What is Preforming?
Preforming is the manufacturing of dry, fixed fibre structures (e.g. made of carbon fibres) for the subsequent infiltration with a suitable resin. This fibre architecture has to be rigid enough for handling and infiltration. A broad choice of possibilities for infiltraion are available and have to be tailored to the preforming requirements and vice versa. Preforming determines the fiber orientation and laminate quality of your product – we will assist your company with our expertise to engineer the best choice for you.
What makes Preforming challenging?
Every composite components has to be seen as a case-specific task which calls for a suitable manufacturing routine. A classic approach comprises of finding suitable textiles (wovens, unidirectionals, multiaxials, tailored textiles),
cutting, layering, forming (“draping”), joining and final 3D cutting. Each steps can be carried out manually, automated or semi-automated. Nevertheless by applying innovative production technologies weight and costs of composites
can be reduced considerably.
Designing suitable processes requires comprehensive product and process know-how from four areas: Semi-finished textile engineering, process development, geometrical optimization and an assessment of the resulting mechanical performance. We will apply this know-how for our customers to find fast, cost-efficient and high quality manufacturing solutions.
Our excellence: High quality preforms for complex composite partsers to find fast, cost-efficient and high quality manufacturing solutions.
CIKONI offers holistic services for preforming: method development, modelling, characterization and process development for high quality preforms.
Extensive Process-Know How for automated Carbon-Preforming
We offer consulting for material selection, process engineering and assist you along the whole value chain: Material charaterization, process simulation (e.g. draping simulation), cost engineering, development of innovative draping routines, optical fiber measurement and special purpose machinery are our daily business and what we are best at. Some of our work includes but is not limited to:
