connection - composites australia magazine june 08.pdf · specialises in aircraft maintenance...

ConnectionThe off icial magazine of Composites Austral ia Inc. Issue 17 June 2008

Gold Sponsor

Copper Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Letter from the President3

New Member Profiles5

Back to Basics by Larry Nunes, Valspar (Australia) 7

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Composite Engineer’s ViewpointComposite Fibre Volume and Weight Ratiosby Rik Heslehurst

9

Composites Australia member’s new book – The Surfer’s Textbook

Townsville Plastic Expansion

StateNews

Western Australia – Branching out to meet challenges

13

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Composites Australia Level 15, 10 Queens Rd Melbourne 3004 Tel 03 9866 5586 Toll Free 1300 654 254 Fax 03 9866 6434

www.compositesaustralia.com.au

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Letter from the PresidentThe 2007/08 Board of Composites Australia

SHARON SWAN – PReSideNT

LSM Advanced Composites

Email: [email protected]

MARk STeRBiC – ViCe PReSideNT

DIAB Australia


FLOReANA COMAN – TReASuReR

Engineered Materials Australia


TReVOR PANOzzA

Ampelite Australia


ALexANdeR kRygeR

APTEC Composites


geNeLLe COgHLAN

Colan Australia


MiCHAeL BANNiSTeR

Composites CRC


gRANT PeARCe

Exel Composites


MiCHAeL di STASi

Fiber Glass International


MALCOLM WeSeNeR

GlasCraft Australia


PHiL BOViS

kANgAN BATMAN TAFe


SiMON TAyLOR

Valspar (Australia) Corp.


You may be wondering why the photo on this column has changed… In May the Board of Directors of Composites Australia received a letter from Norm Watt of Buchanan Advanced Composites, submitting his resignation as President of Composites Australia and as a member of the Board. Subsequently, the Board voted to appoint me as the interim President, taking over the reins until the next formal election at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for 20 November 2008.

Time and workload constraints, including duties on other Boards, led Norm to the decision that he would no longer be able to contribute as a Board member. Norm was

elected President in December 2006, and had served on the board for over ten years. As Norm stated in his letter, “During that time I have seen a great improvement in the Association which I believe is reflected in the success of the last few annual conferences and a greater involvement by, and with, members of the Association as well as government and other bodies. There has been a tremendous effort by any number of past and current Board members and all should be congratulated.” I second these sentiments and on behalf of Composites Australia I thank Norm for his many years on the Board and his time as President.A quick bit of information on my background, for those who I’ve not yet met: Together with my husband Liam Mahoney, we founded LSM Advanced Composites in May 1996 in Toowoomba, Queensland. LSM is a fabricator, specialising in the production of custom manufactured items utilising pre-preg advanced composite materials cured in autoclaves. I had graduated from Sydney University of Technology in Public Relations and also had an extensive marketing career in the timber treatment industry. In the time that LSM has been operating I have participated in the manufacture of some fascinating composite products; have experienced podium finishes as a rally co-driver; and lately have down sized my interest in horsepower to include a traditional 4 legged type.Looking back at Composites Australia over the past six months, I note that we have managed an impressive number of events and new initiatives. Since the December AGM and Christmas party, we’ve organised three Industry Briefings, the annual Conference & Exhibition, and six workshops – for a total of over 700 attendees. An increasing number of non-members are participating in these events, which demonstrates that people are hearing about us and are becoming involved in our activities – and hopefully will become members! Among recent initiatives, with the aid of government grants we have developed two workshops (and associated resource materials): 1. With the support of the Queensland Government’s Department of Employment

& Industrial Relations – Workplace Health & Safety (QWH&S), an interactive 2-hour Workplace Health & Safety Risk Assessment Workshop was trialed in four Queensland venues: Brisbane, Townsville, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Attendees were taught to do a generic risk assessment for common hazardous materials during the workshop. Given that these workshops attracted more attendees than any that QWH&S have held in the past, QWH&S is very satisfied with the result, as are we!

A Risk Assessment guide was developed in conjunction with the workshop and has been circulated to Queensland composite practitioners and loaded on the CA website. The learning resource and workshop program are tools that Composites Australia can now use in other states in the future.

2. An advanced Composites Workshop on Textile & Fibre Reinforcements, previously run in Victoria in late 2007, was held on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Frank Rosselli and Mick Crossthwaite of the Composites CRC were the presenters. This workshop filled up quickly and feedback from participants indicates that it was extremely well-received; there have been numerous enquiries about when it might be held again. (Continued overleaf)

Sharon Swan

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The evaluation forms we use for these workshops include a question on what topics participants would like to see for future workshops or courses. The responses make it clear that industry is very eager for training. Some of the topics suggested include composite design, adhering composites to other materials, high strength laminates & structures, glues, bonding and fibre glass fillers. advancements in UV prepregs, use of PPE, broader context of risk management, specific WH&S issues with fibreglass fibres and how to handle dangerous materials.

It is clear to me that the association needs to respond to this need by providing and/or facilitating the training that our members – and indeed the industry – are looking for. One part of the solution to the staff and skills shortages the industry is experiencing is to develop and train the staff we have. Training and developing staff has been shown to increase not only the individual’s knowledge and abilities but also their job satisfaction – leading to improved performance and thus ultimately to an increase for the company’s bottom line!

Composites Australia will be working with various government

bodies and training institutions during the coming year to further this project, and to roll out the training we already have in all states.

As the association’s membership year begins again as of 1 July, I also take this opportunity to urge you all to renew your subscriptions promptly. As you will notice, membership prices have been raised very slightly, for the first time in four years. While the raises are not substantial, they will contribute to the association’s being able to provide better services to you.

In addition to the training initiatives mentioned, there are industry briefings being held in each state, and of course our annual conference and trade show is already being planned for 12-13 March 2009. I look forward to meeting many of you in our new and exciting year ahead.

Sharon Swan

events Schedule 2008

The following Composites Australia (CA) events are scheduled for 2008. Please contact Ann Byrne at the CA Secretariat for further details and registration. Don’t forget to check the website for regular updates: www.compositesaustralia.com.au.

Thursday 24th July

5.00pm – 7.30pm

Members’ Briefingn “How Engineering Can Reduce Your Risks” - David Lyons, EMP

Compositesn Tour and Demonstrations at The Innovation & Training Skills Centren Free for members. Members’ guests are welcome at $15 eachn Refreshments will be served

Members’ Briefingn Fibre Composites Project – Delivering Value To The Mining Industryn In conjunction with Engineers Australian Free for members. Members’ guests are welcome at $15 eachn Refreshments will be served

Thursday 21st August

5.00pm – 7.30pm

TOWNSViLLe (QLd) Venue TBA

date and Time Venue

AdeLAide (SA) The Innovation & Training Skills Centre, Murray Bridge

Thursday 20th November

5.00pm – 7.30pm

AgM / Members’ Briefing / Christmas Partyn Free for members. Members’ guests are welcome at $25 eachn Refreshments will be served

Members’ Briefingn Free for members. Members’ guests are welcome at $15 eachn Refreshments will be served

Thursday 16th October

4.00pm – 6.30pm

TASMANiAVenue TBA

WOLLONgONg (NSW)Venue TBA

CONFeReNCe & TRAde SHOW

Thurs. & Fri.12th–13th March 2009

gOLd COAST (QLd)Venue TBA

Composites Australia & the Composites CRC 2009 Conference & Trade Show n Supported by the Queensland Governmentn Two days of presentations, workshops, demonstrations & Trade Shown More information & booking forms available soon!

This schedule is subject to availability of venues and may change from time to time

geeLONg (ViC)Deakin University, Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds

Thursday 11th September

3.00pm – 5.30pm

Members’ Briefingn Fibres & Composites – Deakin as a Partnern Free for members. Members’ guests are welcome at $15 eachn Refreshments will be servedCA Board meeting

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Composites Australia Welcomes New Members:

New Member Profile: High Modulus

New Member Profile: Queensland institute for Aviation engineering Pty Ltd (QiAe)

n Willis Custom Composites – Michael (Mick) Willis, NSW

n High Modulus – Mark Clothier, QLD

n Queensland Institute for Aviation Engineering – Peter Renton, QLD

High Modulus is a leading supplier of composite materials, technology and structural engineering services. With nearly 30 years experience of composites and their application across a number of industry sectors, the company is now pleased to announce the opening of its Australian operation.

Founded in the late 1970’s, High Modulus has grown from a small New Zealand company into one of international reknown. The company has established offices in New Zealand and Europe, and in 2008 opened new facilities in Australia and Asia. High Modulus has been and still is involved with an impressive range of marine projects around the world, from one-off performance race yachts to robust commercial craft to world class production sailing boats and luxurious mega motor yachts. The company’s composite products and services are also applied to other sectors, such as construction, transportation, and general industrial applications.

High Modulus (Australia) is situated just off the M1, halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and incorporates offices, warehousing and production. A full range of reinforcement fabrics, core materials and consumable items are available at competitive prices and good lead times. High Modulus also offers the B3 SmartPac, which is an engineered construction solution, and includes an optimised laminate design with materials pre-cut to the exact size and shape required for the mould, as well as comprehensive quality control procedures. This solution can help manufacturers to increase production throughput, reduce material and labour costs and improve overall quality of the component.

For sales or general enquiries, please contact High Modulus Phone 07 3806 4009 or 0420 587 825 email [email protected]

Queensland Institute for Aviation Engineering Pty Ltd (QIAE) was first established at Caloundra Airport in April 2000. The directors and shareholders of this private company are drawn from within the Australian Aviation Industry. This enables QIAE to provide training that is relevant and timely by utilising trade related experiences and real time scenarios.

QIAE is a Supervising Registered Training Organisation (SRTO) registered in Australia to deliver Aeroskills trade training. QIAE specialises in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) and Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (LAME) subjects. We currently maintain a student base of approximately 150 apprentices, trainees and full time students in the trade areas of Avionics, Mechanical & Structures.

QIAE is staffed by personnel extensively experienced in the delivery of Aeroskills competencies from the Australian National Aeroskills Training Package.

QIAE’s capabilities also include training for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) LAME licencing modules and aircraft type specific services as required by the Aviation Industry and is endorsed as a CASA examination centre with approved invigilators.

As an aircraft specific type provider QIAE holds an Australian Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 30 Certificate of Approval as a CASA approved Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO). Under CASA’s new Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR’s), these approvals align with European Standards Part 147, Maintenance Training Organisation.

Products services:

n We are the largest provider for Aircraft Maintenance Training for the General Aviation Industry in Australia

QIAE’s portfolio includes but is not limited to the following:

n Diploma in Aeroskills to the Australian National Competency Standards

n Certificate IV in Aeroskills to the Australian National Competency Standards

n Certificate II in Aeroskills to the Australian National Competency Standards

n Apprenticeships & Traineeships

n Embraer - EMB 120 Brasilia – Type classes for: Airframe/Engine & Electrical, Instrument & Radio trades

n CASA Licencing Subjects for all 5 trade streams (Airframe, Engine, Electrical, Instrument & Radio)

n Capabilities towards EASA Licencing under Part 66 Standards: ‘A’ Level, ‘B1 & B2’ Level and ‘B3’ Level

n Tailored courses to meet ‘client specific’ engineering requirements

OFFICE: Pathfinder Drive, Caloundra Airport, Caloundra 4551 Qld Phone +61 7 5437 2722 Fax +61 7 5437 2733 email [email protected] Website www.qiae.com.au

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Back to Basics by Larry Nunes, Business Development Manager – Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty Ltd

effects of Weather

Every year during seasonal changes we all seem to forget that we need to adopt modifications to how we fabricate with polyester resins and gelcoats in ambient shop temperatures in order to achieve the best possible results. Unless you are one of the very few fabricators in Australia who controls their manufacturing environment for temperature and humidity, fabrication during winter months is one of the most challenging times of the year to ensure we are producing products that have full cure of both the gelcoat and laminating resin.

effects of Cold Temperatures

Every gelcoat manufacturer in the world states, “Do Not Apply at Temperatures Less Than 15°C”, “Not Recommended for Use Below 15°C”. Here are the reasons why and the effects of cold temperatures:

n Processing In Low Temperatures / Higher Viscosities

Pumping and spray application issues are of primary concern with low temperatures. The lower the temperature, the higher the viscosity, requiring more fluid pressure to produce a uniform spray pattern. At some low temperature point it will result in a very poor spray pattern producing an inconsistent film thickness. Depending on catalysation method, internal or external mix can also result in poor distribution of the catalyst. Both of these issues will result in uneven cure of the gelcoat.

There are several ways to solve application issues in cold weather by use of an in-line heater that will allow use of smaller tips and lower pump pressures. In-line heaters generally present fewer problems, providing greater consistency than the use of band or drum heaters. The issues concerning the use of band and drum heaters are very simple. Gelcoats and resins are insulators and so when a heater is used, only the surface (near the heat source) gets warm. If you stick a thermometer into the center of the drum, it will still be stone cold. Products need to be mixed while using band and drum heaters or else there is a great possibility of premature gellation.

A simple, low cost option is to build an insulated box with an explosion-proof light bulb fixture with a 150 watt bulb – this will keep the product room-temperature warm. Without mixing, it can take a minimum of 3-5 days for a drum of product to come up to temperature because of the insulating properties. During the cold weather months, keep your drums of gelcoat on wood pallets, rather than on the cold concrete floor which will draw the warmth from the drum. In the summer, keep the drums on the concrete floor, to keep product cooler.

Now that you have some type of adequate temperature control of the material to optimize the spray pattern and catalyst initiation, the other major problem is that the gelcoat is being applied to an ice cold mould. Mould surface

temperature is the most important factor influencing gel coat cure because the thin film sprayed upon a mould surface quickly assumes that temperature. So in the middle of winter if the mould temperature is 10°C, essentially the gelcoat is curing at the same temperature of the mould.

The lower the temperature, the lower the thixotropy of a gelcoat. Yes, the viscosity increases but the thixotropic index falls. The thixotropy of the gelcoat provides its ability to hang on vertical walls without sagging (potentially causing other defects). The lower the temperature, the longer the gel and poor curing of the gelcoat.

n Poor Cure

Poor cure is the number one contributing problem to poor surface finishes and shrinkage. Other complications are that the performance and weathering characteristics will also be substantially impaired, effectively producing premature yellowing, chalking and loss of gloss to the gelcoat surface.

Temperature and mass of the materials affect the rate of cure. The rate of gel and cure will be reduced by up to 50% if the temperature decreases by 10C from room temperature of 25°C. Rate of cure is reduced and time is extended. If the temperature is too low, the reaction rate is so low that the polyester gelcoat may never cure properly and never develop its fully cured performance properties.

The applied gelcoat is of insufficient thickness to produce enough heat to give adequate cure on a cold mould, unlike a thicker layer of laminating resin that may generate enough heat to develop adequate cured properties.

You cannot use the exotherm generated in the laminating resin to “drive” the cure of the gelcoat. Similarly, post-curing of the article will not make up for gelcoat that is undercured. You must be able to achieve the cure “up front”.

n Thickness Affects Curing

True, but not for the reason most would assume - that it is related to mass and exotherm temperature development. As previously mentioned, exotherm is not a factor in curing gelcoats. Most “thin” gelcoat films, even in normal temperature ranges with correct catalyst additions, have great difficulty curing because of excess monomer loss which occurs during application and during the curing phase. During the curing phase, gelcoat sprayed onto a mould surface will lose approximately the same amount of monomer whether it is too “thick” a film, correct thickness range of 0.6 – 0.65mm wet, or too “thin” a film! It is based on the exposed surface area. So, when a gelcoat film is too thin, there is so much monomer loss that there is not an adequate amount left for the system to fully crosslink.

On the other spectrum, thick gelcoat will crosslink very well

This is the first in what will be a series of “Back to Basics” articles by Larry Nunes of Valspar, looking at the practical things composites fabricators need to know (or to be reminded of). The first article looks at the effects of temperature and certain other factors on gelcoat.

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but will leave behind excess uncrosslinked styrene monomer that will ultimately result in excessive yellowing throughout the film and excessive brittleness. Chances are also greater that a prerelease may occur due to the tug-of-war going on between the thicker, faster curing and shrinking material generally in corners to the transitions on flat wall sections on the mould.

n Correct Catalyst Initiation

There is a temptation to overcorrect for cold temperatures by raising catalyst levels. “If some is good, more catalyst has to be better”, right? Well, no! True, if it is cooler you want to be at the upper recommended levels by the gelcoat manufacturer which is generally a maximum of 3% MEKPeroxide by weight, but the “more is better” philosophy is not correct in this case, for the following reasons.

These are balanced systems. An adequate amount of peroxide, generally a minimum of 1 – 1.5%, must be used to start a reaction and bring it to final cure. When a MEKPeroxide is added to a gelcoat or resin, heat and / or the accelerators split the oxygen-rich peroxide catalyst into free radicals that first consume the inhibitors present in the products that provide its package stability and then go to work on the unsaturated portions of the polyester resin and monomer. The activated unsaturated groups become free radicals also and then add onto other unsaturated groups until long polymer chains are forming.

When too much catalyst is added, too many polymer chains start to grow and they will all be shorter chains and will have weaker cure and physical properties. The chain reactions terminate when the free radical reacts with a catalyst initiator molecule that has yet to react with a polymer molecule. When this occurs, a bond is formed between the polymer and the initiator. These types of reactions are very undesirable in large numbers because they compete with reactions that cause crosslinking between the molecule chains. So, if the concentration of MEKPeroxide initiator is very high, the initiator will compete with polymers in forming bonds with the free radicals and the amount of actual crosslinking will be greatly reduced. So, more is not better… More will not improve cure, but in fact will actually reduce cure and reduce physical property development.

If too little peroxide catalyst is used, the gel time will be significantly extended and the growing polymer chains may die off long before all of the unsaturated groups are reacted. The same can be said for very low temperatures even at correct catalyst additions. The product will be under cured, even if a postcure is performed in an oven afterwards. It will never develop a full cure. There are numerous performance issues due to poorly cured gelcoat. Some of these include: low gloss coming out of the mould, softer surface easily scratched or marred, poor solvent resistance, excessive yellowing and poor surface finish. Under cured parts are very difficult to demould also and your tooling will take a

beating, possibly causing damage and reducing overall life expectancy.

One other issue to note during cold weather is that catalyst viscosities also increase and the delivery, especially through injector systems, will tend to have lower flow rates vs. near room temperature operation. To a lesser degree, slave pumps will also be affected. There is only one way in cold temperatures to know what percentage of catalyst levels you are really running at: you need to run flow rates.

n Wet Weather Considerations

Most everyone has noticed during wet, rainy days that the normal time for a gelcoat, even at room temperature takes longer to surface cure for the laminating to begin. The reason for this is quite simple. High humidity reduces styrene evaporation and extends cure. It can also reduce the rate of free radical generation (Co-MEKP reaction). The most efficient method to use here are shop fans to put a gentle flow of air over the mould surface to help carry away the uncrossed monomer to evaporation. The same principle holds true especially for deep draw cavity moulds because styrene vapor is heavier than air and sinks to the lowest point. If you want to prove this point (that styrene vapor is heavier than air), just take an open can of gelcoat or resin outside in the sun on a calm day and you will see the vapors shadows crawling over the top edge of the container and falling down to the ground. Where the top of a flange area may be perfect to start laminating, always check the deepest sections of the mould to ensure there is not a wet layer of styrene.

The colder the temperature, the slower styrene monomer evaporates and is compounded with high humidity – so the same use of shop fans to improve air flow will help to improve monomer evaporation here as well.

n Process Control

Probably the most under-addressed issue in the entire process control in any season of the year is gelcoat mixing. Without mixing gelcoat before application, a whole range of variables, resulting in problems and defects, can and will happen, depending on how long the material has been in the drum before it arrives for use at the plant.

Gelcoats are a recipe of numerous raw materials put together to create the finished product, where all you need to do is add catalyst to use. The problem is that all of the materials that make up the formula are of different densities, and with time they settle or phase out in layers from the heaviest at the bottom of the pail or drum to the lightest at the top. So if a drum of unmixed gelcoat is put on the line without mixing, the pickup tube is drawing from the bottom of the package. It is at higher than normal solids because all of the heavy pigments and fillers have settled towards the bottom. Conversely the geltime and cure may be sluggish because with the lightest density raw materials rising to the top of the pail in the formula, styrene monomer, which also draws the promoters, and

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accelerators with it. If you’ve ever opened up a drum of gelcoat and seen a dark purple color liquid sitting on top, it is a combination of these lighter density materials.

Chances are, the gelcoater has increased pump pressures and cranked up the catalyst in response to poor spray pattern development and sluggish gel and cure of this unmixed drum. As the day progresses and the drum level falls, so does the rheology of the gelcoat. The density re: solids, viscosity and reactivity of the product are changing constantly. Soon the day warms up and all of a sudden the gelcoat is sagging because the viscosity is dropping and pump pressures need to be reduced as well as the catalyst level, because it is curing too quickly. Usually these types of adjustments on the run are over compensating and will probably cause under-catalyzing and result in an under cured gelcoat film. I have always been a proponent for equipment manufacturers to put lock out box capabilities on all regulators on spray up equipment so that the (usually under-trained) spray operator cannot change settings on a whim and so that one knowledgeable person can be in control, to contribute to consistent operations.

It’s difficult enough overcoming one problem – dealing with the cold operating temperatures in the shop. Now we have multiple variables that together will ensure one outcome. Part to part consistency will be in a constant state of flux. Doing one simple thing – mixing your gelcoat once a day at the start of shift and / or everytime a new drum is put on the line – will ensure consistent material from start to finish.

n Summary

These considerations have been described for the benefit of all fabricators operating in an ambient temperature facility. There is no substitution for working in a controlled environment vs. working in an environment that controls you. These have been some helpful hints and recommendations to help you understand and achieve the best possible results working in what is often a difficult at best environment. Anything you can do to bring the working temperatures up to a minimum of 15°C will reward you. These key issues in your process control will ensure adequate gelcoat cure and the full development of their performance properties. Implementing more control over your environment and process will ultimately reward you with less rework, producing better quality parts and reducing product liability claims.

The gelcoat is the most important first step in production and also the most important for your customers to see. The visual quality of the gelcoat finish is usually an indication of the quality of the completed finished part in the customers’ eyes. So no matter what you manufacture, spending more attention on this part of the process is likely to help you to gain more customers just on surface finish and appearance alone.

You are welcome to contact me with any questions and comments, at [email protected] I may address your questions and comments in a future article.

Back to Basics (cont)

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Composite engineer’s Viewpoint Rik Heslehurst PhD, MEng, BEng(Aero) FIEAust, FRAeS, CPEng

Composite Fibre Volume and Weight Ratios

As the composites industry has grown there has become a bit of a divide between the language of the composite design engineer and the composite fabricator – in particular how each group describes the ratio of fibre to resin in the composite structure. The design engineer refers to the fibre/resin ratio in terms of volume of fibres to volume of resin. On the other hand, the composite fabricator will talk of the fibre/resin ratio in terms of fibre-to-resin weight ratios in the composite structure. Are they not the same thing? Well no they are not, but they are related. Each term has a very important relationship to the engineer or fabricator and they are essential in their development of the final composite component.

The discussion herein relates to wet resin lay-up techniques. Here the fabrication process will wet out the fibres with a wet resin system, i.e. wet lay-up, resin infusion processes and resin injection processes.

The basic engineering properties of a composite material can be determined by either experimental stress analysis (testing) or theoretical mechanics (micromechanics). The micromechanics approach utilises knowledge of the individual fibre and resin properties, and the proportionality of fibres to the resin in the lamina. A rule of mixtures approach can best be used to derive the majority of the composite lamina properties. For example the lamina axial modulus is derived from:

Ex = EfVf + EmVm

Where: Ef is the fibre modulus of elasticity

Em is the matrix (resin) modulus of elasticity

Vf is the fibre volume ratio

Vm is the matrix volume ratio

Vf + Vm = 1 with zero voids

When fabricating composite materials and structures from dry fibre (rovings or cloth form) and pouring liquid resin onto the fibres, the correct ratio of weights of fibre and resin are required. For example, the called-out ratio of say 60:40, requires a ratio of 60% fibre weight to 40% resin weight.

This resin weight is measured out, poured over the fibre system and worked into the fibres. This is referred to as wetting out the fibres.

Fibre Volume And Weight Ratio Relationship

While the fibre weight ratio is easily determined by simply weighing, the fibre volume ratio is quite difficult to determine. Typically, an ASTM test method is employed which requires destruction of a small sample. However, the determination

of fibre volume ratio can be derived from the fibre/resin weight ratio. The approach is as follows:

1. The fibre weight is based on the areal weight and a known or measured planar area.

2. After processing, the composite laminate weight is measured.

3. The resin weight is the difference between the composite and fibre weights:

Wresin = Wcomposite – Wfibre

4. From vendor data we obtain the density of both the fibre and the resin systems. (If not available from vendor data, the density can be determined experimentally.)

5. Now calculate the volume of the fibres in the composite:

6. Then determine the fibre/resin weight ratio and the fibre/resin density ratio.

7. Calculate the fibre/resin volume ratio:

8. Now determine the matrix volume ratio:

9. Finally, calculate the fibre volume ratio:

An example of the above is shown in the following extract of an excel spreadsheet. The input data is shown in italics and the calculated results are underlined.

Using the relationship established earlier, we can estimate the required fibre-to-resin weight ratio for a required fibre volume ratio. This will then give a more reliable approach in achieving the required engineering properties of the composite material. (Continued overleaf)

In this article we look at the issue of volume ratio versus weight ratio in the design and fabrication of composite structures. Are they not the same thing? What is the relationship between volume ratios and weight ratios?

See Original articale

Excel Spreadsheet Extract to Calculate Fibre Volume Ratio from Weight Fractions

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Rearranging the earlier equations gives the following design expression:

So, for example, if the required fibre volume ratio is 60%, then using a glass fibre/epoxy resin system with a density ratio of 2.0 requires a fibre/resin weight ratio of 75:25. Whereas, using a carbon fibre/epoxy resin system with a density ratio of 1.425 requires a fibre/resin weight ratio of 68:32. Finally, for an aramid fibre/ epoxy resin system with a density ratio of 1.142 requires a fibre/resin weight ratio of 63:38.

To achieve appropriate structural performance for a composite material, the fibre volume ratio plays a crucial role.

The engineering designer uses the fibre volume ratio to derive the lamina properties and thus after lamination, structural properties. But to achieve the required fibre volume ratio in wet lay-up processes the fabricator requires the fibre weight to resin weight ratio. This paper provides the mathematical expression that relates fibre volume ratio to fibre weight ratio. The expression is dependent on the ratio of the fibre and resin densities. This relationship clearly identifies the importance of low fibre densities when compared with the resin density.

In the next article we consider the impact of fabric composite stacking arrangements. Do I nest or stack woven cloth? What is the impact on structural performance and deformation behaviour? I also welcome questions, comments and your point of view. Feel free to contact me via [email protected]. I may publish your questions and comments, and my response in future newsletter.

Advertised as “What every surfer needs to know”, it’s a textbook, a history book and a book about surfing culture all in one, and will appeal to the land-bound composites fabricator as well as those who enjoy the sport of surfing.

With 416 A4-size, full colour pages and over 1000 photographs, the book offers detailed information on the making of surfboards and the development of the industry. From making hollow plywood boards to the latest in computerised shaping technology, from using green glass fibre with cut laps covered by resined pin-lines to using carbon fibre, epoxy resin and Protec spray finish, it’s all here and more. Readers who surf might use it as a guide to repair their own surfboards or to restore a classic to put on the wall. Non-surfers will be fascinated by the different types and designs of boards, and the methods used to fabricate them over the years.

Talking about writing the book, Howard remarked, “Special mention needs to be made about Section 15 which was nearly going to be a book on its own dealing with use of composite materials for projects and repairs. There is such a need for this in schools in particular which have the opportunity to incorporate this into practical subjects in all schools at at a junior and senior HSC study.

“I would love to see a facility set up to train students for employment in the surfboard and boatbuilding industries – not to mention applications in theme parks, motorcycle, recreation etc., as many of my past students are doing such things.”

Howard, who teaches at Kingscliff High School in northern NSW, has taught Industrial Arts in the past and Design & Technology (now) for over twenty eight years, including over fourteen years experience writing, implementing and evaluating a N.S.W. Board of Studies endorsed course on surfcraft and composite

construction for the Higher School Certificate. Howard is also VET trained for teaching at TAFE (Plastics), lectures part time at Southern Cross University and surfs on the Tweed coast. In 2005 Southern Cross University was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of fame for pioneering with the Diploma of Surfing Studies program to which Howard made a significant contribution in its development and subsequent success.

Howard’s involvement in surfing is extensive and covers all areas: grass roots, academic and commercial. He has spent much of his spare time surfing since his “grommet”* days on the NSW central coast. His adult involvement as a competitor, coach, administrator and official includes Membership of the Queensland State Longboard team (1996); conducting surfing and surf survival courses in secondary school sports as an Australian Coaching Council accredited surf riding coach; officiating as a judge for the Queensland team at the national titles (1997); and serving as past President and founding member of the fledgling Cabarita Beach (N.S.W.) Longboard Club.

He is currently conducting a new course at Kingscliff TAFE involving training for the boatbuilding and surfboard industries.

This is a collector’s book which will sit on the coffee table for all to read and browse.

Limited first edition copies are available through Howard’s website at: www.surferstextbook.com.au

* A grommet is a young surfer (usually under age 16) and usually one who lives and breathes surfing.

Composites Australia member writes and publishes The Surfer’s TextbookComposites Australia member Howard Jennar has published a book that will be of great interest to anyone who surfs, wants to know how to make surfboards, or would just appreciate owning an impressive and beautiful coffee table book.

Connection 11

The Plastic and Rubber Technical Education Centre (PARTEC) North Queensland opened at the former Thuringowa City Council’s business incubator centre, now the North Queensland Business Development Centre, in 2000.

A branch of the plastics industry’s Brisbane PARTEC facility, it has since graduated to its own leased premises at Civil Road, Garbutt, and has played an integral role in the development of local manufacturing industries from aviation to mining and minerals processing.

It is not well known that much of the composite material used in local refineries was imported until it was manufactured locally by composites technician Malcolm Biebrick who set up the local PARTEC centre.

The centre has since held courses for 700 people – from local boat owners looking to repair fibreglass boats to aviation engineers wanting to upgrade their skills.

It has also trained about 30 people as composites technicians – one of only a few new manufacturing trade skills gazetted in the past 50 years.

The technicians, whose skills were only first recognised in 2000,

have gone on to take key positions in industries including boat building, aviation and mineral processing alongside traditional tradespeople.

Mr Biebrick said the development of the plastics industry world-wide was huge with the use of composites now entering just about every facet of manufacturing from components in the space shuttle to the brake pads of cars.

“I don’t think people realise just how much it is used,” he said.

“It still intrigues me and I have been in the industry for 35 years.”

PARTEC Institute manager Roger Cater said the use of plastic pipelines was underpinning development of the coal seam methane industry and the mining industry generally.

He said the use of plastic sheeting, which could be moulded and fabricated in much the same way as rolled steel, was a huge advance for the industry. He praised the work of Mr Biebrick.The Townsville centre, which has eight new apprentices starting courses as composites technicians this year, will hold its official opening at its new premises on Friday.Reprinted with permission of The Townsville Bulletin.

Townsville Plastic expansion Tony Raggatt – The Townsville Bulletin

A TRAINING centre for the use of plastics will celebrate its coming of age at Townsville this week with the opening of a new base in Garbutt.

FANTASTIC... Plastics and Rubber Technical Education Centre (PARTEC) training consultants Malcolm Biebrick and Jocelyne Portelli with samples.

A typical set of financial reports, e.g. Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet, contains a lot of numbers and it can be a daunting task to make sense of it all and know which numbers are the important ones. Of course they are all important but some are absolutely critical to financial success in business. Most of the ‘Seven Key Numbers’ are not contained in a typical set of financials, which is a frightening thought, considering they are absolutely vital to profit and cash-flow. This is because these numbers are ‘Financial Drivers’ rather than ‘Results’. The typical financials provided to most business owners are for tax purposes rather than management use.The Seven Key Numbers To Drive Profit are:n Revenue Growth %n Price Change %n COGS% (Cost of Goods Sold)n Operating Expenses%n Days Receivablen Days Payablen Days Inventory/Work in ProgressLet me explain why these seven numbers are so critical.

Revenue Growth % – Business owners focus a lot of attention on Revenue and making sales and this is obviously critical. What is even more critical though, is what those sales cost you to make, and also cost you to fund. As soon as you sell something, and often well beforehand, there are costs involved e.g. goods for sale, freight, labour, overheads etc. It’s critical to know these costs, because if they exceed your revenue then you are making a loss and heading for cash-flow problems. The reason Revenue Growth % is important is because business growth is often the killer of small businesses. How is this so? Because so many numbers besides Revenue are important to profitability, if the other numbers aren’t being managed right, revenue growth will just exacerbate cash-flow issues. If it’s not a good situation it won’t get better, but it will get much worse. Revenue Growth is cause for celebration but it’s also cause for attention to other ‘Key Drivers’.

Price Change % – means the percentage increase or decrease at which you sell your products or services. In a highly competitive marketplace it’s tempting to sell for the cheapest price possible. This is fine, but if you’re not covering costs with the price you are charging, then you are

Seven key Numbers To drive ProfitDo you ever look at the reports from your accounting software and get over-faced by all the numbers? Do you not bother printing out the reports at all because you aren’t sure which numbers to look at, and you don’t have the time anyway? You would not be alone if you answered yes to either of these questions.

Connection 12

not going to make a profit. You may be discounting some products or services in order to gain business for other more profitable ones, and that’s fine. A trap many businesses fall into, is failing to increase prices regularly by small amounts e.g. by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Failing to do this can cause margin squeeze. This means, your gross profit suffers, due to reduced revenue, compared to the costs of delivering the goods or services. Customers can get a shock if you’ve never increased prices and suddenly make a large increase, whereas regular small increases are much easier to achieve. Example, I occasionally visit McDonalds for breakfast. I noticed just recently that the cost of my breakfast was $8.90 when last time it was $8.50. That was a 4.7% price increase. It was barely noticeable and I, as a customer, won’t take my business elsewhere for the sake of an extra 40cents. This increase is probably quite justified with increased petrol and costs to deliver the product. Love them or hate them, that’s part of McDonald’s success!Many business owners fear losing customers by putting up prices. The reality is that you may not lose as many as you think. If you do lose a small number of extremely cost conscious customers, it may not be such a bad thing. Modeling can show that increased price and reduced overall revenue could, in some circumstances, actually have a positive impact on your bottom line. You could increase prices selectively to less valuable and new customers, and offer existing prices to your better customers.COGS% – ‘Cost of Goods Sold’ means the costs incurred to get the product or service to the customer, before taking into account Overheads. This is often referred to as ‘Direct Costs’ or ‘Variable Costs’. This is a really important number as it has a huge impact on your Gross Profit and an even bigger one on your Net Profit. Many business owners focus a lot of attention on Revenue and this is important but a small reduction in COGS% can have as much impact on Gross Profit as a large increase in Revenue. Often a little attention to what makes up COGS, and some negotiation or investigation with suppliers for better prices, can pay huge dividends on your Gross Profit. If you are a service based business, attention to work practices and job management can have the same effect on your Gross Profit. e.g. knowing how many labour hours you are selling compared to those you are paying for, provides opportunity to investigate differences and tighten up processes.Overheads% - Many business owners focus attention on the Overheads in the Profit and Loss Statement without comparing them relatively, (by percentage) to the Revenue. It’s important to compare them by percentage as this has an impact on the profit. If you just look at the Overheads dollar figure you could be making more Revenue without increasing your Net Profit. It’s much easier to focus on one number being the Overheads% rather than getting too bogged down in all of the numbers listed. If you don’t have a budget it can be very difficult to know if overheads are reasonable anyway. Very few businesses have a budget, which makes it difficult to know how they are going during the year. If you are trying to reach a goal in business then you need a budget. Not having a budget in business is like trying to find a new destination without a roadmap.Days Receivable – is the number of days, on average, your customers are taking to pay invoices. Managing this number

can have a huge impact on cash-flow. If for example your Accounts Receivable Days is currently seventy and you can get it down to say fifty, you could be putting tens of thousands of dollars back into your bank account. The way to improve this number is to focus attention on your Accounts Receivable and Debt Collection procedures. It’s fine to look at the report out of your accounting system which lists all the customers and how much they owe you. If your business is growing rapidly you need to know how much, Accounts Receivable Days are changing compared to Revenue growth. This is because if it’s not comparable you will experience cash-flow squeeze and could run out of working capital.Days Payable – is the number of days, on average, you are taking to pay your suppliers. This number is just as important as Accounts Receivable Days in that it can have a big impact on your working capital situation. It is so easy in business to oil the squeaky wheel and pay suppliers who hassle you for money (sometimes before it’s due). It’s also easy to ignore potential better terms to be had from suppliers because you get so focused on Revenue. Some small changes to procedures relating to Accounts Payables can pay big dividends in your bank account. If your business is growing this could be critical cash for funding growth. I’m not suggesting stringing out suppliers beyond the agreed terms, but negotiating better ‘agreed’ terms for your business.Days Inventory – is the number of days, on average, that goods for sale are sitting in your store-room, from when they are delivered by suppliers, to when they are shipped out to customers. These goods often have to be paid for before they have been sold. This means you have had to spend valuable working capital to have the stock sitting there waiting to be sold. If you can manage this situation better, and reduce the number of Inventory Days, this can have a big impact on your bank account and working capital situation. It’s very tempting when a salesperson calls and offers you a discount to buy more stock. It’s useful to consider the amount of working capital that will be tied up in that stock, compared to the discount being offered. If you are borrowing funds it’s also important to consider the amount of interest payable on those funds tied up in slow moving stock. If you are in a service based business Work in Progress (WIP) Days is very similar to Inventory Days, in that your ‘stock in trade’, is the labour and materials you have to sell. Slow WIP days can be just as dangerous to cash-flow and working capital as Inventory Days. Anything you can do to tighten up processes and speed up the time work is ready to be invoiced, will pay dividends in your bank account and reduce your interest expense.One more thought about the Seven Key Numbers….. Of the seven numbers, four are calculated from the Profit and Loss Statement and three from the Balance Sheet. How many business owners look very closely at the Balance Sheet? Scary thought!

Sue HirstDirector

CAD Partners Pty LtdCad Partners (CFO On-Call) is a team of Financial Controllers who review accounting systems and offer advice on how to improve cash position and profitability. Please feel free to call us on 1300 36 24 36. www.cadpartners.biz

Seven key Numbers To drive Profit (continued)

Connection 13

Queensland Media Release

John Mickel MPMinister for Transport, Trade,

Employment and Industrial Relations

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel today launched Homecomings, a compelling

new awareness campaign aimed at encouraging Queenslanders to place a higher value on workplace safety.

Mr Mickel said the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) campaign starts on Sunday with an

emotive television advertisement which emphasises the importance of staying safe at work in order to return

home safely to loved ones.

“Through the Homecomings campaign the Queensland Government wants to rally community support

to help reduce the burden of workplace injuries and fatalities on individuals, families, businesses and the

community,” Mr Mickel said.

“Research on attitudes to workplace safety tells us that although there is universal acceptance that safety at work

is important, it is not valued highly enough.

“Everyone thinks it’ll never happen to them, but thinking it will affect someone they care about has a bigger impact.”

Mr Mickel was joined at the launch by the members of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s board and

industry committees, industry, union and government representatives and WHSQ inspectors.

WHSQ Regional Operations Manager Owen Bevan hit home the campaign message by recounting his personal

experience of a workplace accident that left his father incapacitated.

Mr Mickel said in Queensland in 2006-07 there were 114 work-related fatalities and 29,456 serious injuries where

workers needed five or more days off work.

“That is almost 30,000 families each year who are directly affected by a serious workplace incident.

“If WHSQ is to achieve its targets of a 40 per cent reduction in injuries and a 20 per cent reduction in fatalities

by 2012, significant change is needed in the community’s attitudes and behaviour towards workplace

health and safety.

“The campaign aims to get people to think differently and understand the consequences of an accident

at work reach far beyond the workplace.”

Mr Mickel said the campaign was something new in workplace health and safety promotion.

“This campaign takes a different approach to that commonly associated with workplace safety campaigns.

It is a positive and unashamedly emotive campaign.

“Focus groups have told us that the softer approach of this campaign makes it easy to relate to and avoids

the ‘turn-off’ factor,’’ he said.

The television commercial follows a young boy waiting anxiously for his dad to return from work. When the father

finally arrives home and starts playing with the boy the campaign theme is revealed: “The most important reason

for making your workplace safe is not at work at all”.

Mr Mickel said the campaign is another great example of the states working together to improve workplace

health and safety.

“The campaign originated in Victoria and was also been highly successful when run in New South Wales

and Western Australia. We believe it will also resonate with Queenslanders.

“The cost to the Queensland economy of work-related deaths, injuries and illness is estimated around $4.5 billion

annually – this $930,000 campaign is an investment in safer Queensland workplaces.”

The campaign targets employees, employers and the broader community and consists of six weeks of

high-frequency television, radio and print advertising including ethnic and Indigenous media. There will also

be a mass mail out of information packs to Queensland workplaces.

For more information visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au

Media contact: Shannon Mackay 3237 1125

May 22, 2008

State News

Connection 14

Members Briefing at Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd, Perth WA

Composites industry members gathered at the modern facilities of Quickstep Technologies on 30 April for a briefing and tour.

Two of them had even flown out from New South Wales especially to take advantage of this opportunity to see the plant and its machines.

From the road, one could mistake the building for a new block of townhouses - but instead, inside are two QS20 plants and spacious rooms for testing and developing the equipment and processes. The Quickstep plants incorporate computerised process control features to enable parts to be repeatedly produced under consistent cure environments.

Quickstep is an Australian company which owns a suite of patented processes for the inexpensive manufacture

of advanced composite components. It undertakes both research and development and limited production of composite components.

The Quickstep Process is a range of unique and patented technologies that can be used in the out-of-autoclave manufacture of advanced composite materials. Using balanced pressure and liquid heating and cooling, the Quickstep processes change the way advanced high quality composites are manufactured. With reduced cure cycle times and product weight, as well as increased strength and improved appearance, the processes provide product properties superior to conventional atmospheric cure techniques and generally equal to or better than high pressure autoclave techniques.

The overall footprint of Quickstep’s production machine is 37.5m² (432 square feet) and the unit can be placed anywhere within a customer’s facilities. The machine is

Western Australia

CNC machine, left, and precision-cut part, right.

Branching out to meet challenges

Swarbrick & Swarbrick Yachts is a boatbuilder in Henderson, a suburb in Perth. In Western Australia, where there is currently a boom in the mining industry, boatbuilders have been experiencing a sharp increase in the same problems most other composites fabricators have – that of finding and retaining staff.

When I visited his yard in early May of this year, I found that Glenn Swarbrick has taken a number of proactive steps to manage this challenge.

The first thing you notice is the huge CNC machine on one side of the factory. This is a relatively recent purchase and according to Glenn it came with a fairly steep learning curve – but it has already proved its worth. The automated cutting is so precise and efficient that it can save as much as sixteen hours on a project. It takes only one person to cut a mould, where it otherwise would take two or three people to cut by hand – and would not be nearly so accurate.

Adopting modern technology to help with production, and reduce the number of staff and staff hours needed per project, is one way to keep your business running efficiently. While the initial cost (and time needed to learn the machine) was daunting at first, Glenn says the investment has more than paid off. In addition, he has already had inquiries from businesses in the area about using the machine for their parts, and he can therefore gain additional income by doing jobs on the machine for other companies.

Another thing that strikes your eye at Swarbrick’s is that boats are not the only things being produced on the factory floor. With the huge boom in the mining industry in Western Australia, there is a need to supply the operations on the ground. As well as boats, Swarbrick’s now produces portable shower cubicles, which are required in large numbers at the mines.

By branching out to something which can be relatively easily adapted to the factory and produced for the demand that exists, Glenn has kept his company active and profiting.

In a related vein, the mining boom is also producing a newly affluent population. They have disposable income, which many are beginning to use to buy boats. In addition, the newly-rich also create a demand for custom-made products. Glenn recently was called on to design and build a caravan-trailer for a yacht-owner who wanted the trailer to fit into the caravan rather than as a separate attachment. He successfully created a caravan with an undercarriage storage space for a boat trailer, as well as a custom-designed living space.

While experiencing the same shortages as others, as well as loss of staff to the mines, Glenn has also broadened his horizons in the area of human resources. He considered, and has now hired, a young man who is intellectually disabled. While this employee can work just 4 to 5 hours a day, three days a week, and only does basic and less challenging work, he is, Glenn says, one of the most steady, enthusiastic and reliable employees he’s ever had.

Looking beyond the usual and the traditional in all areas has proven a plus for this innovative boatbuilder!

Reported by Ann Byrne, Composites Australia

State News

Connection 15

Quickstep Technologies HQ Stefano Piviali of Quickstep explains how the pressure chamber works

capable of manufacturing parts up to 20m². This machine uses a three tank system with each tank holding 1500 litres of Heat Transfer Fluid.

Following a presentation about the processes and equipment, given by Nick Noble, Managing Director, the attendees were divided into two groups for the tour. With one group led by Nick and the other by Drew Myers, Head of Engineering and Chief Operating Officer of Quickstep, groups toured the facility and watched a demonstration of the machine’s capabilities.

Attendees were also treated to two additional, brief

presentations: one about Composites Australia – its activities and the benefits of membership in the association, and the second about the tour of US fabricators which had been organised by the association in conjunction with the last ACMA PolyCon in Florida. Nick Noble was one of the participants and described the interesting array of fabricators visited by the group.

Refreshments and networking followed. One participant commented, “There’s never enough time to spend meeting and talking to everyone!”

State News

Connection 16

every man and his dog attend industry briefing at emp Composites

June’s Industry Briefing at emp

Composites in Warriewood saw

Composites Australia’s largest

attendance for a briefing in quite a while, with over seventy

attendees, including “Day” (short for Daisy) the dog, who

goes everywhere her owner (Sean Edwards – Look Sharp

Boatworks) goes!

The event began with a welcome to all from CA President

Sharon Swan, who thanked emp Business Manager David

Lyons for hosting the event. David gave a brief talk about the

company, what it does and the services it offers. A tour of

the premises was then conducted by emp staff members,

including Lachlan Welch, James Diamond, Lucy Holland, Craig

Singleton and Anthony Brann, and featured three live practical

demonstrations:

1. Vacuum assisted resin infusion of a typical ‘V’-bottom

power boat hull shell from keel to sheer including hard

chine structure, using foam sandwich core material, E-glass

multiaxials and Nupol infusion DCPD resin.

2. Vacuum assisted resin infusion of a vertically-oriented

sandwich panel typical of use in bulkheads, sole panels

and the like using FGI infusion vinylester resin.

3. Vacuum assisted resin infusion of a Marke Thorpe “Hungry

Tiger” skiff International Moth dinghy using carbon fibre,

sandwich core and FGI infusion vinylester.

A rolling engineering presentation in the conference room

featured information and photos of services and capabilities

provided by emp, including: composite engineering, part

modelling using 3D CAD – CATIA, finite element analysis using

New South Wales

State News

Attendees watch one of the demonstrations.

John Taylor honoured on imminent retirement

At the June event at emp Composites, Composites Australia honoured John Taylor of Alsynite Roofing Products, who is retiring this year after more than 26 years of service with Alsynite and in the composites industry. John is also a member of the Standards Australia - Committee PL-022 Plastic Building Sheets Committee.

Mal Holden of Nupol Composites and longtime former NSW CA Chapter chair gave a brief account of John’s career and contributions, and CA President Sharon Swan presented John with a gift on behalf of the association. (The gift, a computer mouse in the shape of a red sports car, is a nod to John’s passion for sports cars!). All wished John the best for his retirement.

Sean Edwards of Look Sharp Boatworks brought “Day” the dog along.

Resin infusion of the Marke Thorpe “Hungry Tiger” skiff International Moth dinghy.

Abaqus and Strand 7, flow modelling using emp’s Polyworx

RTM software, training on- and off-site, materials testing and

verification, part costing and more.

Above: John Taylor of Alsynite Roofing Products was honoured at the Briefing.

Connection 17

Press Release:

New Owens Corning Non-Woven glass Tissue Raises Fire Resistance and impact Performance of direct Pressure Laminate FlooringProduct Opens the Way for Wide Use of DPL Flooring in the Commercial Market

Press Releases

Paris, France: April 1, 2008 – Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) has introduced the first non-woven glass tissue reinforcement for Direct Pressure Laminate Flooring (DPL), which raises fire resistance and impact performance to levels that meet commercial standards. While DPL has long been popular in the residential market, manufacturers will now be able to broaden their DPL product offerings to architects and specifiers for commercial applications such as hotels, restaurants, shops and stores.

Developed by Owens Corning in partnership with Hans Schmid KG, Gronau, Germany, Europe’s leading independent impregnation company, and by replacing traditional resonated Kraft paper, the new DPL with resin impregnated glass tissue meets European Norm standard EN13501-1, achieving fire class Bfl. This is complemented by small ball and large ball impact testing according to EN438, which raises impact performance designation to IC3. Moreover, with the new reinforcement system it is possible for usage classification to be raised to a higher level – from 32 to 33- for commercial applications.

“Inherent design flexibility, dimensional stability, superior textured finishing and shorter production times, compared to HPL products, characterize DPL flooring systems,” says Russell Evans, Market Manager, OCV Non-Woven Technologies. “Now, with the introduction of Owens Corning’s unique glass non-woven reinforcement, these advantages can be combined with higher fire, impact and wear performance to make DPL products a highly attractive alternative for manufacturers and end users in the demanding contract flooring environment.”

Robert Huusken, Product Developer, OCV Non-Woven Technologies continues, “In combining the considerable expertise of Hans Schmid KG in melamine and phenolic resin film impregnation with its own unmatched capability in the

field of non-woven technologies, Owens Corning has tailored a range of glass reinforcement tissues to match individual laminate applications and deliver consistent performance in the DPL process.”

The new glass tissue reinforcement is now globally available in sheet form as a ready-to-press product.

With manufacturing locations in the USA, Netherlands and the UK, Owens Corning’s OCV Non Woven Technologies Business is an innovator in the fabrication of a wide variety of OC® Veils and Specialty Non-Wovens. Made from randomly dispersed Advantex® proprietary glass fibers, wet laid and bonded into a thin sheet these materials are used to reinforce products that include residential and commercial flooring, carpet tiles and gypsum boards, as well as exterior-use materials.

Owens Corning and Saint-Gobain finalise acquisition

Following approval by regulatory authorities in Europe and the United States, Owens Corning completed the acquisition of Saint-Gobain’s Reinforcements and Composite Fabrics businesses for $640 million on November 1, 2007. The acquisition accelerates Owens Corning’s global growth strategy and strengthens its position as a market leader in glass reinforcements and composites.

Conference & Trade Show 2009Come to the hub of composites on the Gold Coast!12 – 13 March 2009

Composites Australia & the Composites CRC

Connection 18

www.glas-craft.com.au/

GlasCraft’s exclusive Air Assist Containment (AAC) system produces a soft, low pressure spray pattern with a complete containment shield, resulting in a turbulent free spray pattern and a comfortable, environmentally sound work area.

Highest Transfer Effi ciency & Financial Benefi tsGlasCraft AAC wraps the spray pattern and reduces irregularities and wasted material for the highest transfer effi ciency available. The soft, turbulent free spray pattern of AAC reduces fogging, bounce-back, air entrapment, and overspray for a superior fi nish.

Environmental & Employee Safety Benefi tsGlasCraft AAC gel-coat spray guns allow fewer harmful emissions to be released into the atmosphere, exposing both your employees and the environment to less harmful material than other technologies.

Unit 2/13 Brewers Street • Burpengary, Queensland 4505, AustraliaPhone: +61 7 3888 0866 • Fax: +61 73888 0977 • Email: [email protected]

© GlasCraft Inc. 2007

AAC!AIR ASSIST CONTAINMENT

better spraypattern

Improved spraycontrol

$$ Profits for your company!

Environmental and worker

safety

High TransferEfficiency

Lower emissions

=

=

+

+

NEW!

Press Release:

Composites / FRP industry will benefit from graco and glasCraft combined entity.

The recently completed merger of these two companies will benefit the Composites / FRP equipment and production markets by combining the legacy, brand, and expertise of GlasCraft with the global capabilities of Graco Inc.

As Graco’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick J. McHale, said “GlasCraft’s products, brands, and engineering capabilities highly complement Graco’s core businesses, creating an opportunity to leverage each company’s unique strengths….”

For nearly 50 years, GlasCraft has manufactured equipment for the Composites / FRP, high performance coatings, and polyurethane foam industries. The combined firm will focus on opportunities such as new product development and introduction, entry into new markets, innovation, and delivering improved end user value and product offering breadth in all the served segments.

Graco aims to provide product lines in every served market segment which provide the lowest cost of ownership to end users. Graco differentiates its products through investments in engineering, manufacturing excellence, intellectual property protection, and training, and is widely known to provide product leadership in every industry supplied. Graco’s engineering resources and manufacturing efficiencies will certainly change the state of composites equipment in delivering a product lineup with increased breadth, improved quality reliability, more user-friendly and market-driven designs, and very cost effective pricing through and expansive sales network.

GlasCraft’s existing and future product plan will continue to be evaluated by Graco and GlasCraft personnel to determine and provide the best broad based customer solution offering in this marketplace. All GlasCraft Composites / FRP systems will remain commercially available on a global basis.

Graco and GlasCraft management teams have now announced the integration of the GlasCraft operation in Indianapolis, Indiana into existing Graco facilities around the world. The GlasCraft business will join the operations of the Applied Fluid Technologies Division (AFTD) of Graco. The physical integration process will be completed by the end of 2008.

Meanwhile, joint management teams are working on the continued development of long-term business strategies and are focused on their implementation.

glasCraft inc [email protected]

graco inc. [email protected]

19Connection

Press Release:

Fischer Advanced Composite Components Ag (FACC) honor Airtech with a Supplier AwardDifferdange, Luxembourg – June 3, 2008: The “Special Performance Award’’ goes to Airtech Europe. This award is a major recognition of a 25 year partnership.

The FACC AG honored its top three suppliers for their exceptional commitment and exemplary performance with the “Excellent Supplier Award 2007” in gold, silver and bronze. This year, for the first time a “Special Performance Award” was assigned.

The 2007 Excellent Suppliers were selected from a pool of approximately. 500 suppliers. The main criteria for the nomination as the “FACC Excellent Supplier 2007” are constantly high quality standards of products as well as adherence to delivery dates. Additional factors are customer service, flexibility, cooperation and the readiness to implement cost-saving and process-optimising measures. The new “Special Performance Award” was specifically launched for those suppliers whose performance can not be measured with the conventional methods. “With this annual award, we want to recognise the best suppliers in our Supply Chain for their special achievements,” said Rudolf Leitner, Purchasing Manager of the FACC AG. “By reaching and maintaining exceptional performance standards, these suppliers are essential for ensuring future success for both FACC and themselves.’’

To be selected from 500 suppliers speaks highly of the Airtech Europe team in Luxembourg and Airtech commitment to service and quality. Like Fischer, Airtech has spent a lot of time and money to keep up with the fast moving and growing advanced composites industry. This includes bigger, faster and more equipment, new quality systems, training centers and 4 worldwide locations to count on for support and products.

Airtech is currently in the process of doubling the size of its Luxembourg facility, again.

23-25 September 2008 Essen, Germany

COMPOSITES EUROPE 20083rd European Trade Fair & Forum for Composites, Technology and Applications

The strongest

exhibition in Europe´s

stongest market!

Come and visit!

www.composites-europe.com

Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH • Projekt COMPOSITES EUROPE • Völklinger Str. 4, 40219 Düsseldorf • Tel: +49 (0)211 – 90 191 224 • [email protected]

In conjunction with:

www.aluminium-messe.com

CE_engl_210x297_stronge:Layout 1 06.05.2008 9:51 Uhr Seite 1

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