CHIMERA

CHIMERA combines the strengths of metal with the lightweight potential of FRP in a highly flexible production line.
 

Motivation: Hybrid materials offering multiple functions

Modern applications of function-integrated components involve new demands on materials and manufac-turing. In the field of future mobility and traffic concepts, for example, various properties such as low weight, long-term durability and electromagnetic shielding must be fulfilled simultaneously. Components made of plastic, fiber reinforced or metallically coated, offer a solution.

Aims and approach

The CHIMERA project focuses on the further development of fiber-reinforced plastic components that are functionalized by means of metallic coatings. By combining two sub-processes, laser structuring and thermal spraying, weight-reduced metal-fiber composite hybrids with optimized composite strength and long-term durability will be produced. The project demonstrator is a housing component for electromagnetic shielding. The long-term behavior of the hybrid materials is predicted based on computer models and this prediction is approximated to the data obtained over a long period of time under real operating conditions. As a result, a digital test bench is created, which is capable of generating long-term predictions.

Innovations and perspectives

The project offers a highly flexible process chain for providing plastic-based components with typical proper-ties of metals, and thus generating added functional value with minimal additional component weight. The competitiveness of hybrid materials and associated manufacturing processes can thus be significantly in-creased.