Thermoplastic composite materials (TPCs) offer great opportunities for large series manufacturing of components and products for a variety of applications. The main benefits include high specific mechanical properties, low maintenance costs, geometric freedom and recyclability. Still, penetration of TPCs in most application industries has been relatively modest. Reasons for this include a lack of knowledge and understanding of the possibilities these materials have to offer for the industry and the fact that for each application, materials and processes have to be adapted to specific industry needs.

COST-EFFECTIVE THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES FOR SMEs

TPAC offers an open and innovative environment aiming at the development of new materials and processes as well as the improvement of existing ones on a pre-industrial scale (typical TRL-levels 4-6). Projects are executed for and in direct collaboration with industrial partners. TPAC thrives at increasing the level of understanding of the TPC’s possibilities among its industry partners by organizing courses and symposia on selected topics.

Being directly connected to Saxion University of Applied Sciences, TPAC actively involves in education and training of students on the BSc-level and thereby provides the market with young professionals with state of the art knowhow on TPCs. TPAC closely works together with the research groups Lightweight Structures and Mechatronics, and various bachelor programs such as Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechatronics, Textile Technology and Construction/Civil Engineering.

Furthermore, TPAC is a tier-1 member in the ThermoPlastic composites Research Centre (TPRC) and is thereby first hand linked to the latest results in fundamental R&D of TPCs. TPAC and TPRC closely work together, sharing each other’s facilities and forming the smart industry fieldlab TPC-NL.