In the research project ThermoCell, an industrially viable thermoforming process for forming Cottonid products is being developed. The focus is on processing thick, multi-layer bonded semi-finished products, whose behavior in thermoforming processes has not yet been understood. In particular, the influence of moisture, material structure, and process heat on formability, dimensional stability, and mechanical performance is being characterized. The microstructure of Cottonid semi-finished products is evaluated as a function of moisture content and degree of forming. On this basis, adapted tools are developed through which shaping and dimensional stability are controlled by means of local heating. At the same time, a model describing moisture absorption behavior is developed in order to define suitable humidification and drying cycles for the process. In addition, milling processes for the formed components are investigated. Component quality and mechanical performance are characterized using highly instrumented fatigue tests setups and assigned to microstructure-based damage mechanisms. Particular attention is paid to forming-induced damage. The aim of the project is to develop a robust, automatable, and industrially applicable thermoforming process for Cottonid. Design rules and process parameters are to be derived that enable the reproducible production of dimensionally stable, mechanically resilient, and resource-efficient components.

Duration: 2025 until 2027