Blue Sky Project Grant Winners 2021

Piotr Baszynski

The project investigates possibilities of erecting structures from free-formed biocomposite profiles, fabricated in a fully additive process based on Automated Preforming (AP) of natural fibre textiles. AP allows for noticeable time and energy savings, at the same time offering profile customization possibilities such  curvature or transition of the profile section. Consequently, free-formed biocomposite profiles can be fabricated in a fully additive process, which makes them a potential alternative to timber elements in structures that use free-formed timber beams. As the technology has not been used in construction industry yet, developing a proposal of a structural system based on such profiles and fabricating profiles samples for a small demonstrator are the key interests of this proposal.

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Hanaa Dahy

News on the project grant announcement.

First, please tell us briefly about your research area and/or project

I am research associate in Research Project 6-2 "Biocomposite Façades and Extension Systems" (RP 6-2), which aims at development of a façade system entirely based on biocomposites reinforced with natural fibres, rather than timber or other non-renewable resources. The project goes beyond single biocomposite façade panels, developed in the 1^st phase, and intends to use similar material systems, based on natural fibre reinforcement and biobased resins, as well as other binders, for development of complementary elements such as supporting structure and fixtures. 

One of the first steps In this development was reviewing composite production technologies which would potentially allow for fabrication of profiles (and whole support structures) with multi-directional reinforcement from long natural fibres, in larger quantities. The investigation led to a concept of a workflow, based on additive processes, in which mass production of biocomposite profiles would still allow for customization of its section geometry and curvature.

Among various technologies, which could potentially enable that, my attention was drawn by a concept of Automated Preforming of reinforcement textiles into preforms of typical sections (C, H, L  etc), which later can be used for lamination of profiles. The technology was developed with carbon- and glassfibre textiles in mind and it has not been tested yet with natural ones. As preforming of natural fibre textiles accounts for a significant part of time in composite production, automating this process could allow for supplying large quantities of biocomposite profiles in a shorter time.

Additionally, section of the preform could be modified during the prefrming process, while curvature could be modified both during preforming and postprocessing. If the assumption is correct, free-form customized biocomposite profiles could be fabricated in a fully additive process. (Fig 1)

The goal of my Blue Sky Grant project was to conduct practical exeriments in which a test batch of preforms from natural fibre textile would be produced and later evaluate the feasibility of the workflow. (Fig. 2)

What were your objectives in applying for the award / why did you apply for the IntCDC Blue Sky Project Grant?

My primary motivation was to acquire funds, which would help me to make one of the first steps in verifying the thesis – adaptation of the Automated Preforming unit and produce a batch of preforms from natural fibre textiles.

Once I would collect data on the process and acquire the preforms, I could continue studies on their application scenarios, and estimate possibilities of their customization. Output of this work could be used in RP 6-2, as well as would help me in my PhD thesis.

 What did you use the award money for?

As I wanted to test the actual Automated Preforming production setup, I had to find an interested partner who would enable use of their machinery for such an experiment. In the end I managed to convince Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe (IVW) in Kaiserslautern to participate in the project, in exchange for covering a part of the costs. This was the largest position in my budget.

The remaining budget was used on material costs (a range of natural fibres textiles available on market, for testing their suitability for the process) and a HiWi assistant, who helped me with laboratory work. 

What/ how did it contribute to your research?

Adaptation of the Automated Preforming process was successful. I was able to collect data on production speed, range of possible modifications to the process, etc. The tests also showed certain processing limitations, related with parameters of the used textiles. On one hand this allowed me to define specific natural fibre textiles, available on market, which can be used for the process. On the other hand, information could be used for developing a dedicated textile product, which would be optimum for this production process. (Fig 3, 4)

Also contact with experts from IVW was a great learning opportunity for me and a chance to broaden my knowledge about composite processes and future trends.

What were you able to achieve with it for your research?

A batch of unique preforms was produced. Currently I am investigating their customization possibilities and limitations. As a result, I would like to define a set of dimension and layup parameters for the preforms, which would allow their automated production and later use as curved profiles in specific design scenarios. Ultimately, I would like to use them in the demonstrator developed within RP 6-2, to illustrate design potential offered by this workflow. (Fig 5, 6)

Although the part of the project directly supported by Blue Sky Grant has come to the end, I am still using its results in other research projects.

Since the grant is explicitly a prize for a risky research idea, a negative result would also be worth reporting. What important finding did it represent in your field of research?

Blue Sky Grant helped me to test in practice a hypothetical process of designing, and fabricating biocomposite structures. The initial idea and the plan of the project so far has been realized successfully. Certain compromises regarding parameters of the output had to be made, but in the end, the textile preforms were delivered and are being used for further work. In this regard the project can be considered a success.

However, through the realization of the work, a lot of information on possible limitations of the workflow were gathered. The flexibility offered by the approach, in question of customization possibilities, turned out not to be as great as I expected at the beginning.  Also, most of the currently available types of natural textile reinforcement could not be freely used in the process. This all has an impact on the range of design scenarios possible to realize with such preforms and profiles.

All such aspects may finally have a negative impact on feasibility of the proposed solution within current economic realms. Nonetheless, all the information collected during the project did help me in taking more informed decisions in RP 6-2.

What was your personal highlight among the things you were able to achieve with the award money?

A possibility for a closer cooperation with IVW was an invaluable source of information for me. A visit to their laboratories and learning more about their other projects was definitely a highlight.

Apart from that, I have an impression that the greatest value of the grant was not the funded project itself, but how the overall gained experience, both purely scientific, and in question of networking and project management, has helped me in other research projects, as well as formulating succeeding project applications. 

Why would you advise others to apply for this prize?

Blue Sky Grant is a great first step in the learning process of writing larger project proposals in the future. With the help of the grant it is possible to accomplish preliminary work packages, verify theses, predetermine potential pitfalls and formulate further research questions, which can become foundation of future project proposals.

Receiving the grant helps to increase visibility and recognition of a young researcher and his ideas within the Cluster. As a result, it can facilitate initiating further cooperations with partners from other different areas of research.