General FuPro structure:
On the left is the construction and on the right is the manufactured component
Car manufacturer Porsche wants to replace the traditional aluminum/magnesium hollow profile with a functional fiber composite hollow profile (FuPro), for example as a cockpit beam in a vehicle, and bring the structure to a mass production level. This involves combining thermoplastic fiber composite hollow profiles, organic sheets, and injection molding.
To this end, Porsche has launched a corresponding project with eight other project partners. The Institute of Lightweight and Plastics Technology (ILK) at Technische Universitat Dresden, which developed FuPro technology, played a leading role in the project. In addition to the further development of the required production technologies, an extensive study of sustainability assessment is planned as part of the project. This is because fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, combined with local metal load inputs, can reduce environmental impact over the life of the material compared to monomer aluminum structures or monomer magnesium structures.
Designers also gain maximum design freedom through a single material system consisting of short, long, and continuous fiber-reinforced semi-finished products. A major advantage of this configuration is its recyclability and the resulting contribution to climate neutrality and lightweight. At the same time, due to its integrity, the structure has considerable economic potential.
To take advantage of this, manufacturing technologies across the lifecycle value chain still need to be optimized in terms of energy consumption and processing time. In addition, the chemical adhesion promoters previously required to connect the plastic parts to the metal inserts are being replaced by laser structures on the surface to ensure that the recyclable material stream is as free of contamination as possible during subsequent recycling.
Finally, thermoplastics are also designed to achieve waste-free production by reprocessing the waste material produced during production and sending it back into the injection molding process. These technical objectives of the project are intended to pave the way for the FuPro construction to enter mass production.
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The company's long-fiber continuous infiltration reinforced thermoplastics have passed ISO9001 & 16949 system certification, and the products have obtained lots of national trademarks and patents.
