Integration of piezoceramic sensor elements and electronic components in glass fibre reinforced polyurethane composite structures

The automated high-volume production of lightweight and intelligent composite parts is one of the key technologies for the automotive industry. Modern concepts introduce "intelligent" parts by integrating sensor networks into the composite. These networks record different physical signals and can even work as active components. A popular application scenario is the permanent structural health monitoring. This paper presents a novel high-volume production technology that addresses the integration of large piezoceramic sensor and actor elements in glass fibre polyurethane composite parts using the Multi-Fibre-Injection (MFI) spraying technology. By directly integrating the piezo fibres, this technology combines sensor production and part production into one single step. First experiments showed that such piezoceramic sensors are functional. Other experiments demonstrated the successful integration of different electronic components and batteries into composite parts.