MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lanxess subsidiary Bond-Laminates GmbH has taken into operation a demonstration cell for processing Tepex continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites at the Brilon site, which enables Tepex to be both formed in a fully automated, near-series process and also simultaneously formed and overmolded in a hybrid molding process, reported Lanxess on its site.
"We plan to use the facility as a platform for transferring technology to customers. We want to familiarize our customers with the strengths of Tepex and how it is processed, as well as supporting the development of innovative components," explains Ulrich Jecmeniza, applications engineer with Bond-Laminates.
In addition, production processes of Tepex processors are to be simulated for quality assurance and improvement purposes. Not least, Bond-Laminates aims to use the facility to drive forward its own material development. This new demonstration cell supplements a Technical Service Center facility that Lanxess already operates at the Dormagen site.
The cell is manufactured by ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH. The Tepex inserts are introduced to the machine using a magazine with separation function, so that various Tepex sections can be processed in a single production run.
The new facility will initially be fitted with a mold for the sports goods industry. The relevant component consists of a Tepex section with TPU matrix that is overmolded with TPU on both sides after shaping. Other near-series molds will soon be available. Jecmeniza: "This will enable us to cover applications for our most important customer groups – that is to say the automobile, consumer electronics and sports goods industries."
As MRC informed previously, in March 2015, The Bond Laminates GmbH expanded its Tepex range of continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic high-performance composites to include halogen-free flame-retardant versions with a polycarbonate matrix.
Lanxess is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 8.3 billion in 2013 and roughly 17,000 employees in 31 countries. The company is currently represented at 52 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.
MRC