Thanks to short cycle times, thermoplastics are well suited for higher output rates. Additionally, they are easy to recycle and therefore support a sustainable and resource-saving production.
Hilbersdorf, Saxony-based ASGLAFORM Composites, has now started the production of lightweight parts on a 2,500 metric tonne upstroke short-stroke press supplied by the Schuler Group.
Composite materials such as carbon fibre reinforced plastics are still used sparingly in lightweight automotive engineering, and have not yet made the leap into series production.
Schuler, alongside its partners, has announced that the ‘iComposite 4.0’ research project has succeeded in reducing the costs for a prototype part by more than 50% and throughput times by more than 40%.