荷兰热塑性复合材料应用中心开设了新的实验室设施
近成立的热塑性复合材料应用中心(TPAC)的新实验室由应用科学大学Saxion校长Anka Mulder开放。实验室配备了新的加工设备，使其能够专注于成本效益高的热塑性复合材料的加工和应用。
TPAC对轻量化材料的低成本加工和应用进行了研究，重点研究了热塑性复合材料。更多有益的特性，如抗冲击和快速加工，使其成为高端应用的材料，如航空航天，跑车和体育用品。TPAC的目标是降低加工成本，扩大热塑性复合材料的使用范围，使更多的部门、企业和人员能够负担得起这些材料。或者就像费里·范·哈托姆所说的：“为做复合材料”。
协作
申请中心与100多家中小型公司和机构合作。成立了多个联盟，以应对各种项目的挑战。特邀演讲者Jac。荷兰橡胶和塑料工业联合会(NRK)主席兼塑料制品公司席执行官戈弗斯强调了建立一个应用中心的重要性。
轻量级解决方案带来了很多好处，但是测试对于理解在使用过程中减轻重量和复合应用的效果是至关重要的。“庞蒂斯工程公司(Pontis Engineering)席执行官Sjef van Breugel强调了与工业的紧密联系：“TPAC与工业有着很强的联系，并听取了该部门的要求，例如，需要负担得起的加工技术。”
不同学习的学生参与多学科小组、实习和毕业作业.通过这种方式，学生学习轻量级工程应用的设计、材料和生产。
研究领域
TPAC与合作伙伴一起确定了三个研究领域：回收、生产和自动化。在回收领域，人们开发了处理低端聚合物废物的方法，例如从塑料汤到简单的产品。此外，还对来自航空航天的高端碳纤维基后工业废物进行了研究，并将其处理成为航空航天的新应用。开发和测试新的生产方法，以成本效益高的方式加工复合材料，例如将3D打印和磁带放置结合起来。通过实现自动化，进一步提高了生产速度和鲁棒性，降低了成本。
智能工业领域
新的设备，如垂直封闭注射成型机，包括红外线烤箱加热预制体和机器人在一个自动化的细胞，强调了实验室的新的可能性。TPAC与研究伙伴TPRC共同组成TPC NL，并被荷兰经济事务部授予智能工业领域实验室，并被欧洲联盟委员会列为数字创新中心。
原文如下：
The new lab facilities of the recently founded ThermoPlastic composites Application Center (TPAC) are opened by Anka Mulder, the president of Saxion, University of Applied Sciences. The lab features new processing equipment enabling it’s focus on cost-effective processing and application of thermoplastic composites.
The Dutch ThermoPlastic composites Application Center opens new lab facilities
TPAC
The TPAC performs research on low-cost processing and application of lightweight materials, with particular focus on thermoplastic composites materials. Further beneficial properties like impact resistance and fast processing make it the material of choice for high-end applications like aerospace, sport cars and sporting goods. The goal of the TPAC is to reduce processing costs to broaden the use of thermoplastic composites and make the material affordable for more sectors, business and people. Or like Ferrie van Hattum puts it: ”Composites for the people”.
Collaboration
The application centre works together with more than 100 companies of mostly small and medium size and institutions. Multiple consortiums are formed to tackle challenges in various projects. Guest speaker Jac. Gofers, President of the The Dutch Federation of Rubber and Plastics Industry (NRK) and CEO of Promolding underlines the importance of an application centre.
“Lightweight solutions give plenty of benefits, but testing is essential to understand the effect of weight reduction and composite application during use.” Sjef van Breugel, CEO of Pontis Engineering emphasizes the strong connection to industrie “The TPAC has a strong relation to industry and listens to the requirements in the sector, for example the necessity of affordable processing technologies.”
Students of different studies are involved with multi-disciplinary groups, internships and graduation assignments. In this way students learn about design, materials and production of lightweight engineering applications.
The Dutch ThermoPlastic composites Application Center opens new lab facilities
Research areas
Together with the partners, the TPAC defined three research areas: recycling, production and automation. In the field of recycling methods are developed to process low-end polymer waste, e.g. from the plastic soup, into simple products. Also high-end carbon fibre based post-industrial waste from aerospace is studied and processed into new applications for aerospace. New production methods are developed and tested to process composite material in a cost-effective manner, e.g. combining 3D printing and tape placement. Production speed and robustness is further increased and cost is limited by implementing automation.
Smart Industry Fieldlab
New facilities, like a vertical closure injection moulding machine including an infrared oven to heat preforms and robot in an automation cell, underline the new possibilities of the laboratory. Together with the research partner TPRC, the TPAC forms TPC NL and was awarded the Smart Industry Fieldlab by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands and is listed as digital innovation hub by the European Commission.
