EconCore’s ThermHex technology has been successfully used to produce honeycombs from several high performance thermoplastics.
ThermHex technology has been successfully used to produce honeycombs made from a variety of high performance thermoplastics.
Belgium’s EconCore is expanding the capabilities of its innovative ThermHex technology for the production of high-performance lightweight thermoplastic honeycomb cores and sandwich panels.The company is already a licensor of PP honeycomb production technology, and it says it can now produce honeycombs from high-performance thermoplastics (HPT).
According to Tomasz Czarnecki, Chief Operating Officer of EconCore, the company has successfully produced and tested honeycomb structures made from modified PC, nylon 66 and PPS, and continues to develop with these and other high-end polymers.”We are now entering the final stages of product validation, and we anticipate several application developments this year in the automotive, aerospace, transportation, and building and construction markets.”
The patented ThemHex technology uses a series of in-line, high-speed operations to produce honeycomb structures from a single, continuously extruded thermoplastic film.It involves a series of thermoforming, folding and gluing operations.This technology has the potential to be used with a wide range of thermoplastics to fabricate honeycombs whose cell size, density and thickness can be altered by simple hardware and/or process parameter adjustments.The process enables the fabrication of extremely cost-effective finished composite sandwich materials by in-line bonding of the skin to the honeycomb.
Thermoplastic honeycomb cores for composites offer performance-to-weight ratios that are difficult to achieve with other types of core materials.ThermHex cores are reported to be approximately 80 percent lighter than solid thermoplastic cores currently used in products such as metal skin panels for transportation and construction applications.The lightweight core also positively impacts product handling, raw material inventory, outbound logistics and installation.In addition to excellent mechanical properties, honeycomb structures are touted for their acoustic properties and thermal insulation in many applications.
According to EconCore, HPT honeycomb will build on the inherent advantages of a lightweight honeycomb structure with higher heat resistance (for products such as EV battery housings) and very good flame resistance (critical for building panels). important).
EconCore is also using modified materials for FST (flame, smoke, toxicity) compliance for rail and aerospace.The company also sees great potential in photovoltaic (PV) panels and many other products.The company has already demonstrated the potential to use PC cellular in next-generation aircraft interior modules – developed in an EU-sponsored project with aerospace company Diehl Aircabin.Nylon 66 cellular technology has also been demonstrated in ultra-light photovoltaic panels developed with panel makers Armageddon Energy and DuPont.
At the same time, EconCore is also developing a variant of ThermHex technology for the production of so-called organic sandwich materials.These are thermoplastic sandwich composites, also produced in-line, that include a thermoplastic honeycomb core thermally bonded between thermoplastic composite skins reinforced with continuous glass fibers.Organic sandwiches reportedly have an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio compared to conventional organic sheets, and can be converted into final parts using fast and efficient processes such as compression molding and injection molding.
Lighter weight, lower cost, higher impact strength, malleability and customization are rapidly driving demand for thermoplastics that help keep electronics, lighting and automotive engines cool.
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Post time: Apr-14-2022