Innovative Non-Waste-Wax-Formwork for the Fabrication of High-Precision Machine Frames made of UHPC

在德国研究基金会DFG的优先计划1542“轻质混凝土结构”中，布伦瑞克技术大学的结构设计研究所（ITE）和机床与生产技术研究所（IWF）共同开展了“无废蜡模板：新型精密模板技术，基于100%可回收工业蜡，用于制造几何形状复杂的混凝土构件。通过实现该项目的目标并成功定义无废蜡模板技术的技术基础，现在可以在可持续的过程中以几乎任何几何形状制造特别是UHPC建筑构件（超高性能混凝土），这些构件具有可调节的表面特性，极小的曲率和锋利的边缘。在这个过程中，可以实现十分之一毫米的精度，即使在机械工程领域的机器框架也被认为是非常高的。无废蜡模板技术的另一个优点是材料闭环，因此该技术不仅经济而且生态。通过蜡模板材料的回收（熔化），完全避免了生产过程中的废品。特别是对于高性能材料UHPC，无废蜡模板技术不仅为建筑行业提供了机会，而且还为机械工程领域的新应用领域提供了机会，例如生产高精度机架。与两个行业合作伙伴一起，无废蜡模板技术将进一步发展为高精度UHPC机架的工业生产工艺。因此，它需要在工业应用中对其稳健性，可行性和盈利能力进行优化。该项目的目的是大幅降低UHPC机架的模板成本-特别是原型和小批量-从而制造更有效的模板系统和UHPC机器部件，可以在市场上提供。在知识转移项目之后，行业合作伙伴可以使用一种技术，通过关闭从规划，尺寸到CNC控制的模板施工的数字化生产链，扩展了可能的形状范围，提高了制造速度和精度，并大大减少了人工加工工作。因此，用于制造机架的核心业务可以扩大，并通过许多其他机器部件（例如压模、成型工具和测量台）扩展。

Within the priority program 1542 'lightweight concrete structures' of the German Research Foundation DFG the Institute of Structural Design (ITE) and the Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology (IWF) of the Technical University Braunschweig had worked together on the project 'Non-Waste-Wax-Formwork: novel precise formwork-technology on basis of 100% recyclable industrial wax for the fabrication of geometrically complex concrete elements'. By reaching the objectives of this project and successfully defining the technical basics for the Non-Waste-Wax-Formwork-Technology it is now possible to fabricate especially UHPC-building elements (ultra-high-performance-concrete) in nearly any geometrical form with adjustable surface properties, extremely small curvature and sharp edges in a sustainable process. In this process a precision of a tenth of a millimeter can be achieved, which even in the field of mechanical engineering for machine frames is considered very high. Another advantage of the Non-Waste-Wax-Formwork-Technology is the closed-material-loop whereby the technology is not only economically but also ecologically interesting. The total avoidance of waste products in the production process is reached by the recycling (melting down) of the wax formwork material. Particularly for the high-performance material UHPC, Non-Waste-Wax-Formwork-Technology offers the opportunity not only for the building industry but also for novel application areas in the field of mechanical engineering such as the production of high precision machine frames. Together with two industry partners, the Non-Waste-Wax-Formwork-Technology shall be developed further to an industrial production process of high-precision UHPC machine frames. Therefore it needs to be optimized regarding its robustness, feasibility and profitability within the industrial application. The aim of the project is to significantly reduce the costs for the formwork of UHPC machine frames - especially for prototypes and small series - and thus to manufacture more efficient formwork systems and UHPC machine components which can be offered on the market. After the knowledge transfer project, a technology is available to the industry partners, which extends the possible shape spectrum, increases the manufacturing speed and precision, and considerably reduces the manual processing work, by closing the digital production chain from planning, dimensioning to CNC-controlled formwork construction. As a result, the core business for the fabrication of machine frames can be enlarged and beyond this extended by numerous other machine components, e.g. press molds, forming tools and measuring stands.