New on board: PDEng researcher Mauryn de Graaf

Education

"I started my mechanical engineering studies, not knowing where I would end up. At some point I came in touch with my current supervisor, Laurent Warnet. His enthusiasm for thermoplastic composites strongly influenced my view on that special class of materials. I started to narrow my focus to the combination of designing test equipment for mechanical experiments and thermoplastic composites, ending up in conducting small projects in the field of thermoplastics. He eventually framed me into an internship and graduation assignment at GKN Fokker in Papendrecht, in the field of thermoplastic composites, which I of course did not refuse.

I graduated on designing a piece of test-equipment for experimental characterization of the stiffness and strength properties of a flexible thermoplastic composite hinge structure in new morphing wing technologies at GKN Fokker. The combination of designing a test set-up and the fundamental behavior of complex thermoplastic composite geometries was challenging, but fun! Getting dirty hands in the workshop, combined with fundamental research using microscopy and mechanical testing worked well for me. During the graduation assignment, my knowledge on thermoplastic composites expanded extensively. In the meantime, I was working closely with Sam Benou, who just finished a PDEng project on a new type of welding technology for thermoplastic composites with TPRC, which triggered me to follow a similar route. A PDEng project mainly consist out of two phases: broaden and deepen your technical knowledge and a design oriented project. During the first year, the central focus will be on the courses. These can be shaped and tailored into the direction of the project, which is already starting in the first year, but will mainly be carried out in the second year of the PDEng."

Project

"The name of my PDEng project is called ‘T-CAT’, which is an acronym for Thermoplastic Composite Automated T-joint. In essence, I am designing a welding machine able to automatically weld a thermoplastic composite T-joint using local hot gas heating and an extruded additive thermoplastic material. T-CAT welding leads to alternative types of joints next to the traditional techniques and adds to the potential assembly tools available for the thermoplastic composites part designer. Currently, the machine is able to weld one-sided only. The main objective is to deliver a lab scale demonstrator, capable of simultaneously welding (thus on both sides) a skin-stiffener combination in a controlled, automated and synchronized manner. The last period I have been working on developing a design strategy in order to understand the challenges we are facing by using the current set-up, and how to tackle these challenges, ending up with a high quality weld and weld interface on both sides of the T-Joint. The potential of different filler materials like LMPAEK and short fiber reinforced PPS will be investigated as well.

The cooperation between the TPRC and the Production Technology Department at the University of Twente is fertile, in the sense that for example apparatus for analysis is instant available for the members of the TPRC. Microscopy and mechanical testing devices are used widely by the members of the TPRC. Knowledge transfer between the two parties is easy, due to the short connection lines between PhD & PDEng students of the TPRC and the University of Twente and (assistant) professors; via the TPRC, the University of Twente offers a determined cooperation. The atmosphere at the TPRC is very open and there is always someone to help you out if any problem occurs.

The T-CAT PDEng project is a great opportunity for me to deepen and broaden my technical knowledge, work in a research environment on thermoplastic composites, directly related to industrial applications and to have hands-on results on the design aspect. The sweet spot in engineering I would say!"