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Covestro, KraussMaffei, & IKV win 2017 FSK award

25 Nov '17

3 min read

Covestro AG, Germany’s leading polymer company, together with KraussMaffei, globally recognised brand for multi-technology system and process solutions for injection and reaction moulding technology and factory automation, and the Institute of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen University (IKV), have bagged the 2017 FSK Innovation Award for polyurethanes.

The Specialist Association of Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes (FSK) elected to honour the partners’ achievements in promoting the wider industrial use of pultrusion with polyurethane resins.

For the award in the category “Technology – Processing and Chemistry,” the panel of judges commended the increased cost-efficiency of the method for processors and the partnering approach to the project. The award ceremony was held at the International FSK Specialist Conference Polyurethane 2017 in Gurten, Austria.

Pultruded composite sections have already proven successful in thermally insulating window frames and in reinforcing rotor blades for wind turbines. The process offers tremendous potential for the continuous manufacturing of composite sections, but more widespread use was prevented until now by the inadequate degree of industrialisation.

In close cooperation, the three partners enhanced the chemistry, technology and process to significantly increase productivity as well as process and product quality. Processors can now cut costs significantly compared to the previous method.

The new iPul machines from KraussMaffei are the first turnkey systems to incorporate system, process and die technology all from a single supplier. Critical processing parameters, such as output rate and haul-off rate, are controlled centrally.

In the new systems, the fibres are no longer impregnated in an open process, but rather by a metering machine in a closed injection chamber. Apart from eliminating odour problems for a pultruder’s employees, the new technology supports precision temperature management during curing and thus increases production speeds. The systems are sensor-assisted and highly automated.

Another advantage of the iPul machines is their extensive flexibility and precision. Thanks to the injection chamber and metering device with newly engineered mixing head, a wide variety of resins can now be processed, including highly reactive polyurethane systems. The matrix material is injected at low pressure to additionally cut costs.

Polyurethane resins offer significant advantages over established pultrusion materials, such as epoxy, unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins. Their low viscosity, good fibre wetting and high reactivity support faster processing speeds than epoxies, which reduces manufacturing costs. Another advantage is their considerable flexibility: The reaction time and viscosity of polyurethane resins can be varied widely, permitting the reproduction of even very thin component geometries. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India