The first phase of a new manufacturing design laboratory (MDL) started to work after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Purdue University located in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. Founded in 1869 by a businessman (Purdue) the university is basically a research university wwhich now runs courses absolutely online for adult working people. The MDL is housed in the university’s new Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center.
What makes the lab somehow exceptional is a new FibreForming injection moulding machine. The machine having 330 tons of clamping force is from the CX series made by KraussMaffei company. The machine is equipped with a 3D preforming station made by EELCEE Ltd..
These new machines help researchers to test high-rate over-moulded composite manufacturing by continuous fiber preforms, to demonstrate part production rates of less than one minute, dramatically increase mechanical stiffness and strength and significantly reduce costs compared to a fully continuous fiber manufactured part.
Developed by KraussMaffei Group, the FiberForm process combines the thermoforming of organo-sheets and injection molding into a single process. That results in high-strength, lightweight fiber-reinforced plastic components used mainly in the automotive industry, according to the company’s U.S. operation, Krauss-Maffei Corp. in Florence, Ky.
About EELCEE Ltd.
“EELCEE is pioneering high-volume structural composite manufacturing. With two decades of R&D experience at the forefront of high-volume composite manufacturing technologies, we are not only leading in manufacturing of fiber reinforced composites for the automotive industry, but also in digitally connected robotic cells and enabled industrial processes, equipment and systems. EELCEE also provides our clients with cost-effective composite design and manufacturing process solutions for rapid industrialization. EELCEE’s focus is to deliver high production rates at an affordable price.” (Image from the EELCEE website”.