Continuous fiber reinforced plastics with a thermoplastic matrix are recyclable, weldable and suitable for many structural applications. Due to the short cycle times of about 1 minute, forming processes for thermoplastic composite parts are already capable of series production. Two of the most important forming techniques are Matched Die Forming and Diaphragm Forming. The Matched Die Forming provides short cycle times and high processing temperatures but requires complex and expensive molds. The Diaphragm Forming Process enables the use of low cost tooling and machinery and provides a high degree offlexibility. On the other hand its processing temperature range is limited to 250° C due to the silicone diaphragms, which are used for cost-efficient series production. The paper presents a new processing technique that was developed at IKV Aachen and combines the advantages of both processes. These particularly are a big variety of processable matrices and low cost equipment with a high degree offlexibility. The developed machinery like the new handling system, the innovative IR-heating station and the modified forming technique are described in detail. The development focuses on a temporal reduction of the thermal load of the diaphragms by using them only for the forming process. As a result, the processing temperature range has been extended from 250° C to 3 20° C so that it is now possible to additionally process PA6, PA66 and PPS based prepregs.
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