The ITA Institute of Technical Textiles at RWTH Aachen University in Germany will present a collaborative robot (cobot) including tools for the semi-automated draping of reinforcement textiles at JEC World 2022 in Paris from May 3-5.

The cobot needs no additional safety measures such as protective fences or light barriers for operation thanks to integrated sensor technology and can collaborate directly with humans.

In addition to increasing draping quality and reproducibility, the focus of the development was on occupational safety.

Cobots are inexpensive to procure and easy to programme and can achieve great flexibility in manufacturing with the possibility to produce small to medium quantities in an automated process.

ITA is investigating how these advantages can be exploited in the production of fibre composite components, for example in the handling, draping and joining of sensitive, limp textile materials. At the JEC, visitors will have the chance to interact live with the cobot and experience collaborative draping first hand. Please contact [email protected] for further information.

Another ITA exhibit is a demonstrator for mobile hydrogen storage in the form of a Type-4 pressure vessel made of fibre-reinforced composites (FRP). It is based on a specially developed liner concept and was manufactured using the multi-filament winding process with towpregs. The exhibit is additionally equipped with fibre optic sensors for strain and temperature monitoring which enables condition monitoring through structural health monitoring. Contact [email protected] for further information.

ITA will be exhibiting at the joint stand of the Aachen Center for Lightweight Construction (AZL) in Hall 6, stand S50. It will present innovations and research priorities in the production of reinforcing fibres, the textile processing of such high-modulus fibres and the impregnation of high-performance modulus fibres with thermoset as well as thermoplastic matrix systems. The ITA will show the entire process chain, from fibre production and processing to the finished component, and will be able to present and discuss promising innovations at all levels.

The AZL and other partner institutes and companies will cover FRP topics such as the load-compliant design of components, plastics-side processing and testing.

www.ita.rwth-aachen.de