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Carbon Composites
Fundamental research on material behavior, processing technology
and simulation of high performance composite materials
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We were very proud that SGL Group has renewed its commitment to endowing our Chair of
Carbon Composites (LCC) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), which began eight years ago.
The agreement for a six-year extension was signed by TUM president Prof. Wolfgang A. Herrmann
and the SGL Group’s CEO, Dr. Jürgen Köhler in February 2017.
As another highlight in 2017 more than 20 doctoral candidates completed their doctoral theses at
our chair. We are very delighted that most of our graduates are entering the industry and broadening
the network to our industrial partners.
Process Technology for Fibers and Textiles
The Process Technology for Fibers and Textiles group
focuses on improving manufacturing technologies that
arrange the fibers in their desired orientation within a
composite component.
The group’s three research teams cover the fields of braid-
ing technology, automated fiber placement and tailored
textiles. With highly developed processing equipment,
the fibers can be brought into shape in an automated and
reproducible way.
Team Braiding Technology –
Third Prize at the AVK Award
The Industrievereinigung Verstärkter Kunststoffe e.V.
(AVK) celebrated their Innovation Award on 18th Sep-
tember 2017 at the 3rd Composite Congress during
the 12th Composite Europe in Stuttgart. The Chair of
Carbon Composites (Technical University of Munich) won
the category ‘Processes & Procedures’ in cooperation
with the industrial partner Munich Composites GmbH,
a spin-off of the chair which develops and produces
high performance composites. The partners submitted
an innovative process to produce carbon fiber bicycle
rims. Hand lay-up of prepreg, the de facto standard in
sporting goods manufacture, is a very labor intensive
and hence expensive process. Instead the new process
uses a combination of automated winding and braiding
with subsequent RTM injection. A specifically developed
removable core system enables consistent net shape
preforming and a high
fiber volume content.
With the new process,
it is possible for
Munich Composites to
competitively produce
CFRP bicycle rims
in Germany in an
affordable price range.
AVK regarded this
innovative process
worthy of their
prestigious award.
LCC managed to win
an AVK Award for the
third time in a row
after being awarded
with first prizes in
the ‘Research and
Science’ category in
2015 and 2016.
Team Automated Fiber Placement
The Chair of Carbon Composites (LCC) at Technical
University of Munich (TUM) developed and implemented
a manufacturing concept for a carbon fiber reinforced
module of a sounding rocket in cooperation with the
German Aerospace Center (DLR). The CFRP-Module was
qualified for flight as part of a REXUS rocket mission and
is now ready for the launch in March 2018.
Innovation Award Ceremony (left to right) Dr. Rudolf Kleinholz (AVK), Olav Rüger (Munich Composites), Kalle Kind (LCC),
Prof. Jens Ridzewski (AVK)