RECYBRID

The aim of the RECYBRID project is to set up a pilot unit for the waste-free manufacture of products derived from the
recycling of thermoplastic composites. The project is being run jointly by two Walloon SMEs with expertise in plastics processing. The leader, HTP EUROPE, specialises in injection moulding and its partner, LabTech Engineering, in polymer compounding and formulation. The manufacturing process targeted by the pilot concerns a way of
recovery of offcuts from the manufacture of preforms based on thermoplastic composites.

Thermoplastic composite technology often requires a customised preform. The fibre reinforcement
has to be cut from sheets or plates to the correct dimensions and then incorporated into a shaping
forming process. Cutting off-cuts and deburring when the insert is thermoformed are major sources of
sources of waste to be recycled. The idea behind the RECYBRID pilot project is to reuse this cutting waste by
by regrinding it and introducing it into an injection moulding process. The priority is to produce
families of structural parts used in the manufacture of aerospace components.
components. The materials involved are thermoplastic polymers and high-performance reinforcements.

Secondly, the pilot will also be able to provide outlets at various levels:
- grinding scraps with the retention of ‘long’ fibres for use in compression moulding.
- pellets after compounding for use in injection moulding or extrusion.
extrusion.
- final parts injected with other priority materials and reinforcements. These may include
bio-based matrices and reinforcements.
- a complete line and associated service for development and set-up adapted to third-party production.