Press releases

PRESS RELEASE
IKV and TU Dortmund cooperate in research into new combined process
Combination of deep-drawing and backmoulding in a single step for plastic/metal parts
Aachen, February 2015 – Together with the Institute of Forming Technology and Lightweight
Construction (IUL) at the Technical University of Dortmund, the Institute of Plastics
Processing (IKV) in Industry and the Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University is carrying
out research into a combined process that involves the deep-drawing of metal and its
backmoulding with plastic for the production of hybrid plastic/metal structural parts.
Hybrid parts of this kind are being used increasingly as lightweight, load-bearing structures in
vehicle production. They consist of a deep-drawn sheet steel component with a thickness of
approx. 1 mm, backmoulded with plastic. The plastic serves to increase the stiffness, and
may also contain functional and/or fixing elements. One requirement for the reliable
production of such hybrid parts is a suitable bonding agent, which is first applied to the steel
component. This provides a cohesive bond that ensures a homogeneous stress profile in the
hybrid part.
This combined process makes use of the closing motion of the injection moulding tool to form
the metal sheet, because the kinematics of an injection moulding tool are similar to those of a
deep-drawing die. This saves a complete process step. A metal insert is first formed by
deep-drawing during the integrated process and is subsequently further moulded into shape
with the plastic melt.
At the heart of the process is the combined tooling technology which brings together the
elements of the deep-drawing die with those of the injection moulding tool. The drawing
punch and draw die are the forming elements here. A clamping mechanism controlled
independently of the injection moulding machine’s clamping unit provides for controlled
passage of the steel sheet and prevents any creasing on the deep-drawn part. The combined
injection moulding tool was made by Hermann Rausch Formenbau, Hösbach, Germany,
and is available with immediate effect to the project partners IUL and IKV for their studies of
the combined process.
The systematic analysis of the combined process is being funded via the AiF as part of Joint
Industrial Research (IGF) by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
(BMWi).
www.ikv-aachen.de
www.ikv-aachen.com
About IKV
IKV, the Institute of Plastics Processi ng at RWTH Aachen Univers ity, is Europe-wide t he bi ggest research a nd
education institute engaged in the field of plastics processing enjoying outstanding reputation. More than 300 staff
are employed in finding solutions to problems connected with processing, materials technology and part design in
the plastics a nd rubb er ind ustries. IKV' s close contacts with ind ustry an d science, toget her with its out standing
facilities, enable cutti ng-edge res earch in plastics tech nology and e nsure that st udents b enefit from a
comprehensive, practicall y oriented c ourse of stud y. Pl astics engi neering gr aduates fro m IKV are thu s soug htInstitut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV) in Industrie und Handwerk an der RWTH Aachen  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann
Pontstraße 49  52062 Aachen  Germany  Telefon +49 (0) 241 80-93806  Telefax +49 (0) 241 80-92262
E-Mail: [email protected]  www.ikv-aachen.de
after experts in industry. In organisational terms, IKV is divided up into the four specialist departments of Injection
Moulding, E xtrusion a nd Ru bber T echnology, Part D esign and Mater ials T echnology, a nd Com posites a nd
Polyurethane Technology. T he Institute a lso takes in the Centre for A nalysis and T esting of Plastics , and th e
Training a nd F urther Ed ucation d epartment. IKV is run b y a n Assoc iation of Sp onsors, which curr ently has a
membership of more than 230 plastics companies from all over the world. Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann
is Head of the Institute and Managing Director of the Association of Sponsors. He also holds the Chair of Plastics
Processing at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.
Contact:
Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV) in
Industrie und Handwerk an der RWTH Aachen
Julian Schild, M.Eng.
Injection Moulding/Hybrid technology
Pontstr. 49
52062 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 241 80-93983
Fax: +49 (0) 241 80-92262
E-mail: [email protected]
Press contact:
Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV)
in Industrie und Handwerk an der RWTH Aachen
Ulla Köhne
Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Pontstr. 49
52062 Aachen
Telefon: +49 (0) 241 80-93672
Telefax: +49 (0) 241 80-92660
E-Mail: [email protected]
Contact:
Institut für Umformtechnik und Leichtbau (IUL)
Technische Universität Dortmund
Sigrid Hess, M.Sc.
Baroper Str. 303
44227 Dortmund, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 231 755-8451
E-mail: [email protected]
Specimens for examining the combined deep-drawing / backmoulding process (photo: IKV)
Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV) in Industrie und Handwerk an der RWTH Aachen  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann
Pontstraße 49  52062 Aachen  Germany  Telefon +49 (0) 241 80-93806  Telefax +49 (0) 241 80-92262
E-Mail: [email protected]  www.ikv-aachen.de