DigitPro
Digital production.
New materials and processes for digital prototypes
Your contact person
Dr. Clemens Ackermann
ARENA2036 e.V.
Clemens Ackermann is Research Coordinator at ARENA2036 and an expert on topics relating to the research campus.
Digital prototype
Holistic digital prototype for large-scale production
For the large-scale introduction of lightweight materials in automotive engineering, continuous data exchange across all process steps must be guaranteed.
This must range from component and module development to virtual tests, e.g. of crash behavior, process development and production planning through to computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). This was the focus of the joint project "Digital Prototype" (DigitPro).
Digital model on an FRP structure
Existing digital prototypes for metallic materials cannot be used for hybrid structures, as weight-optimized materials (such as fibre-reinforced composites) usually have anisotropic properties and therefore the component performance is highly dependent on the direction of loading. In FRP, the properties are strongly dependent on the direction and processing of the fibers.
In this completed joint project, a complete digital model was therefore created using an FRP structure as an example across all design, construction and production steps and the necessary data was transferred from one process step to the next.
This simulation tool can be used in future to design components in line with requirements, which saves some of the real tests, and to prepare for the start of production.
The DigitPro project aimed to completely digitize the target manufacturing processes.
At the same time, the weight of selected lightweight structures was reduced by a further 10% and a reduction in development time of more than 50% was achieved.
An open, neutral HDF5-based data format was used to develop a data container that enables all simulation derivatives to be stored with time and user signatures and made available to other software tools.
The process simulations focused on the braiding process, the ORW process, the draping process and the multi-scale infiltration simulation.
In addition, a new type of CAM interface was integrated into the digital prototype, which allows robot paths and machine parameter sets to be planned based on component CAD geometries and provides the user with feedback on feasibility during component design.
The associated publication "The digital prototype - Holistic digital prototype in lightweight construction for large-scale production" (© 2019) was published as part of the ARENA2036 publication series by VS Springer Verlag in Wiesbaden.