Hahlbrock manufactured the largest substructure of the new driving simulation system, the testing room made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

The simulator dome can accommodate a complete Mercedes vehicle (not just mock-ups); The 360° projection screen provides a realistic representation of road traffic. This testing room is housed as a hexapod with six movable supports.

To simulate highly dynamic driving processes, the goal was to develop a very light and at the same time stiff simulator dome.

CONSTRUCTION

• Round support platform with an attached spherical section as a projection surface
• Top end with a roof in the shape of a flat cone
• The roof supports the eight high-performance image projectors
• Door opening for bringing cars into the cathedral

GEOMETRY AND WEIGHT

• Spherical diameter, outside: 7.67m
• Spherical diameter, inside: 7.52m
• Spherical height: 3.00m
• Dome height with roof: 4.52m
• Dome width with gate: 7.81m
• Gate width: 2.68m
• Gate height: 2.49m
• Weight (without car): approx. 5.5t

MATERIALS

• Platform: Central cast aluminum element with radially attached molded parts made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)
• Dome jacket (spherical section): Fiber composite sandwich material, consisting of a core made of lightweight PVC foam and thin cover layers made of CFRP on both sides
• Dome roof: Roof cap also made of fiber composite sandwich material, radially stiffened with ribs and struts made of CFRP

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

The CFRP parts were manufactured using a vacuum-assisted resin injection process. Flat fabrics made of carbon fibers were placed in several dry layers in a mold and then impregnated with epoxy resin under vacuum. The composite of carbon fibers and the synthetic resin then hardened at temperatures of up to approx. 80°. After removing the hardened CFRP raw parts from the molding tools, the edges of the moldings were milled into their final contour using NC-controlled machines and, if necessary, drilled.

ASSEMBLY

The individual CFRP molded parts were glued together using an epoxy resin adhesive and riveted with around 24,000 special titanium rivets. The arrangement and alignment of the over 200 individual CFRP parts was carried out in NC-milled assembly devices, with individual parts being precisely adjusted using distance lasers. The accuracy of the spherical shells of the dome mantle was determined by laser scanning.

PROJECT IMAGES

Efficient lightweight construction, enormous corrosion resistance and the possibility of aesthetic shaping are some of the outstanding features of fiber-reinforced plastics that have been used in the projects for cladding, superstructures and structures. All assemblies were looked after in-house from design to assembly.

The companies: North German shipyards

The shipyards in Hamburg, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein have been producing the largest yachts in the world for many years and are therefore market leaders in the mega and superyacht segment, not least because of their good network of suppliers.

The challenge: form, strength and function

Whether a desired weight reduction or a design that can be difficult to achieve with steel or the maritime climate, which affects steel structures. Fiber-reinforced plastic offers solutions to these problems.

The solution: FRP

Fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) offers less weight but greater strength and rigidity than the traditional use of metals. Building with FRP also allows a high degree of artistic freedom in the design, as almost anything is possible when building with FRP. The non-corrosive material reduces subsequent maintenance compared to metals, making the assemblies ideal for the maritime environment.

PROJECT IMAGES

Based on the designers’ 3D models, the pool landscapes were designed and manufactured from glass fiber reinforced plastic. Measurements taken on board. Visible components embedded flush into the surfaces. Integrated buffet and slide-in furniture. Handrails, glass panes, hatches were purchased and adjusted in advance. The pool landscapes were delivered to the shipyard in several pieces, connected to each other and attached to the ship structure by gluing. The interface to the shipyard was the empty deck.

The company: Northern German shipyards

The shipyards in northern Germany have been producing the largest yachts in the world for many years, making them the global market leader in the mega and superyacht segment. In the 2021 order backlog for civil shipbuilding, megayachts ranked right after cruise ships and are therefore a permanent fixture in the maritime economy.

The challenge: equipment

The designers of the yachts place high demands on the quality and appearance of all components. Everything has to be perfect and reflect the design concepts. The equipment must be integrated in the best possible way. These interfaces must be maintained. Here we are relieving capacity in the construction departments of the shipyards.

The solution: interface support

Depending on the scope of services ordered, we have taken over interface support from the shipyards and take care of the design, procurement and assembly of the high-quality equipment, thereby keeping the “big picture” in mind. There is no need for technical coordinations between various parties. If the shipyard and the owner representatives approve our designs, we will get started.

PROJECT IMAGES

The production and assembly of Jacuzzis and their technology are among the “top class” of modern yacht structures. Design and scope of services vary from project to project. From the unequipped basic pool to the fully equipped complete jacuzzi with an adjoining lounge area and equipment such as glass panes, handrails, stone tops, steel racks and complex water technology, all services are fulfilled. All of this with an eye for detail.

The company: Northern German shipyards

The shipyards in Hamburg, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein have been producing the largest yachts in the world for many years and are therefore market leaders in the mega and superyacht segment, not least because of their good network of suppliers.

The challenge: environmental conditions

Strong sunlight. Operating temperatures around 40 °C. The chemistry of the water treatment systems and the input from users result in heavy wear and tear on all materials and surfaces.

The solution: material selection

A suitable selection of materials, through a hydrolysis and UV-resistant gelcoat and a support laminate made of certified resins in combination with a suitable structure of reinforcement layers. If desired, with a sandwich, which not only provides high rigidity but also increases insulation. High-gloss or prepared for tiling. Stainless steel components. Tempered glasses. Sealants and adhesives that withstand the maritime climate.

PROJECT IMAGES

The slim satcom mast, whose sleek sweep and spoiler signal the dynamics of the mega-yacht, shows the high potential of GRP as a material in yacht construction. Strength and lightweight construction characteristics, shiny, smooth surfaces without markings and clean lines were only achieved through high-quality resins, optimal laminate structure, sophisticated tooling and high manufacturing quality at Hahlbrock.

PROJECT IMAGES

The Berlin Institute is a facility of the Federal Environment Agency. The task of the test facility is to investigate the influence of pollutants on aquatic life forms.

16 channel systems with a total flow length of 1,632 meters were manufactured, consisting of modularly interconnectable channel shells, basins, elbows, mixing containers and special parts made of GRP. All surfaces in contact with water were equipped with a low-migration and wear-resistant gelcoat – the suitability of which was checked through abrasion tests by the MPA Hannover.

The design of the channel connections allows individual components to be replaced without having to completely dismantle a channel assembly.

The channel seals are designed in such a way that no relevant migration of substances into the water of the system takes place and deformations of the channel structure exposed to temperature and vibrations do not cause leaks.

PROJECT IMAGES

After the simulator dome was mounted on the movement system and the entire system was technically established, the Institute for Motor Vehicles IKA at RWTH Aachen University was able to start trial operations with its new, highly dynamic driving simulator.

This innovative tool for researching new vehicle systems and autonomous driving was designed by the simulator specialist Imtec-Innovative Maschinentechnik and implemented at IKA, with financial support from the BMBF.

Despite the goal of minimal mass, the new IKA driving simulator is so large that even large, complete cars can be accommodated on a rail system in the dome. The spherical projection surface surrounds the vehicle 360° and thus offers the test driver or test person the most realistic representation of the driving simulation possible.

Maintaining the exact spherical geometry in the seamless joints between the 10 individual FRP cathedral wall elements was a challenge not only in the CNC-supported production of the molds and component processing, but also in joining the FRP components to form a simulator dome that was closed on all sides.

Manufacturing process of the simulator dome

For the spherical shell elements manufactured in sandwich construction, Hahlbrock decided to use a special fiberglass prepreg, which harmonizes the unique character of the simulator dome and the cost-effectiveness of its production. This prepreg gives the large-format FRP components with relatively thin laminates the rigidity required for correct image projection, even at higher accelerations of the simulator dome, and generates sufficiently constant material thicknesses. The curing temperature of the prepreg below 100 °C allowed the use of standard PVC rigid foams for the sandwich cores. Before the FRP manufacturing process, these were thermally formed into the desired spherical shell geometry, glued together and provided with the necessary recesses. Also the elements of the roof cone, which houses the image projectors and the base plate were manufactured in a sandwich construction with the same core material. All fiber composite components were trimmed, drilled and joined with CNC support based on the 3D CAD model of the driving simulator.

Press release for the opening

PROJECT IMAGES

The challenge in producing covering shells made of GRP is to transfer the porous asphalt grain from the plane to a cylindrical surface that is as gap-free as possible.

The surface structure of an asphalt test track is first molded with an elastic matrix and in a second special manufacturing process transferred to several part-circular, usually thick-walled shells made of GRP. These are then assembled into a full circle on a tire manufacturer’s drum and represent a short section of the original test road with high dimensional accuracy.

The fiber composite material gives the road shells, which are rotating with the test drum, their high mechanical strength. The road shells are hardened on the embossed surface in a multi-stage process and thus very resistant against abrasion for synthetic resin-bonded materials, even under high contact loads from truck tires.

PROJECT IMAGES

The Department of Vehicle Technology at TU Darmstadt (FZD/TUD) is conducting research into alternative driving simulator concepts (MORPHEUS project).

The suitability of a tire-based approach for displaying driver accelerations of road-based means of transport is being examined, which can be used, among other things, to secure automated driving functions in the future.

On behalf of the TU, Hahlbrock designed and manufactured the cabin of a highly dynamic, tire-mounted, mobile driving simulator that is suitable for initial test subject studies.

Structure and materials

The requirements for the necessary dynamics of the cabin on the hexapod and the movement platform have been taken into account by using a lightweight composite construction. The cabin was designed as a cylinder with a flat roof and floor plate made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GF-EP) in a sandwich construction, using the SPRINT ^® process. The flat, two-leaf sliding door through which the test subject/user enters the cabin was also designed as a composite sandwich.

PROJECT IMAGES

The dark blue cladding made of high-strength GRP sandwich material contrasts elegantly with the white of the X emblem, the front grit and the substructure supporting the funnel, whose technical character is visually eclipsed by the bands running horizontally around it.

The weight reduction of the chimney cladding with the exhaust spoiler, which was also made of aluminum in the fiber composite version, is approx. 47% compared to a completely aluminum version of the funnel. If you only look at the substituted cladding panels and X symbols, the reduction is even around 60%.

The whirlpool tower with tiled shower recess was also manufactured in a sandwich construction and can therefore carry a multiple person load even without ribs. Due to the stiff material, the deflections of tiled areas are so small that there is no risk of joint cracks forming.