Hello and welcome to a new post in which we explore the new flexible pultrusion technology introduced by Technoform. I met with Dirk Moses, Head Of Market Development, at the KPA fair Ulm, Germany, discussing their new pultrusion technology. Watch the whole video here and check out our previous interview series here.
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| Dirk Moses from Technoform (right in picture), together with Herwig Juster, discussing the new thermoplastic pultrusion technology at KPA Ulm, Germany. |
Thermoplastic pultrusion: combining extreme strength with maximum cost-efficiency
Dirk explained to me their company's new thermoplastic pultrusion technology which was developed by Sindy Richter, Head of the Development Department at Technoform, and her team.
It is flexible in terms of material selection, allowing for the use of standard plastics such as polypropylene - PP, engineering plastics such as polyamides (PA6, PA66), and high-performance polymers. This positively impacts the properties of the pultruded profiles as well as their ability to connect to other plastic components. Furthermore, the fiber content can be varied depending on the specific application. The resulting products are characterized by a lower weight combined with high impact resistance and bending strength.
Thermoplastic pultrusion is an advancement of the classic pultrusion process, in which thermoplastics serve as the matrix material instead of thermosetting resins. In both processes, continuous fibers are impregnated with plastic to ensure optimal force transmission through the connection of adjacent fiber elements. A key challenge in thermoplastic pultrusion is the high viscosity of thermoplastics compared to the lower-viscosity thermosets, which makes fiber impregnation more difficult. To address this challenge, Technoform has developed a special process for thermoplastic melt pultrusion.
Potential applications
Furthermore, Dirk highlighted significant potential in sectors prioritizing lightweight construction and recyclability, particularly the automotive industry for components like battery casings and structural reinforcements. Other promising applications include façade elements using recyclable thermoplastics and opportunities within the sports and furniture sectors where lightweight and flexible materials are advantageous.
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| Figure 1: Herwig and Dirk discussing profiles, façade elements, and automotive battery casings. |
What about recycling of pultruded profiles?
Dirk emphasizes the technology's benefits over thermosets or aluminum, citing recyclability, material adaptability, and the ability to reshape or weld thermoplastic products. Their approach enables customized material combinations to meet specific requirements more effectively than aluminum. Regarding recycling, he explains that their pultruded profiles can be shredded and reused as high-quality components, with the retention of long fibers enhancing the mechanical properties of the recycled material.
Metal replacement
In terms of economic viability, Dirk asserts that their technology presents an attractive alternative, especially when replacing steel or aluminum parts with intelligent system solutions that incorporate integrated functions, lightweight design, and recyclability, leading to both sustainable and economic advantages.
Thanks to Dirk and the team for the exchange on the new thermoplastic pultrusion technology!
Literature:
[1] https://plasticker.de/news/shownews.php?nr=46346&nlid=64581.d.h.2025-04-14
[2] https://www.technoform.com/en/reference/new-pultrusion-process-thermoplastic-profiles
[3] https://www.findoutaboutplastics.com/2024/06/plastics-sustainability-contradiction.html
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