Fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) are increasingly used as alternatives to load-bearing metals for multiple applications within a range of industries (such as e.g. electric vehicles) due to the superior design flexibility and high strength-to-weight ratio of composite materials.
The maximum reinforcement effect of the fibres in such materials can be obtained by optimizing the degree of alignment between fibre orientation and loading directions. Currently, fibre orientation is determined through design cycles which involve multiple test castings and manual 2D experimental validation of fibre distribution in small FRP samples; a method which is resource-wasteful, time-consuming and labour-intensive. Furthermore, it is estimated that FRP components only provide ~30% of their maximum strength under such design cycles. This suboptimal result stems from a lack of 3D imaging tools that provide accurate structural information across entire FRP parts and enable improvement of the designflows.
The FIONA project aims at developing the 3D FibreScanner, a simple and cost-effective X-ray add-on module for structural 3D imaging of FRP components, enabling full exploitation of FRP mechanical properties and great improvements of design and development cycles.
At the completion of the FIONA project we have successfully build and demonstrated an in-house 3D FibreScanner prototype capable of performing fast and robust 2D and 3D fiber characterization of fibre-reinforced plastics parts. We have worked closely with representatives of the plastic moulding industry, academic research institutions, providers of injection moulding software solutions and X-ray CT manufacturers to validate the technology, ensure a good product-market fit and for preparation for an introduction of the 3D FibreScanner to the market in 2024.
