zetros off road
New products 11
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).
12
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 2
This control desk, likewise a VOLANTE
product, is used as a carrier for displays and controllers of an ICE. It is
made of GF-UP, then painted and
finished with screen-printed inscriptions.
Figure 1
Figure 3
Figure 4
New products 13
New Terex mobile crane
Patient transportation
The new Terex mobile crane has become an impressive 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.
For many years, C. F. Maier has also been supplying 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.
View of the driver’s cab
Driver’s cab
14
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 upholstered 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 twopart design; it then weighs just over 16 kg.
Operator’s cab
Control desk in operator’s cab
New products 15
Figure 4
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 concentration 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 components 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 requirements of the motor home and caravan sector.
C. F. Maier is also involved in the supply of components 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 1
16
Figure 2
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 integrated vehicle, the company supplies the roof
and both front wings with a painted finish. Exceptionally, 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-laminated (Figure 4).
Figure 3
Figure 5
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 standalone 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.
From the top: Figures 6 to 9
Figure 10
New products 17
Antenna housings in the USA
The problem that antennas for mobile phone networks are not appreciated in inhabited areas also
exists in the USA; furthermore they need to be
protected against the weather. However, conventional building materials are impermeable for telephone 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 housing 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 administration 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
18
Figure 2
Figure 4
Figure 3
Special vehicle for customs and police
It is well known that the USA – up to now with little
success – has been battling against illegal immigrants 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 developed as an observation aid for the customs authority, 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 capsule. When docking the capsule, a rubber seal
under its projecting roof edge ensures a watertight and windproof closure with the GRP high
roof. An infrared camera, which can be extended
over the roof, is fitted as special equipment; further cameras are located on the floor of the capsule, as can be seen in the picture on the right.
The picture above shows four ready-to-fit capsules.
Figure 5
Figure 6
New products 19
“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 appears 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 transport 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 supplies the ever increasing number of types of passenger 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
20
Pedicab “station”
Weather protection for surface ski lift
Parcel sorting and transfer systems
with GRP chutes
Not yet known in Europe, but widely found in the
USA, are conveyor belt ski lifts. C. F. Maier Composites supplies panelling parts for the weather
protection superstructure (pictures above).
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 available in six different diameters from 1 to 3 m and
which have GRP sections from C. F. Maier Composites as their most important element, are a
constituent part of Portec systems.
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 ensure 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.
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 elements, 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.
Typical in-line system with discharge
roller track
Single chute with 3½ turns
Series of chutes
New products 21
High-performance fibre reinforced
plastics – materials of the future at
C. F. Maier
High-performance fibre reinforced plastics are
composite plastics which contain aligned reinforcing 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 anisotropic behaviour – the mechanical properties
are not the same in every direction. High-performance fibre reinforced plastics are used to specifically and radically reduce the weight of overall
systems with the same or even better mechanical
characteristics.
22
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 therefore 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 started to introduce the HP-RTM process industrially as
long ago as 2007. At that time, considerable investment in the multi-million range was made in the C. F.
Maier plastic resin factory. A complete range of machinery for producing complex plastic assemblies
from high-performance fibre materials was installed
in a new building. This start-up period was characterised by initial orders from customers in the commercial 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.
Top topic CFRP 23
Materials
Carbon fibre has become less expensive in recent
years, which has enabled it to be used economically 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 construction material of the future. However, as there is
still a tremendous price difference between glass
fibre and carbon fibre, C. F. Maier has been optimising the use of fibre with computer-aided numerical 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 example epoxy resins) which are today used with
high-performance fibre reinforced plastics. The
choice of the right material to meet the customer’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-accuracy optical measuring systems. Numerical calculation 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 component 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.
24
Cutting unit
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 system
Bottom: Open steel mould
Top topic CFRP 25
Tempering oven
Tempering oven
The components are heat-treated (tempered) in a
special oven which increases the degree of crosslinking 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 automatically in a CNC machining centre. As the CFRP
dust is explosive, the system is completely encapsulated and is connected to a dust extraction
system.
Bonding
Many moulded parts made from high-performance
fibre composite plastic are bonded to form complex systems. This is automated in order to achieve
the required accuracy and reliability of the bonding 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 simultaneously monitors this process. The subsequent
application of the adhesive bead is likewise automated by the robot. The components are then
joined and fixed. This enables precision, highstrength multi-part systems to be produced in
less time.
CNC system with extended table
Bonding stations
26
Top topic CFRP 27
Plasma unit during filling
Surface refinement with plasma pre-treatment
Manufactured components are often visible parts
which are subjected to appropriate surface treatment. 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 produced 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 customer’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 resources 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 produces 100-percent reusable carbon fibre. In addition, 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 expected that the facilities for recycling fibre composite plastics will soon be considerably expanded,
as a result of which the life cycle assessment of
high-performance fibre materials will soon approach the excellent level of traditional materials.
Centre: Painting process
Bottom: Optical measuring system
28
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 because, in contrast to conventional GRP processing 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 carbon 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 carried out on the basis of triaxial glass fibre cores.
A high-performance expanded core was incorporated 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.
Top topic CFRP 29
Bicycle handlebars made from CFRP
Why CFRP?
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 specification for L7e vehicles. As part of the MUTE project, the
Chair for Carbon Composites at the LMU will be developing 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.
Low density with high strength and rigidity in conjunction 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 reduction of 9 to 12 g/km, a reduction in fuel consumption 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 advantages 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 enormous 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 interiors, 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
Spine board made from CFRP for supporting and transporting injured persons, permeable to x-rays, CT and MRI
scan compatible, 7.5 kg in weight
30
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 construction, modern medical stretchers are also increasingly 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 heating. 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. Impedance 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.
Carbon fibre covers and storage compartments in the
centre console of the Mercedes SLS AMG
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 laminate, 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 camera 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
Top topic CFRP 31
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 manufacturers, 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 vehicles (for example the BMW M3 roof and Audi
RS3 wing).
And what about the absence of large-batch processing technology with short cycle times and
the world shortage of fibre production capacity?
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 lightweight construction as a motivation for innovation 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.
32
Manufacturers are currently practising with
CFRP and are trying to get to know the material. 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 requirements 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
example double-shell doors for commercial
vehicles and double-shell engine covers for
buses, as well as medical engineering components. We have been widening our experience with CFRP processing for four years
and are one of the few who can boast a competitive 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 universities. These institutions are technologyoriented 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 expect 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 commercial 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 tremendous 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 consistently in order to maintain our current advantage 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 component from the mould and the next resin injection 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 therefore 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.
Top topic CFRP 33
C. F. Maier joint venture in Saudi
Arabia
Polyurethane processing rolled out in
Turkey
The expansion of C. F. Maier’s business with sewage 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.
C. F. Maier Polimer Teknik in the Turkish city of
Çorlu, a company which previously specialised
in the manufacture of GRP components in lowpressure SMC and using the vacuum-RTM, wet
pressing and hand laminating processes, now
has a polyurethane processing facility.
Production Manager at C. F. Maier Shairco KSA is
the ITAP Works Manager of many years, Harald
Rötlich, who brings with him the necessary knowhow for the manufacture of high-quality hand laminates 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 chemicals, 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.
The C. F. Maier Shairco KSA factory
34 In brief
Two foam moulding plants and several mould
carriers have been installed in a 2200 m² building. 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.
View of the foam moulding department
CNC side-trimming machine
Top topic in the next edition of Europlast 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.
Look ahead 35
C. F. Maier
GmbH & Co KG
Postfach 11 10
89548 Königsbronn
Wiesenstraße 24
89551 Königsbronn
Phone +49 7328 81-01
Fax +49 7328 81-104
cfm-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Europlast
GmbH & Co KG
Postfach 11 60
89548 Königsbronn
Wiesenstraße 43
89551 Königsbronn
Phone +49 7328 81-07
Fax +49 7328 81-286
ep-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Kunstharzwerk
GmbH & Co KG
Postfach 11 60
89548 Königsbronn
Wiesenstraße 37–43
89551 Königsbronn
Phone +49 7328 81-02
Fax +49 7328 81-218
khw-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Leichtgusswerk
GmbH & Co KG
Postfach 11 65
89548 Königsbronn
Wiesenstraße 43–47
89551 Königsbronn
Phone +49 7328 81-05
Fax +49 7328 81-196
lgw-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Polymertechnik
GmbH & Co KG
Postfach 11 41
91581 Schillingsfürst
Industriestraße 10
91583 Schillingsfürst
Phone +49 9868 75-0
Fax +49 9868 75-99
pts-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Polimer Teknik
Ltd. Şti.
E-5 Karayolu üzeri
Marmaracık Mevkii
59850 Çorlu / Tekirdağ
Turkey
Phone +90 282 68467-00
Fax +90 282 68467-01
info-ptt@c-f-maier.com.tr
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Polimer-Technikai
Kft.
Felszabadulás útja 112
2645 Nagyoroszi
Hungary
Phone +36 35 574571
Fax +36 35 375066
ptu-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
ITAP – Industrie TunisoAllemande du Plastique
S.A.R.L.
Zone Industrielle El Mazraâ
8024 Tazarka
Tunisia
Phone +216 72 225278
Fax +216 72 225435
itap-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de
C. F. Maier Composites Inc.
500 East Crystal Street
Lamar, Colorado 81052
USA
Phone +1 719 3368745
Fax +1 719 3363091
mail@cfmaier.com
www.cfmaier.com
C. F. Maier Composites Inc.
Coors Technology Center
16351 Table Mountain Pkwy.
Golden, Colorado 80403-1641
USA
Phone +1 303 2788013
Fax +1 303 2780940
golden@cfmaier.com
www.cfmaier.com
C. F. Maier Shairco KSA Ltd.
#194, Al-Naghi Street
P.O. Box 9301, Jeddah 21413
Saudi Arabia
Phone +966 2 2682840
Fax +966 2 2682430
cfm-info@c-f-maier.de
www.c-f-maier.de