Composite plates

For those applications where the properties of unreinforced or short fibre reinforced polymer stock shapes (such as plates or rods) are not suitable, continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic plates can be an outstanding alternative. Thanks to the continuous fibre reinforcement (usually woven fabrics made of glass or carbon fibres) these plates offer high mechanical properties, which are usually only achieved by metals, while at the same time being significantly lighter than the latter.

Thanks to the utilisation of thermoplastic matrix materials, the plates share the advantages of thermoplastic unreinforced plates, such as high impact toughness, mechanical properties in a broad temperature range, chemical resistance, and high elongation at break, while also having absolute mechanical properties around one order of magnitude higher than unreinforced thermoplastics. Depending on the chosen application, the matrix material can be selected to fulfil the specific needs and covers a broad spectrum of customer requirements.

Plates made of continuous glass or carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics can be processed through waterjet cutting, as well as with conventional machining methods (suitable equipment and processing parameters needed) to finished parts of outstanding quality with minimal tolerances.

Material Portfolio

The following composite plates are manufactured by Ensinger:

TECATEC PPS CW50 black

PPS CFRP - polyphenylen sulfide woven carbon fibre:

Good electrical insulation
High strength
Excellent temperature resistance
Very high chemical resistance
High creep resistance
High dimensional stability over a broad temperature and moisture range
Very low CTE
Carbon fibre reinforcement increases stiffness and strength

TECATEC PEI GW50 natural

PEI GFRP - polyetherimide woven glass fibre:

High constant service temperature (170 °C)
High creep resistance over a broad temperature range
Good electrical insulation
Good radiation resistance
Good chemical resistance
High FST rating
Low CTE
Glass fibre reinforcement increases the mechanical properties in a cost-effective way

TECATEC PC CW50 black

PC CFRP - polycarbonate woven carbon fibre:

Outstanding appearance through transparent, crystal clear matrix
High impact toughness
Excellent machinability
Constant stiffness over a broad temperature range
Very low CTE
Carbon fibre reinforcement increases stiffness and strength

TECATEC PEEK MT CW50 black

TECATEC PEEK MT CW50 black offers:

Biocompatible
Very high strength
High dimensional stability
Very good sterilisable
Inherent flame retardant
Good heat deflection temperature

Details

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Benefits of Composite plates

Portfolio

Our thermoplastic composite plates can be supplied in a thickness ranging from 1 mm to 95 mm with maximum dimensions of 525 x 625 mm.

Standard products are woven glass fibre reinforced PEI as well as woven carbon fibre reinforced PC and PPS. Other matrix and fibre combinations, fibre architectures or customised fibre lay-ups can be offered upon request.

As light as plastic, as stiff and strong as metal

The composite plates have densities between 1.5 and 1.8 g/cm³, giving them a similar specific weight to unreinforced or short fibre-reinforced plates. Nevertheless, the reinforcing fibres increase their mechanical properties dramatically to a level similar to metal. Compared with unreinforced polymer plates, continuous fibre-reinforced plates achieve values that are 5 times higher for both tensile strength and Young’s modulus.

Low linear thermal expansion

Continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics exhibit extremely low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) in a range around 5x10-6 K-1. This property is of great importance for applications in which the parts are subjected to temperature fluctuations over a broad range and where high precision is required.

Outstanding mechanical properties

The thermoplastic matrix gives the plates high impact toughness, with the value significantly higher than in plates with a thermoset matrix such as epoxy or phenolic resins. Moreover, the high elongation at break of the thermoplastics ensures tough, non-brittle fracture behaviour. For some applications, the intrinsic vibration damping of the matrix can also be a relevant advantage.

No minimum order quantity

Achieve your goals in thermoplastic composites without long and costly development times. For our TECATEC PC, PEI and PPS plates, no minimum order quantity is required.

Case Studies OF Thermoplastic composite plates

Robot head: gripper

made of TECATEC PC CW50 black composite plates

Robotic gripper for a handling device

Advanced automation often requires customised solutions, in particular for the heads of the robots. Typical applications are automated solutions for handling devices and respectively their components such as the grippers.

J-Hook

made of TECATEC PEI GW50 natural composite plates

Structural component for an airplane seat («J-hook»)

The aircraft industry prevails the highest requirements for installed materials: Low weight, high mechanical properties, fatigue resistance as well as stringent FST requirements are mandatory. Aircraft interior applications often see the use of glass fibre reinforced polyetherimide (PEI).

Winglet structure

made of TECATEC PPS CW50 black composite plates

Structural part for a light airplane («Winglet structure»)

Structural airplane parts ensure planes spend every possible minute up in the air. Every part must always work without fault and since in the aerospace industry every single gram is of importance, excessive weight reduces the payload and increases the fuel consumption. One example of these parts are so called "Winglet structures", which are used at the tip of the wing of light airplanes or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).