With the aid of a new hybrid production concept, it will be demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture hybrid structural components from continuous carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy-based thermoset (CFRP) and short glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polyamide (PA6GF30). This production concept consists of a robot-based 3D filament winding process and a subsequent injection-molding process and can produce highly loadable structural parts in a highly automated manner, with a high degree of design freedom, high component quality and high process speed in a cost-efficient way with virtually no waste.

One of the most important aspects of this process is the robot-based production of the CFRP inlays. The previously hybrid topology optimized structure is wound automatically onto a tool by means of a special winding head moved by an industrial robot. The winding head can place two TowPreg (pre-impregnated CFRP) strands at the same time. To ensure that the material is only placed where it is actually needed, the winding paths must be optimized and the number of fiber strands to be winded must also be adjusted in the process. To variate the number of TowPreg strands (one or two), a newly developed separating and depositing unit was integrated into the winding head. The fiber force is also an important variable that has to be considered during the winding process. In addition to the electronic control system, a mechanical tensor was integrated in the winding head. It is now possible to place accurately the required amount of material at the right place with the right fiber force.

After a particular developed low-pressure plasma treatment of the CFRP inlays, the thermoplastic material can directly adhere to the carbon fibers in the over-molding process to fill the low-stressed regions of the structure with less expensive material and to support the CFRP structures against buckling.