SBIR Phase II: Thermal Intensification for Continuous Thermoplastic Composite Forming

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the historic challenges associated with composite manufacturing, including long cycle times, poor recyclability, labor-intensive manufacturing, and energy-intensive curing processes, leading to low production throughput and high part cost. This combination of factors has limited the adoption of composite materials in mass markets such as construction and automotive, despite strong demand for lightweight solutions.

This project proposes implementation of low-cost composite materials in construction products is projected to reduce the lifecycle cost of utility and infrastructure projects through a combination of lower initial installation costs and lower service and maintenance costs over the life of the installed equipment. In automotive applications, vehicle weight reduction translates to reduced energy consumption, meaning better fuel economy in combustion vehicles or improved electric vehicle range, both of which reduce pollution.

Weight reduction, enabled by lightweight composite materials, is a significant component of automaker compliance strategy, as a 10% vehicle weight reduction can achieve a 6-8% fuel economy improvement.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project involves the design, fabrication, and testing of a continuous composite forming machine that uses ultrasonic welding to achieve high throughput of composite materials. Replacing infrared heating for thermoplastic consolidation with ultrasonic welding can achieve an 82-85% reduction in embodied energy (energy per unit mass of material produced), while matching or exceeding the production speed of the infrared system.

The research activities proposed for Phase II will translate the embodied energy reductions into production speed improvements through the fabrication and testing of a next-generation continuous composite forming machine that is suitable for high-volume automotive production, with the goal of demonstrating a minimum production capacity of 250,000 door-panel-sized units per year. The key objectives to be addressed are: 1) scale-up and integration of a continuous ultrasonic welding system, 2) fabrication of a 1-meter-wide production machine capable of composite production at a line speed of 200 linear meters per hour, and 3) implementation of process controls suitable for automotive quality standards.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.