Double-belt press put into operation
Ensinger is expanding its portfolio in the field of thermoplastic composite materials. A doublebelt press (DBP) was recently put into operation at its production site in Cham. The system enables a wide variety of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites to be manufactured efficiently. This includes, for example, organosheets: multilayer, fully impregnated and consolidated fibre-reinforced composites.
In addition to its existing product range of high-temperature applications, Ensinger can use
the new machine to manufacture large quantities of thermoplastic composites at lower
temperatures. With an operating width of up to 1,800 mm, the double-belt press also
processes unidirectional (UD) materials, UD cross ply materials, laminates and sandwich
laminates with different core materials such as foam or honeycomb. This means that different
combinations of textiles and polymer matrix materials can be achieved, including carbon,
glass, aramid and natural fibres. Powder scattering and film impregnation are now possible
as impregnation technologies. The tailored technical and economic solutions are ideal for
customer products in the automotive sector and other industrial areas. Furthermore,
Ensinger can also process contract manufacturing orders.
With a polymer powder mill, a prepreg system and the new DBP installed in its subsidiary
plant in Cham, Ensinger has invested in the expansion of production capacities several times
this year. The product range encompasses polymer powder, continuous fibre-reinforced
semipregs, prepregs and organosheets as well as compression-moulded composite plates
and finished parts made from different combinations of materials.
“We are able to offer our customers a wide portfolio of composite products and relevant
engineering services from a single source,” says Daniel Grauer, who is responsible for the
department’s international business development at Ensinger. “Not least owing to our latest
investment, the Ensinger Group is excellently positioned as a strategic player in the market
for thermoplastic composite materials.”