Resource conservation and CO2 reduction with FRP components

Thanks to their lightweight construction potential, fiber composites can make a significant contribution to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. A newly developed advanced training course within the framework of the "Composite Engineer" course focuses on ecological and economic aspects of sustainability even during production. Moreover, it teaches suitable methods for designing production systems sustainably and comparing them in an evaluative manner.  Participants learn about the approach and challenges of life cycle assessment, process chain planning and factory layout planning for lightweight construction-oriented process chains.

Lightweight materials such as fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) make it possible to save valuable resources in applications such as aviation, automotive or even rail vehicle construction by reducing structural weight, thereby avoiding climate-damaging emissions. However, in order to save further resources and reduce emissions, it is necessary to consider the entire life cycle of a product or component along the entire process chain – including the extraction of the starting materials through to the end of the component's life.

Planning a sustainable, robust, economical and at the same time flexible manufacturing chain for FRP components is a major challenge for many companies.

Against this background, the advanced module "Sustainable Production Systems" was developed as part of the modular certificate course "Composite Engineer". In this module, the necessary simulation tools and evaluation methods are presented, which can be used to determine which technology is best suited to achieve the desired goals under given production conditions. One focus here is on life cycle assessment.

Participants will learn about the entire planning process from the generation of data to the virtual integration of new process chains into existing production systems. The entire module is illustrated by examples, such as fiber placement technologies for data generation, FRP process modules for process chain design and FRP life cycle assessment databases for evaluation.

The module can be booked as a stand-alone continuing education seminar or can be credited as a so-called advanced module in the certificate course "Composite Engineer". For participants who have already successfully completed the "Composite Engineer" or another FRP continuing education course and wish to extend their certificate, this course is recognized as a recertification measure.