Forming of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites with Gas Pressure - the Influence of Blank Holder and Sheet Temperature on the Forming Pressure and Drawing Ratio

New processes for continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics ("organo-sheets") offer new possibilities e.g. for the production of closed hollow bodies. In the Twin-O-Sheet Process the forming is done via gas pressure without separate diaphragms. This brings new demands on the organo-sheets with respect to gas density. In this article the influence of the forming parameters blank holder temperature and sheet temperature on the achievable gas pressure and drawing ratios with twill-weave PA6/GF organo-sheets are investigated. The results show that higher blank holder temperatures lead to higher drawing ratios despite of lower pressures. Compared to the blank holder temperature the influence of the sheet temperature on the drawing ratio is minor.