OPTIPUL

Industries increasingly require customized hybrid composite profiles to meet specific design and performance requirements. The shift towards advanced materials, such as environmentally friendly thermoplastic resins, necessitates innovative manufacturing techniques. Variable cross-section composites can accommodate these materials, but they pose unique challenges like dealing with high viscosity, impregnation, and consolidation complexities. Variable cross-section hybrid composites offer the flexibility needed to achieve these bespoke solutions, but it faces challenges in terms of die design, process optimization, and the adoption of environmentally friendly thermoplastic alternatives.

OPTIPUL focuses on the development of the variable cross-section pultrusion process, requiring system-engineering design optimization and iteration process to establish a virtual correlation between materials, processes, and performance for sustainable hybrid composite part production. The transition from traditional thermoset matrix composites to innovative and eco-friendly thermoplastic alternative, such as Elium® Resin by Arkema, involves addressing complex technical and scientific issues such as controlling the high viscosity of thermoplastic matrices, optimizing the intricate in-situ polymerization process, ensuring robust interfacial properties, and managing post-forming intricacies while maintaining consistent mechanical performance. The OPTIPUL project's innovation lies in the development of a variable cross-section pultrusion process, offering a pioneering approach to continuous composite manufacturing. This project tackles several original challenges: 1- Process development and precision die design, 2- Process optimization, 3- Use of thermoplastic materials and, 4- Recyclability and Circular Design.

OPTIPUL develops innovative manufacturing techniques, opening the door for resource-efficient and cost-effective composite production, with its focus on developing and optimising the pultrusion process for variable cross-section hybrid composite profiles.vOPTIPUL project has the potential to address concerns about substances of concern by using advanced design and manufacturing concepts to produce high-performance composites. The project's focus on advanced composite manufacturing process and materials is also anticipated to improve industrial processes and products' competitiveness, fostering market viability and economic growth. Anticipated outcomes of new variable section pultrusion manufacturing composites and composite products with enhanced functionality, lower environmental impact, and high resource-efficiency.