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Continuous Production of Honeycomb Sandwich Panels

All Aboard with Light and Cost-efficient Technology

John Sewell, EconCore

Innovation Day of CFK Valley Belgium – Composites and RailWay

29 June 2016, Brussels

Introduction: Sandwich construction by nature

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The efficient use of material and energy is a fundamental principle of nature.

Nature set the examples – let’s save resources

Section of a bird wingSection of an iris leaf Honeybee comb Section of a human skull

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Sandwich in Construction and Transportation

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Stephenson 1830

Sandwich frame in locomotive by Stephenson

Important historical examples of sandwich construction in transportation

Bi-plane wing construction by Chanute

Chanute 1894, 1903 (Wright flyer)

Fairbairn 1845

Tubular Bridge design by Stephenson and Fairbain Sandwich metal wing design by Junkers

Junkers 1915

Sandwich construction today

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AerospaceTrains

Trucks

Cars

Building

Sandwich constructions are composed of

• Two thin facings (skins, liners)• One thick low density core• Bonding layers (adhesive)

AdhesiveCore materialAdhesive

Sandwich applications

Lower skin

Upper skin

Packaging

Recreational vehicles

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Potential of Sandwich Construction

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Effect of the sandwich thickness:

• Geometrical definitions(symmetrical sandwich materials)

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t

h

Economic advantage depends on low core material cos t and low production cost

82.3 % weight saving

82.3 % cost saving

Core material types

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… but high manufacturing costs

Sandwich core materials

Homogeneous support of the

skins

Foam cores

Structured (non-homogeneous) support of the skins

Punctualsupport

Textile/pin cores

Regional support

Cup shaped cores

Bi-directional support

Honeycomb cores

Unidirectional support

Corrugated cores

Core types

Best material properties

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Conventional honeycomb production processes

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Thermoplastic honeycomb production by extrusion

Tubular honeycombs

Out-of-plane extruded honeycombs

From:Tubus Waben, PolycorePlascore, Hexacor

From:Nidaplast, Nida-Core

Extrusion of single tubes

Collecting the tubes Cutting to a honeycomb

Welding to a block

Extrusion small honeycomb blocks

Extruder

Extruder

saw

saw

Welding to a bigger block and cutting to a honeycomb

• require the production of blocks and the cutting from blocks • result in a low degree of automation and in relatively high costs

Both processes

ThermHex: Continuous production process

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Aerospace Packaging Industry

Internal structure and mechanical properties

Production concept and machinery

• Honeycomb cores from a continuous film through a step-by-step in-line process

⇒ Automatic production⇒ Low production costs

⇒ Best mechanical properties⇒ Major cost reduction

New Honeycomb Cores

ThermHexThermoplastic Honeycomb

• Automated in-line production leading to very low production costs• Direct lamination of skins allows in-line production of panels

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EconCore – Global Operations

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EconCore N.V. – ThermHex Waben GmbH

• EconCore N.V – technologies for cost efficient production of honeycomb core and sandwich parts

• founded: 22.12.2005

• ThermHex Waben GmbH – production of thermoplastic honeycomb cores

• production start: 01.04.2010

Production & salesof honeycomb cores

Licensing and technology development

EconCore Technology - ThermHex

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Continuous production of ThermHex honeycomb panels

...or by direct polymer film extrusion

Schematic view on the film fed ThermHex panel produ ction line

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Value chain

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rawmaterials

(for coreand skins)

Core material producer

Sandwich panel producer

Assembly plant

In-line core Sandwich material In-line postpreparation producer processing

End user

Partproducer

sandwich constituents (core, skin and bonding layer)

sandwich panel(sandwich material)

sandwichpart

sandwichstructure

bonding /lamination forming assembling

coreproduction

Sandwich production value chain

Summary – ThermHex Applications

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ThermHex production lines - references

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1 EconCore (Belgium) - Lab Line – 400mm width Started in 2005, For PP, PET, ABS, PC, PA, etc.

2 EconCore (Belgium) Demonstration Line – 1400mm Operational since 2006 – improvement & modification ongoing

3 Gifu Plastics (Japan) PP Core + PP skins – 1400mmOperational since mid 2009,2nd line started in 2012

4 ThermHex Waben (Europe) PP Core only – 1200/1400mmSince 2010, Daughter Company of EconCore

5 Karton (Europe) PP Core + PP skins – 1400mmOperational since September 2010

6 Renolit GOR (Europe) PP and composite skins– 1500mmOperational since 2013

7 RoPlast (Turkey) PP and composite skins– (2100mm)Operational since 2014

8 TATA Steel (Europe) Metal skins – (1550mm)Operational since Nov 2015

…

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ThermHex – PP honeycomb panels

PP-ThermHex parts – by TECCELL Web link to Teccell http://www.risu.co.jp/teccell/index_e.html

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ThermHex – PP honeycomb panels

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ThermHex – PP honeycomb panels

• PP panels for packaging and sign & display markets• Karton is a number 1 producer of fluted PP board in Europe• Karton annual revenue 200 Million Euro/year• www.karton.it

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ThermHex – automotive solutions

• WPC-ThermHex board – GORCELL

Automotive & furniture Web link to Renolit - Gorcellhttp://www.renolit.com/composites/en/products/autom otive/honeycomb-structure/

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ThermHex by Renolit - GORCELL

• WPC-ThermHex board – GORCELL

MASERATI GHIBLI

courtesy of Renolit

FIAT 500L

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Aluminium Composite Panels

Over 50% weight savings of ThermHex Panel

compared to traditional Aluminium Composite Panel

Flexural Stiffness , 3 point bending, 1000 mm span lenght, 300 mm panel width, 10 N load

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Steel Composite Panels

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Metal Composite Panels

Applications:

- building facades

- roofing / flooring

- interior cladding / cleanrooms

- separation walls

- visual communication

- solar energy modules

- furniture

- automotive

- mass transportation interiors

- lightweight (airfreight) containers

- ...

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ThermHex – PP honeycomb cores – composites industry

Polypropylene honeycombs for the composites industr y in 3 – 30 mm thickness

• ThermHex ProductsMachinery at ThermHex:

• Width: 1,4 m (standard 1,2m)• Max. speed: 10 m/min• Annual output: > 1 million m²

Production hall in Halle/Saale

• Available area: 4000 m²

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ThermHex PP honeycomb cores – markets & applications

• for large complex composite parts

• for wind pre-fabricated modules in buildings and energy generation (bathroom pods, windmill covers, …), yachts, swimming pools, trucks, automotive, ...

ThermHex PP cores with PET nonwoven

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ThermHex PP honeycomb cores – markets & applications

ThermHex PP cores with adhesive layers

• for automotive body panel stiffening

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PA honeycomb and “organicsheet” developments

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ThermHex sandwich panel for heavy duty applications

ThermHex honeycomb with 0/90°UD Glass fiber / PP composite skins

ThermHex honeycomb with woven glass fiber / PP composite skins

ThermHex honeycomb with woven Carbon fiber / epoxy composite skins

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ThermHex organosandwich – mechanical performance

Weight reduction(=cost reduction) Rigidity increase

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ThermHex organosandwich – thermoforming/overmolding

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ThermHex panel edge closure and fixtures

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Honeycomb - Properties

Thermal insulation e.g. for wall or inner cladding

skinsThermHex

PP skin strip

Thin PP cell walls Still air entrapped in the cells(more than 95% volume fraction)

Heat flow

A thermal barrier against conduction created by still air and PPAir movements suppressed or rather eliminated – air entrapped in the cells Radiative effects limited – conductive skins separated

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Honeycomb - Properties

Acoustic absorption e.g. for wall cladding, separation walls

Steel skins

Air filled, one side open ThermHex cells

Sound waves

damping of the noise (acoustic vibrations are transferred to the opposite skin – panel stiffness driven)

Tests proved good sound absorption ability of the T hermHex core

Dissipation of the sound waves in the one side open h oneycomb structure

One or two (for separation walls) side perforated skins

Air filled, one side open ThermHex cells

Sound waves

Improved damping of the noise – sound absorption(energy dissipated in the core structure)

Fire resistant parts / elements, e.g. ship building, public transportation…

ThermHex PP – metal skin

No modifications needed to achive class B, according to EN13823

B – s2 – d0 / B – s1 – d0 (TATA)

ThermHex PP – steel skin (TATA)

Passenger vehicles

UN R118 annex – PASS (TATA)

PET honeycomb based ThermHex panel tested according to the railway interior-designedDIN 5510-2

S4-SR2-ST2

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Honeycomb - Properties

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(FR / FST qualified) PC material based honeycomb core

• Fire resistance performance competitive to conventional and expensive NOMEX honeycombs

• Target applications include aircraft interiors and parts for mass transportation

FST thermoplastic honeycomb development

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FST thermoplastic honeycomb development

Development work initiated with DIEHL AIRCABIN,leading supplier of aircraft interior components

Aircraft applications requirements are similar but tougher than the railway applications requirements

Cost saving requirements are more evident in the railway sector

Thanks to European Commission for the support under

INCOM EC FP7, Grant agreement no: 608746

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35courtesy of Diehl Aircabin

Density FST Surface qualityMechanical properties

Drapability Thermal resistance CostsMedia resistance

Target value:

29 - 48 kg/m³

Flammability

Heat Release

Smoke density

Toxicity

Few surface defects

Compression strength

Shear strenght

Shear modulus

Resistance to high humidity

and SkydrolPermanent: -20°C to 55°C

Temporary: -40° to 70°C

Satisfactory drapability

for the manufacture

of complex geometries

FST thermoplastic honeycomb development

Key requirements of sandwich cores for cabin interiors

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FST thermoplastic honeycomb development

Excellent

fire resistance

test results

courtesy of Diehl Aircabin

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Materials choice – application depending

Raw Material Cost

Hea

t Res

ista

nce

/ Pro

cess

ing

Tem

pera

ture

ThermHex Core Material Type

PET, PVC ABS

ABS high heat

polyolefinsPA12

PA6

Other PAs (PA66, 46, etc.

PPS PEEK PEI

• Processability on the core production level PROVEN

• Processability on the core production level needs f urther investigations / investment

biobased

PC

PC/ABS blends

PMMA

Summary – ThermHex Technology

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MINIMAL WEIGHT MINIMAL COST

MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

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EconCore – ThermHex Technology

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Let ´s build the future of honeycomb sandwich materials together!

Thank You !