Technology transfer: Automated quality assurance of CFRP surfaces becomes industrial reality
Lightweight aircraft and cars are designed using components made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).
The manufacture of these CFRP components is carried out in metallic molds. Demolding is generally facilitated by treating the molds beforehand with a release agent.
However, some release agent adheres to the molded product and these residues must be removed manually prior to subsequent coating or bonding.
Contamination of CFRP surfaces by release agent residues impairs adhesion and hence the quality of bonded joints. So how can such residues be detected on components?
Automated monitoring of CFRP surfaces
Fraunhofer IFAM scientists have developed an automated aerosol wetting test suitable for industrial production. This wetting test efficiently inspects the surfaces of large components during the production process.
An ultrasonic atomizer first of all generates a defined water aerosol. This then creates a characteristic pattern of droplets on the component surface that is being inspected. A camera system records these droplets and shows them on a screen.
The droplet size distribution allows statements to be made about the wetting properties of the surface. By defining target values, for example, the cleaning and activation effect of a surface pretreatment step can be automatically monitored.
The advantage of the aerosol test is that large surfaces, for example fiber composite components for aircraft and wind turbines, can also be tested. The water aerosol dries within a very short time and leaves no residues, meaning the components can be further processed shortly after inspection.
Media Contact
All latest news from the category: Materials Sciences
Materials management deals with the research, development, manufacturing and processing of raw and industrial materials. Key aspects here are biological and medical issues, which play an increasingly important role in this field.
innovations-report offers in-depth articles related to the development and application of materials and the structure and properties of new materials.
Newest articles
Superradiant atoms could push the boundaries of how precisely time can be measured
Superradiant atoms can help us measure time more precisely than ever. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen present a new method for measuring the time interval,…
Ion thermoelectric conversion devices for near room temperature
The electrode sheet of the thermoelectric device consists of ionic hydrogel, which is sandwiched between the electrodes to form, and the Prussian blue on the electrode undergoes a redox reaction…
Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device
New publication reports record electron temperatures for a small-scale, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fusion technologies have demonstrated…