Development of a robot-based CO2 jet cutting system for processing lightweight construction materials of large volume and geometric complexity

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Marcus Petermann, since 5/2022
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering ; Lightweight Construction, Textile Technology ; Production Automation and Assembly Technology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 440959989

The envisaged system for CO2 jet cutting, in which the cutting medium water is replaced by compressed carbon dioxide, combines the advantages of high-pressure water jet cutting and dry ice blasting. The process offers a cutting tool that is always sharp, offers continuous chip removal with low thermal stress on the workpiece and dry and residue-free machining. Due to the sublimation of the cutting medium shortly after use, non-value-adding cleaning processes are no longer necessary. Therefore, the process can be used directly as a machine tool or production method in process chains. Furthermore, there are advantages for a cost- and resource-efficient application, as it is aimed at in modern production processes.The consortium has extensive knowledge due to its own basic research. The findings led to the production and description of a liquid CO2 jet, that can temporarily be used for cutting purposes of various sample materials. The proof of feasibility was shown and a corresponding patent was granted. However, various technological and economic risks still prevent the preparation of a possible application and utilization phase. For this, a stable and continuous CO2 jet, proof of process and production capability, economic usability, and knowledge of possible material sensitivities are required. Therefore, in the project applied for, validation of the requirements on a unit prepared for the generation of liquid CO2 jets as well as the applicability for the processing of lightweight construction materials is aimed at. In addition, the technical and economic usability of the entire system for robot-assisted processing is to be validated and a prototype plant for industrial use implemented.Market analyses indicate an increasing use of surface and jetting based technologies. It was shown that this is an important growth market of suppliers and manufacturers with small, medium, and large industrial users of the automotive, medical, and aerospace technology sector. With the unique selling propositions of the process to be validated, a high innovation potential can be expected especially in these industries. The validation project will focus on the field of fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP). The validation thus addresses a narrow range of materials, but a wide range of industries. The increasing importance of lightweight construction materials in the energy, aviation and automotive industries makes the potential application of CO2 jet cutting in this material spectrum appear particularly promising.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: CTC GmbH Stade; FFT Produktionssysteme GmbH & Co. KG
• Co-Investigator: Dr.-Ing. Stefan Pollak
• Cooperation Partners: Christian Mohnke; Professor Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Weidner, until 5/2022