Center for Textile Lightweight Engineering
Processes, Technologies, Products
The Center for Textile Lightweight Engineering creates the connection between classic textile manufacturing processes and innovative processes in the fields of composite production. The technical equipment is especially tailored to the requirements of processing electrically conductive carbon fibres. In cooperation with industrial partners the existing process technology is constantly being expanded and modernized. The aim is to implement the latest research results and thus to offer a technology showcase as a research and test field on the way to a linked up, self-optimizing production with future-oriented possibilities for human-machine interaction.
Any questions?
Your contact
Christopher Albe, M. Sc.
Group Manager Center for Textile Lightweight Engineering
Phone: +49 371 5274-241
Composite production
At the composite center thermoset and thermoplastic materials can be produced as part of the recycling strategy and for customized material developments. The following technologies are available:
- Hand lay-up
- Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
- Vacuum infusion (incl. VAP®-License)
- Press technologies
Carbon fibre recycling
The following technologies for processing carbon fibre waste into isotropic or anisotropic nonwoven structures are available:
- Fibre preparation by using modified cutting and tearing technologies
- Web forming technologies
- Inline bonding methods
- Inline quality monitoring systems
Your contact
Christopher Albe, M. Sc. |
Oriented strand-like structures from recycled carbon fibres
Based on the research results of the STFI regarding the reuse of recycled carbon fibres in different nonwoven structures, further investigations were carried out on better fibre orientation in MD direction:
- Development and production of slivers
- Subsequent inline consolidation to form secondary rovings
- Development and production of doubled and stretched staple fibre webs
- Subsequent thermal bonding to form tape structures
Your contact
Dipl.-Ing./Dipl.-WI Ina Sigmund |
Fields of application
Research News
MC4 Project
"Multi-level Circular Process Chain for Carbon and Glass Fibre Composites" (MC4) is a European partnership having started in April 2022. It is a project consortium of 15 partners, including STFI, investigating circular approaches for the reuse of carbon and glass fibre composites. It develops process technologies and quality assurance methods that enable the economic recycling of carbon and glass fibre components. MC4 focuses on various reuse and recycling processes along the life cycle of composite components.
Art and Technology
GROUNDED – Carbon nonwovens in a different way
"Daniel Hölzl creates in GROUNDED a special link between the two worlds of art and technology by consistently implementing the idea of sustainability. With great attention to detail, he takes visitors up into the air before grounding them again with the harsh reality of recycling."
Christopher Albe, Head of Group Textile Lightweight Engineering at STFI
Apart from wax, carbon nonwovens are the main components the exhibited works are made of. The recycled materials form the basis of the raw material being reused demonstrating how circular economy can function.
Cooperations & Networks
