From TFP to HV-TFP

TFP stands for “Tailored Fibre Placement”. It is a textile manufacturing technology which lays down on a flat support (“base material” bellow) a fibrous material (“roving” bellow) held in place by stitches. Orientations of fibres are totally free (curvilinear paterns) allowing to produce “net shape preforms” with virtually no material scrap and optimised mechanical performances. An example is shown bellow for a “truss-like” part.

Principle of the TFP process (By SPI IPF – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16131081)
Exemple of a TFP preform with fibre orientations shown in colors (credit NOBRAK)
Exemple of a TFP preform with fibre orientations shown in colors (credit NOBRAK)

This technology allows a great variety of design and functions integration (heating element, electronic devices, sensors, RFID chip and antenna, …), but suffers from a rather low productivity.

To overcome this limitation, NOBRAK has developped a “patents pending” new version of TFP called HV-TFP for “High-Volume TFP”


COST REDUCTION
FUNCTION INTEGRATION
No material scrap, reduced laying time for operators, increased repeatabilityRFID chips, heating elements, electronic devices with com/power wires, metallic inserts, …
REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
Z-REINFORCEMENT
Thermoplastic composite, no scrap, natural fibers, reduced overall energy consumptionThrough-thickness sewing for both monolithic and sandwich preforms. Kevlar, polyester, glass … sewing material