Mouldability of Additively Manufactured Attachments on Multipoint Tools

Enhanced multipoint moulding with additive attachments (EMMA) is a process combining vacuum-assisted multipoint moulding (VAMM) and additively manufactured moulding attachments for carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) component production. The aim of this initial study is to investigate the mouldability of the additively manufactured attachments on the multipoint tool. For this purpose, two different test specimens were defined, the VAMM machine was adjusted, the attachments were additively built with the robot on the curved silicone interpolation layer and lastly, the CFRP specimens were moulded. The fabrication results were analysed with surface comparisons to check that there was no displacement of the attachments during moulding. A visual evaluation of the manufactured components was carried out, and the overall dimensional accuracy was assessed by comparing the surface with the target geometry. The results showed a very good agreement between the shapes before and after the moulding and thus prove that the attachments were not postponed in the moulding process. The optical evaluation confirms good moulding results for the parts manufactured with the enhanced multipoint moulding with additive attachments. Moreover, the evaluation shows that the major parts of the specimens comply with the permissible tolerance of t = 6 mm defined in ISO 20457. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study that has investigated the entire EMMA process and systematically proved the mouldability of the additively manufactured attachments on multipoint tools.