Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
BMWK-Projekt »VaDiMat«: Variable Digitalisierung von Materialkarten für FVK und ihre Rezyklate
© freepik / Fraunhofer ITWM
BMWK-Projekt »VaDiMat«: Variable Digitalisierung von Materialkarten für FVK und ihre Rezyklate

© freepik / Fraunhofer ITWM

Digital Twin for Sustainable Materials: Using Recyclates Safely and Efficiently

BMKW-Project »VaDiMat«: Variable Digitalization of Material Cards for FRPss and Their Recyclates

In the »VaDiMat« project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK)) via the IGF programme, our team from the Fraunhofer ITWM is working together with researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM to make the use of recycled fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) easier and more efficient for crash-relevant components. The focus is on developing a digital material twin to quickly and precisely map the properties of the material with recycled content. The aim is to improve the carbon footprint and reduce costs while ensuring the safety of components..

Plastic recyclates offer a sustainable alternative to virgin material. The term covers products that are created through the recycling process and are »reintroduced into the cycle«. They are usually made from various materials such as glass, paper or plastic. The use of recyclates is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the automotive industry – both due to legal requirements and a growing awareness of social responsibility. A major challenge for companies is to sustainably improve their carbon footprint. This raises a key question in the automotive industry: how does the use of recycled materials affect the crash safety of components? How can the mechanical behaviour of recycled material be characterized quickly and efficiently?

Digital Twins and AI Facilitate the Creation of Reliable Material Cards

In virtual development, so-called »Material Cards« are used to map the properties of materials in the simulation. But can these cards be efficiently adapted to the specific properties of recycled materials? Compared to non-recycled materials, recycled materials often have more volatile mechanical properties, for example due to changes in fiber lengths or polymer chain structures. The complete characterization of the material is currently not only time-consuming, but also expensive – and at the same time, the highest crash safety requirements must be met. 

Digital Twins open up new possibilities here: They combine experimental data with simulations. We rely on multiscale simulation methods and AI methods such as artificial neural networks (ANN). Modern simulation software makes it possible to test complex materials such as fiber-reinforced plastics virtually. These digital experiments can not only supplement real tests for material characterization, but in many cases even replace them. With the help of AI, not only can material parameters be automatically adjusted, but the ANNs can also be used to discover microstructures that fulfill very specific mechanical properties.

VaDiMat Modeling Approach Scheme
© Fraunhofer ITWM
VaDiMat Modeling Approach Scheme

Digitalization and Sustainability as Challenges for Materials Research of the Future

This innovative approach also makes it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use recycled fiber-reinforced plastics sustainably and economically. In future, carbon footprinting will be mandatory for all components supplied. This project will provide examples of how a life-cycle an Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be carried out for recycled glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. SMEs receive practical instructions for implementation.

In addition, training courses are planned for the end of the project to teach how to handle recyclates and how to design and evaluate their entire life cycles. Not only will the use of recyclates be made more efficient, but a sound basis will also be created for evaluating their carbon footprint in the injection molding process – a decisive step towards greater sustainability and resource efficiency.

Our Partners in the Project

Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM Contact Dr. Timo Schweiger and Dr.-Ing. Andreas Jilg

 

Project Duration and Funding

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection via the IGF programme (project no. 22745 N) and runs from 1.1.2023 probably until the end of 2025 in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IWM.

Industrial Collective Research (Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)) is an open-topic and pre-competitive funding program of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection that provides small and medium-sized enterprises with easy access to practice-oriented research.

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