reinforced plastics 2015 1~2
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Journal of Reinfoeced Plastics, 2015 January/FebruaryTRANSCRIPT
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Deal volumes remain strong Composites come together The world on a composites diet
www.reinforcedplastics.com
the voice of the composites industry worldwide
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
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CONTENTS 1
January/February 2015 Volume 59 Number 1 pp. 1 56
Image: Dalibor Sevaljevic/Shutterstock.com.
REGULAR SECTIONS
EDITORIAL
1 Reinforced Plastics, restyledStewart Bland
2 RP Rewind
3 Applications
7 Business
12 Technology
19 Conference Showcase
56 Events
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CONTENTS 2
FEATURES32 Comment: Deal volumes remain strong in 2014
Emma Dowson
34 Composites come togetherCordelia Sealy and Richard A. Vaia
38 The world on a composites diet: How more and more markets are trying to lose weight with reinforced plasticsDjango Mathijsen
44 Reuse and upcycling of aerospace prepreg scrap and wasteGaurav Nilakantan and Steven Nutt
52 Removing barriers for bio-based composite production with novel water-insensitive cure systemsCoen van Dijk
Editorial AssistantZara PrestonE-mail: [email protected]: +44 (0) 1865 843606
Assistant EditorLiz NickelsE-mail: [email protected]
PublisherStewart BlandE-mail: [email protected]: +44 (0) 1865 843124
Editorial and Marketing Offi ceElsevier LtdThe Boulevard, Langford Lane,Kidlington,OxfordOX5 1GB, UKtel: +44 (0) 1865 843441fax: +44 (0) 1865 843973
[email protected]: +1 631 673 0072
Germany, Austria and SwitzerlandChristian [email protected]: +49 (0) 89 95002778
ChinaMarco [email protected]: +86 21 6289 5533 x101
Rest of WorldRachel Di [email protected]: +44 (0) 1932 564999
Advertising Copy ControllerTel: +44 (0) 1865 843012E-mail: [email protected]
Marketing DepartmentCaroline ChampneyTel: +44 (0) 1865 843190Fax: +44 (0) 1865 [email protected]
Editorial & Advertising Offi cesElsevier LtdThe Boulevard, Langford Lane,Kidlington, OxfordOX5 1GB, UK
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Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 EDITORIAL
Editorial
Stewart BlandPublisher, Reinforced Plastics
[email protected] Plastics, restyledIf youre a regular reader of Reinforced Plastics, youll notice that the
layout of this latest issue of the magazine has been redesigned: a
new look, and even a new face welcoming you.
But beyond a few cosmetic differences youll still find the same
great content from our regular contributors, including George
Smith and Liz Nickels. In addition to the high quality news and
features youve come to expect from Reinforced Plastics, youll also be
able to access more great content in print and online, as RP will be
partnering with Elseviers materials program, in the form of the
Materials Today family. Materials Today is a community dedicated to
the creation and sharing of materials knowledge and experience:0034-3617/ 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.085supported by Elsevier, we publish high impact peer-reviewed jour-
nals, organize conferences, broadcast educational webinars and so
much more.
Im excited and very much looking forward to sharing some of
the exciting developments weve been working on over the course
of the next year, to bring you the latest developments in the
composites industry. And so on behalf of Materials Today, its
my pleasure to welcome Reinforced Plastics into the family.
As you may be aware, Elsevier publishes some of the top journals
on composites and plastics, including Composites Science and
Technology, Composite Structures, Composites (Parts A & B), Progress
in Polymer Science, Polymer, Polymer Degradation and Stability, and
Polymer Testing to mention just a few as well as organize some
leading scientific conferences including International Conference on
Multifunctional, Hybrid and Nanomaterials and Frontiers in Polymer
Science. As part of the family, this extra insight into composite
materials will help us keep you up to date with the latest devel-
opments in the application of plastic composites.
Therell be more exciting developments to follow throughout
2015, but until then, I hope you enjoy this issue of Reinforced
Plastics.1
mailto:[email protected]://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.085
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Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 RP REWIND
RP RewindAssistant editor Liz Nickels leafs through past issues of Reinforced Plastics to find out what was happening in thecomposite industry of the past.5 years ago. . .Editor Amanda Jacob looked into her crystal
ball, otherwise known as IHS Global
Insights top 10 economic predictions for
2011, which suggested that a two-speed
recovery was likely to be a feature of the
global economy throughout 2011. Growth
in calendar-year 2011 (3.3%) would be a
little weaker than in 2010 (4.0%), but would
be followed by a bounce-back in 2012
(3.7%). In 2010 the pace of growth in
Europe was slowing, mostly due to fiscal
tightening and concerns about debt, but
EU growth in 2011 was predicted to be
about 1.6%.
In technology news, what was reported to
be the first lift bridge in the world to have a
deck construction built entirely from fiber
reinforced plastic (FRP) composite was
installed in the city of Oosterwolde in the
Netherlands. The bridge is 12 m long and
11.2 m wide and is designed to carry traffic
up to 60 tons in weight.
10 years ago. . .Did anyone get a new car for Christmas?
asked Amanda Jacob, noting that safety
was now one of the top priorities for car
buyers (and therefore car makers) and
that automotive safety systems were pre-
dicted to see strong growth over the com-
ing years. The pedestrian protection beam
being introduced on some European cars
is one example of where composites were
making inroads. Overall, the amount of
plastics and composites in the modern car
is increasing, she said, but they still face
strong competition.
To improve the position of the Spanish
companies in the market, AIMPLAS (Tech-
nological Institute for Plastics) established
the Agrupacion Espaola de Industnriales
de Composites (Spanish Association of
Composites Industries). The principal objec-
tives of AESICOM are to promote and repre-
sent Spanish reinforced plastics companies
on the European level, promote and
strengthen the contacts between its mem-
bers on the national level and strengthen the
competitiveness of companies by means of
technological research and innovation.
There was interesting news that compos-
ite poles made by DuraPole were meeting
the needs of the fast growing WiFi market.
The types of poles that are becoming the
most interesting combine a light pole and
cell tower in one, reported Chris Kellogg,
president of DuraPole. We are told that cell
towers are getting shorter because wireless
transmission technology is improving. The
trend to shorter towers will help composites
better compete with steel whose lower flex
properties can be an advantage for taller
cylindrical structures.
20 years ago. . .Composites seem to be undergoing some-
thing of a resurgence in the automotive
industry, reported editor Amanda Weaver.
A few years ago thermoset composites
were dismissed as unrecyclable materials
which hit new applications. Then recession
dented volumes for existing uses. But
1996 saw the unveiling of new Class A
SMC applications in Europe and SMC
structural front ends in the USA, while
composites were starting to play a strong
role in interior components, for instance
the dashboard for the new BMW 7 series.
But if thermosets are doing well, thermo-
plastics are performing spectacularly, she
added. The GMT front end found success
with VW which announced that it would
use one for its new Golf A4 model which
went into production in 1997. I look for-
ward to seeing what new applications will
come on stream in the next few years,
Weaver added.
A small but innovative use for fiber rein-
forced polymer (FRP) was found in a foot-
bridge installed in the hills north of Los
Angeles, allowing thousands of hikers a
year trek along the Backbone Trail. The
bridge, made using E.T. Techtonics PRE-
STEK System was built using components
that are manufactured by the pultrusion
process. These high-strength FRP materials
provide the bridge system with a strength-
to-weight ratio greater than steel, offering
significant design and erection advantages
over traditional materials.20034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.044
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.044
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Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 APPLICATIONS
ApplicationsFRC solar panels provide ballistic protectionIDG EUROPE has developed a new solar
panel featuring Dyneema fiber suitable for
defensive use.
The PowerArmor panel system provides
ballistic protection and is lighter and more
portable than systems currently available. It
is made with a strong unidirectional fiber-
reinforced composite based on Dyneemas
high molecular weight polyethylene fiber
(UHMWPE).
IDG says this is the first time that solar
panels have been given such a high level of
ballistic protection, and replaces the alumi-
num normally used for portable solar
panels, which provides no such protection.
Panels made in Dyneema are also said to
weigh around 20% less than aluminum
panels of the same thickness.
The system is reportedly capable of
providing energy and protection ranging
from fragmentation to high-power rifle
ammunition.
As defense forces continue to carry more
and more electronic systems into danger-
ous, inhospitable and isolated places, the
need to keep portable electronic devices
operable at all times in hostile environ-
ments is essential, said Goran Johnson,
CEO at IDG Europe.
IDG Europe; www.idgeurope.com
CPBS introduces composite structural insulated panelsCOMPOSITE PANEL BUILDING SYSTEMS
(CPBS) has developed a fully composite
structural insulated panel (C-SIP) suitable
for insulating and sealing houses.
The panel includes exterior sheathing,
insulation, air barrier, vapor retarder, mois-
ture barrier and structural walls. It consists
of glass fiber reinforced thermoset polymer
(FRT) skins bonded to rigid polyurethane
foam by a chemical reaction during
manufacturing, which eliminates any risk
of delamination. The C-SIP 4 inch foam
core, with an R-value of 26, will not settle,
shrink or lose insulating value over time,
CPBS says.
According to the company, C-SIP can
replace multiple building products, includ-
ing house wrap, with one product. Many
house wraps, water resistive barriers and
laminated or fibrous structural insulated
panels suffer damage during installation
and fail to prevent water intrusion before
finish materials are applied.
The structural walls in the C-SIP system
eliminate the need to convert studs to ex-
pensive 2 6 framing, in order to meetprogressing energy codes with the added
cost of extra insulation. Installation of the
panels achieves 2012 energy code require-
ments and the tight building envelope cre-
ated could deliver a substantial reduction in
the required HVAC cooling load as much
as a 4050% decrease over required cooling
capacity for a building using conventional
building materials.
CPBS; www.cpbsco.com/
Composite Panel Building Systems (CPBS) hasdeveloped a fully composite structural insulated
panel (C-SIP) suitable for insulating and sealing
houses.0034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.001
3
http://www.idgeurope.com/http://www.cpbsco.com/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.001
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APPLICATIONS
miantit wins major pipe contract in Swedenmiantit Norway AS has signed a SEK115
illion (s12.5 million) contract withwedish municipal owned company AB
ydvatten to deliver Flowtite pipes for a
5 km long raw water pipeline.
Sydvatten supplies more than 900,000
wedish residents with drinking water and
he contract is one of the biggest pipe con-
racts for water supply ever awarded to
RP in Europe, according to Jarle Hausberg,
D of Amiantit Norway.
The companies plan to start the installa-
ion of the raw water pipeline in the sum-
er 2015 and the pipes will be delivered
diameters of DN1400 and DN1600 mm.
Sydvatten wanted a non-corrosive pipe
aterial that could provide a lifetime of
ore than 100 years. While steel and con-
rete pipes often have issues with corro-
ion, research shows that composite pipes
ave a unique durability, said Markus
nson, sales manager.
The large contract was awarded shortly
fter Amiantit invested more than US$10
illion in glass composite pipe research in
orway.
miantit Norway; www.amiantit.eu
odular wind turbine blade promises reduced costsetzel Blade is developing a wind turbine
lade, based on a space frame design,
hich can be easily transported and assem-
led on site, reducing the costs associated
ith the transportation of large one-piece
lades.
The Pflugerville, Texas-based companys
lade concept won a 2014 Clean Energy
enture Award at the US Department of
nergys (DOE) National Renewable Ener-
y Laboratorys NREL Industry Growth
orum in October. Wetzel was presented
ith an Outstanding Venture Award for
s work on the field-assembled turbine
lade which is designed to boost produc-
ion capacity, reduce transportation costs
nd deliver longer service life than current
lade designs.
The Wetzel blade is based on a space
ame design and features three solid pul-
ruded fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) spars
onnected by ribs, and non-structural skins
ee diagram). The parts are sized for easy
ransport and field assembly.
from a project that the companys parent
company, Wetzel Engineering, was involved
with in China.
We were engineering a 100 m blade for a
10 MW turbine and wanted to eliminate
shell panel buckling as a design driver. The
balsa requirements presented another chal-
lenge almost 10,000 kg of this expensive
core material absorbing 6000 kg of epoxy.Because of our involvement with the en-
design must generate more electricity, cost
less to build and maintain, and be more
efficient to transport and install. The indus-
try is hungry for a solution that delivers on
all those points, he adds.
The space frame design offers several
advantages: Substantial reductions in weight and cost:
buckling is addressed more efficiently; Reductions in capital expenditures:
PPLICATIONS Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015
Markus Janson, sales manager (left), and Jarle Hausberg, MD of Amiantit Norway.
Transporting large one-piece wind turbine blades
by road is expensive. The costs involved canamount to 35% of the total installed cost of
each turbine.
Wetzels blade design.Kyle Wetzel, CTO/Founder of Wetzel
lade, explains that this concept emerged
tire turbine lifecycle, we understand that to
make a real shift in the economics, a blade
enables cost-effective production of
smaller volumes of a given blade design;
http://www.idgeurope.com/http://www.cpbsco.com/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.001http://www.amiantit.eu/
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.
APPLICATIONS
Improvement in quality: elimination of
laminate-related quality problems; elim-
ination of weight tolerance issues associ-
ated with infusion of fabric and core;
easier inspection of adhesive bonds; More fault-tolerant design loads are
carried through multiple spars and strin-
gers; Reduction in labor more amenable to
automation.
Todays wind turbine blades are fully as-
sembled in factories and transported in one
piece to wind farms. In the US, 58 m blades
are the largest that can be transported in
a traditional manner using large trailers
with escort vehicles. The logistics involve
coordinating drivers, escorts, permits and
specialised equipment all of this generally
amounts to 35% of the total installed
cost of each turbine.
The value proposition of the Wetzel
modular blade is to enable turbines to
generate 7% more average annual energy,
reduce blade transportation costs by 75%
and deliver 50% longer service life com-
pared to current generation blades.
Wetzel Blade is currently in the structural
testing phase with plans to demonstrate a
sub-scale prototype in early 2015. The proj-
ect has been partially funded through an
SBIR/STTR award from the Department of
Energy.
Clean Energy Venture Award winners
receive commercialisation support to help
increase their chances of becoming com-
mercially successful.
Wetzel Engineering; www.wetzelengineering
com
Unique tennis racket made with 3D printingCRP TECHNOLOGY has produced a tennis
racket with a combination of 3D printing
and composite material.
It used Windforms XT 2.0 carbon fiber
reinforced polyamide composite, which has
been developed for 3D printing/laser sinter-
ing applications and is also suitable for
the motorsport and space industries. It
can be used in applications requiring high
resistance to stresses and damage.
The companies say that the aim of the
project was to make the racket grip
more aerodynamic and responsive. The
remodeled parts also incorporate the results
of aerodynamic research intended to
improve the players match performance.
The prototype was designed by initially
breaking the tennis rack down into its
three fundamental parts: the handle, the
neck and the head. Structural variants
were developed for each of them. At the
same time, work was carried out on the
entire frame to improve uniformity and
balance. The changes made delivered funda-
mental improvements in the rackets perfor-
mance, introducing a new-concept racket
with changes to its structure, form and
details, CRP says. It was then possible to 3d
print the racket as a single monolithic piece.
CRP Technology; www.crptechnology.eu
AIMPLAS assists in Spanish composite lighthouseCOMPOSITES ARE TO be used extensively in
a new lighthouse project in Valencia, Spain.
The new lighthouse has been mainly desi-
gned with composite materials and is claimed
will demonstrate the potential of composites
in the construction sector. AIMPLAS will be
providing technical assistance on the project.
In this particular case, six carbon fiber
tubular profiles several-centimeters-thick
support a set of glass fiber floors slabs and
their bracings, which surround a central
tube that leads the stairs to the upper part
into the lantern room, all made with com-
posites.
The lighthouses only traditional con-
struction is the cupola, which is made with
traditional materials.
AIMPLAS has offered technical assistance
to the project managers and has ensured that
the building contractor met the quality plan.
AIMPLAS; www.aimplas.es
Airbus shares expertise with Americas Cup teamAIRBUS HAS ANNOUNCED a partnership
with ORACLE TEAM USA, the defending
champion of the Americas Cup, under
which it will share its composites expertise.
Airbus will also share its know-how
in aerodynamics, instrumentation and
simulation, structures, hydraulics and data
analysis with the yacht design team.
Americas Cup yachts are primarily con-
structed of carbon fiber composite. The new
Airbus A350 XWB, which made its maiden
flight last year, is the first Airbus aircraft to
be over 50 wt% composite.
The Americas Cup is a boat race, but the
design technology and engineering are very
often the winning factor, says ORACLE
TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill. The
new Americas Cup boats are lighter and
faster than what weve had before. They will
be powered by a wing and will fly above the
water on foils. Theyre as much like airplanes
as they are like traditional boats, so I know
well have a lot to learn from the experience
the engineers at Airbus bring to the project.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 APPLICATIONS
The 3D printed composite tennis racket.
The racket was made using Windforms carbon
fiber reinforced polyamide composite.5
http://www.wetzelengineering.com/http://www.wetzelengineering.com/http://www.crptechnology.eu/http://www.aimplas.es/
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APPLICATIONS
ORACLE TEAM USA first won the
Americas Cup in 2010 racing a trimaran
powered by one of the largest wings (68 m)
ever built. In 2013, the team successfully
defended its title in the AC72 class wingsail
powered catamarans that flew above the
water on hydrofoils at over 50 mph (90 kph).
The next Americas Cup will be in 2017
and raced in the new AC62 class a smaller,
lighter and more finely engineered foiling
catamaran than its predecessor that is
expected to reach similar speeds.
Airbus; www.airbus.com
ORACLE TEAM USA; oracle-team-usa.americascup.
com
APPLICATIONS Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 20156
http://www.airbus.com/http://www.oracle-team-usa.americascup.com/http://www.oracle-team-usa.americascup.com/
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KARL MAYER MALIMO Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH
Mauersbergerstrasse 2 09117 Chemnitz Germany Phone. +49 371 8143 0 Fax +49 371 8143 110
KARL MAYER LIBA Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH
Oberklingensporn 1 95119 Naila Germany Phone +49 9282 67-0 Fax +49 9282 5737
E-mail: [email protected] www.karlmayer.com
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-
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 BUSINESS
BusinessHexcel opens 6 million research centerHEXCEL HAS OPENED a new 6 million
research and technology (R&T) facility at
its Duxford, UK site.
Duxford is Hexcels largest center for
research into resin systems and adhesives
and is also the companys center of excel-
lence for process technology, including
product scale-up and research into new
process methods for making composite
materials, including quality control
methods.
Hexcel decided to create a new dedicated
facility to house all chemistry functions and
expand its R&T expertise. The aim is to
develop technologies that will enable com-
posite materials to penetrate further in aero-
space structures and in selected industrial
applications for energy, automotive and
other industrial markets. Construction of
the Innovation Center is scheduled for
completion in 2016.
Additional investments at Hexcel
Duxford include the expansion of and film-
ing systems to support large scale produc-
tion of the composite materials required for
the Airbus A350 XWB program. Resin films
produced in Hexcel Duxford are combined
with carbon fiber and converted into
unidirectional prepreg at Hexcel plants in
France, Spain, Germany and the USA.
The company has also announced that
it will invest in a new prepreg tower
and expand its honeycomb capacity at
Duxford. The prepreg tower is expected
to be qualified by early 2017 to support
the increasing demand for aerospace pro-
grams including the A350 XWB.
Hexcel also plans to add up to 100 jobs to
the Duxford workforce by 2017.
Hexcel; www.hexcel.com
Composites information service launchedLUCIDEON, a provider of materials devel-
opment, testing and assurance, has launched
a new Composites Information Service.
The new service allows companies to
gather information specifically relating
to composite materials, including process-
es, properties, applications and benefits.
Our experienced team of information
specialists are able to take your specific topic
area or keywords, and provide you with a
sample database search and relevant
abstracts with accompanying bibliographic
details, said Ann Pace, information services
manager at Lucideon.
Lucideon; www.lucideon.com
The opening ceremony was attended by Vince Cable, UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovationand Skills, seen here with Hexcel senior vice president and CFO Wayne Pensky (left).0034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.009
7
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BUSINESS
USINESS Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015
oray Industries to supply 777X wings material to BoeingOEING HAS SIGNED a memorandum of
greement with Japanese composite suppli-
r Toray Industries to expand its current
ontract for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to
clude the 777X wing material.
Adding the 777X wings to the current 787
ontract represents a significant increase in
he material Toray is supplying to Boeing.
he long-term contract extension will take
ffect in 2015.
The companies will also collaborate
o improve the commercialization of
omposites in the aerospace market, in-
reasing the consistency and performance
f composites across the production
ystem and developing a cost structure
that could be more competitive with
metals.
Boeing and Toray pioneered the use of
prepreg composites in the 1970s. By 1994,
assemblies including the empennage and
floor beams were being produced for the
777 program, the first commercial air-
plane featuring structurally significant
composite parts. This culminated in the
launch of the 787, the worlds first largely
composite commercial airplane, in 2004.
Toray and Boeing have worked together to
develop all of the current Boeing pro-
grams: the Next-Generation 737, 737
MAX, 747, 767, 777 and the 787 Dream-
liner.
We believe that this agreement signifies
the solid mutual trust Toray has been build-
ing with Boeing through the stable supply of
high quality carbon fiber materials since the
1970s, said Akihiro Nikkaku, president of
Toray Industries. Going forward, Toray will
continue to duly enhance its supply capacity
in line with the production increases
planned by Boeing.
Boeing now has contracts in place for
more than 75 percent of the major structur-
al material for the 777X. The wingspan of
the 777X measures 71.7 m (235.4 feet),
6.95 m (22.8 feet) longer than the span of
todays 777-300ER.
Toray Industries; www.toray.com
A Composites acquires PNG BalsaA COMPOSITES, A DIVISION of Schweiter
echnologies, is to acquire PNG Balsa. Pro-
ucer and distributor of structural core
aterials 3A Composites has signed a con-
ract to acquire PNGB, a producer of Balsa
ith its own plantations in Papua New
uinea.
This is a great addition to the exis-
ing businesses of 3A Composites. This
acquisition will ensure the future growth
of our Balsa wood related business says
Roman Thomassin, CEO of 3A Composites
Core Materials.
The combination of these two world class
organizations will further improve the qual-
ity and accessibility of Balsa wood globally.
Additionally, this will help all customers
to source stable, affordable, high quality
product in the future adds Roman Thomas-
sin. Pierre Moneton, Managing Director of
PNGB adds, This will ensure a healthy and
steady growth for PNGB in the future, while
providing us access to new markets, custo-
mers, and products.
3A Composites; www.3acomposites.com
PNG Balsa; www.pngbalsa.com
014 Composites UK Awards dinnerHE UK COMPOSITES industry celebrated
s successes at the 2014 Composites UK
wards Dinner held on 11 November.
Besides the nine award winners, an Out-
tanding Contribution to the UK Compo-
ites Industry Award was presented to Paul
hakspeare of Shakspeare Services for being
strumental in the concept development
f the Hub database, his leading role in the
omposites Leadership Forum and his
ork in developing the UK Composites
trategy.
It is great to see positive news being shared
nd recognised in a fantastic industry and
ritish manufacturing, said Ben Wilson, di-
ctor of MPM (Bradford) which co-spon-
ored with Axillium and the National
Composites Centre. The awards are also a
great event to meet in a more social environ-
ment and catch up with some great contacts.
The awards keep improving year on year and
we look forward to being involved as much as
possible.
The 2015 dinner will take place on
Wednesday 4th November.
Composites UK; www.compositesuk.co.uk
omposite Cluster Singapore and Componeering in software partnershipOMPOSITE CLUSTER SINGAPORE PTE LTD
CS) and Componeering Inc. have signed
software in the ASEAN region. Through the
agreement, CCS becomes the regional dis-
The ASEAN region already has signifi-
cant production capacity for high-
The 2014 Composites UK Awards dinner held at
the UKs National Motorcycle Museum.Andrew Dugmore, chairman of Composites UK,
presenting at the dinner.n agreement to substantiate their collabo-
ation regarding Componeerings ESAComp
tributor and technical support center for
Componeerings ESAComp software.
performance composites, so the natural
next step is to develop their composite
http://www.hexcel.com/http://www.lucideon.com/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.009http://www.toray.com/http://www.3acomposites.com/http://www.pngbalsa.com/http://www.compositesuk.co.uk/
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;
BUSINESS
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 BUSINESS
design competencies too. Combined
with training, support and know-how
from CCS, ESAComp provides an excellent
base for learning structural design of ad-
vanced composites, said Mr. Markku
Palantera, General Manager of Compo-
neering.
ESAComp has established itself as the best
composite design software around and it also
integrates easily with common CAE software.
We are therefore very happy to establish this
partnership with Componeering that allows
us to substantially upgrade our customers
advanced composites capabilities. Compos-
ite design capabilities are a key element to go
from contract manufacturing to original de-
sign manufacturing and ESAComp directly
addresses that, added Dr. Florian Doetzer,
Managing Director of CCS.
Composite Cluster Singapore Pte Ltd
www.compositecluster.com
Hexagon Composites acquires assets of MasterWorks Machining and Helman TensionersHEXAGON COMPOSITES wholly owned
subsidiary Hexagon Lincoln has closed on
a transaction acquiring the main assets of
MasterWorks family of businesses: Master-
Works Machining, MasterWorks Compos-
ite Solutions and Helman Tensioners.
MasterWorks and Helman Tensioners
specialize in providing design and
manufacturing solutions for the composites
industry. Hexagon Composites says that
this acquisition enhances its technology
leadership and manufacturing robustness,
and will provide additional capabilities for
further expansions.
The agreed transaction value is US$1.7
million. Located in Maryland on the US East
Coast, MasterWorks has 29 employees. The
business will operate under a newly formed
entity, MasterWorks, Inc., as a wholly
owned subsidiary of Hexagon Lincoln.
Hexagon Lincoln; www.hexagonlincoln.com
Momentive CCT and Consuta collaborate on composites trainingCOMBINED COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGIES
LTD., part of Momentive Specialty Chemi-
cals (Momentive CCT), has developed a
specially adapted training school in collab-
oration with Consuta Training at its facility
in Segensworth North, near Fareham,
Hampshire in the United Kingdom.
Momentive CCT says that the new train-
ing school will not only be able to improve
skills of its own workforce, but is also devel-
oping capacity to enable it to provide high-
quality training to the workforce across the
composite industry. Consuta Training is
collaborating in the venture, providing flex-
ible, modular and bespoke courses in a
range of composite production processes.
According to Momentive CCT, the new
training school is equipped with a full range
of molds, autoclaves, ovens, vacuum equip-
ment and all the ancillary tools needed to
facilitate courses in the three major com-
posite production processes: wet lay-up,
pre-preg and resin infusion. Class sizes are
kept to a maximum number of 10 students,
to ensure the delivery of the highest quality
tuition from Consutas expert trainers.
Consutas courses, held at Momentive
CCT, are open to all composite manufactur-
ing companies, colleges and universities,
across the UK and further afield. Addition-
ally, Consuta says that its approach allows
students to learn one topic or process at a
time if required, in manageable chunks, at
intervals to fit in with their work or other
studies.
Paul Collier, Managing Director at
Momentive CCT, commented: We see this
collaborative approach between manufac-
turer and trainer as the way forward to
ensure the composite industry has a com-
petent, well-qualified workforce. The need
for high-quality training applies to existing
employees, who may need to acquire addi-
tional skills, just as much as to new employ-
ees who need to be trained from scratch.
Chris Little, Director of Consuta Train-
ing, added: We are really excited to be
delivering our specialized composite train-
ing courses within the dedicated school at
Momentive CCTs production facility. Con-
sutas courses have already started with
Momentive CCTs employees and we look
forward to welcoming students from across
industry and academia.
Consuta; www.consuta.com
RocTool signs global license agreement with FlextronicsROCTOOL, THE DESIGNER and developer
of technologies for rapid injection molding
of composites and plastics, has signed a
global license agreement with Flextronics,
a provider of global end-to-end supply
chain solutions including designing,
manufacturing, shipping and services for
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Flextronics began using RocTool technol-
ogies in 2011. However, the new global
license expands the agreement to include
RocTool latest injection molding processes
for composites and plastic injection and
innovations for consumer electronics, auto-
motive, wearable applications, and a wide
range of consumer products.
Francois Barbier, president of Global
Operations and Components at Flextronics
states: We are happy to expand our part-
nership with RocTool as well as increasing
the molding processes and capabilities that
we provide our valued OEM customers.
Flextronics adds that it has an estab-
lished global presence, and its capabilities
Chris Little, Director of Consuta Training, instructsthrough a hands-on demonstration.9
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-
BUSINESS
BUSINESS Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015
include injection molding and comp-
ression molding, that include the latest
Heat and Cool technologies from Roc-
Tool.
Alexandre Guichard, RocTool chairman
says: Combining our unique technology
with Flextronics impressive molding capa-
bilities on a global scale should create new
opportunities and bring to the OEMs a
relevant manufacturing solution.
RocTool; www.roctool.com
UK boat builder CTruk plans expansionCTRUK IS PLANNING to develop a new site
to build the larger support vessels required
for the latest offshore wind farm projects.
Established in 2010, CTruk designs and
builds composite offshore wind farm sup-
port vessels using the resin infusion process.
It has also built a proof-of-concept military
vessel.
The company recently signed the lease on
a 6400 m2 site on the Colne Estuary, a few
miles upriver from its current base in Bright-
lingsea. It plans to use the new Fieldgates
site to build the larger vessels required for
offshore wind farm projects further out to
sea. It is planning to move some production
activity over early next year.
The company has also applied for a grant
through Round 6 of Regional Growth Fund
(RGF) to build a new production facility,
offices and training centre on the Fieldgates
site. This Advanced Composite Technology
Centre could create more than 120 new
jobs over the next 5 years. If the new centre
goes ahead, the existing Brightlingsea site
will become CTruks vessel delivery, main-
tenance and warranty base.
CTruk has driven innovation in offshore
wind vessel design since its inception, and
we intend to continue to apply our unique
approach to design and build with the
larger accommodation vessels required
for the challenging sea conditions further
offshore, says CTruk chairman Peter
McIntosh. This requirement is the main
driver for our planned expansion, but the
technology centre, with its in-house train-
ing facility, would also see us well placed to
diversify into other commercial marine sec-
tors, set up overseas agreements and also
apply our composites expertise to non-
marine manufacturing opportunities.
CTruk expects a decision on grant fund-
ing support in early 2015.
CTruk; www.ctruk.com
Exel Composites unveils new strategyEXEL COMPOSITES has announced a new
strategy focused on accelerating growth in
China, penetrating new applications and
market segments, creating a global foot-
print, and growing through new technolo-
gies.
The company, headquartered in Finland,
employs the pultrusion, pullwinding, con-
tinuous lamination and prepreg moulding
processes to manufacture composite pro-
files and tubes for industrial applications.
Exel reports that growth in China will be
accelerated by expanding the local sales
network, R&D and manufacturing capacity.
Global footprint will be expanded by in-
creasing sales coverage and growing supply
and service to new market areas, including
Americas.
Exel also announced new financial tar-
gets of: Growth: turnover growth 2 average
market growth;
Profitability: operating profit margin
over 10% of net sales; and Capital efficiency: return on capital
employed over 20%.
The company says acquisitions are tar-
geted to boost growth and to cover market
and technology gaps.
Exel Composites; www.exelcomposites.com
Quickstep to create automotive division at Deakin UniversityQUICKSTEP HOLDINGS LTD, an Australian
manufacturer of carbon fiber composite
components for the aerospace, defense
and automotive industries, is establishing
a dedicated automotive division co-located
with Deakin University to design automo-
tive manufacturing cells.
Quickstep has been awarded a grant of
$1.76 million from the Geelong Region
Innovation and Investment Fund (GRIIF)
(an Australian Government, Victorian
Government and Ford Australia funded
initiative under the Geelong Region
Innovation and Investment Fund), which
will assist with this project.
The proposed CTruk Advanced Composite Technology Centre could create 120 new jobs.10
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BUSINESS
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 BUSINESS
The Quickstep automotive division will
be located at Deakin Universitys Waurn
Ponds campus in Geelong. Quickstep will
establish a new facility to design and devel-
op automotive manufacturing cells incor-
porating the Quickstep Process, an out-of-
autoclave technology which uses fluids to
cure components, and the Quickstep resin
spray transfer (RST) system.
The facility will also enable the produc-
tion of customer prototypes and initial
production quantities. Total project expen-
diture is anticipated to be $5.6 million from
now to June 2017 and will create 30 new
jobs.
Quickstep has collaborated with Deakin
University for over a decade. The new facil-
ity will also give the company access to
Carbon Nexus, Deakins open access pilot
carbon fibre manufacturing line and re-
search facility.
We are capitalizing on Deakins knowl-
edge of Quickstep and the areas wealth of
automotive skills to create a new automo-
tive division associated with the Carbon
Nexus facility, says Quickstep Executive
Chairman, Tony Quick. This grant will
make an important contribution to enable
us to build a strong automotive culture
and propel Quickstep further into the
global automotive market. Carbon Nexus
provides access to industry and a team of
researchers who have helped to develop
new carbon fibres, reduce production costs
and speed up manufacturing processes,
and we will benefit from their expertise
as we improve our volume production
capacity.
Quicksteps primary business model for
the automotive sector is to produce
manufacturing cells and license its Quick-
step Process and RST technology to manu-
facturers around the world. The company
says it is currently in advanced negotia-
tions with an original equipment manu-
facturer.
Quickstep Holdings (ASX:QHL) operates
aerospace manufacturing facilities at Banks-
town Airport in Sydney, Australia and is an
approved supplier for the international F-35
Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) pro-
gram. The company has also been selected
by Lockheed Martin as the sole supplier of
composite wing flaps for the C-130J Hercu-
les military transport aircraft.
Quickstep; www.quickstep.com.au
Deakin University; www.deakin.edu.au
SAERTEX expands capacity in US and BrazilMULTIAXIAL REINFORCEMENTS PRO-
DUCER SAERTEX has announced the acqui-
sition of US company Fiber Glass Industries
knitting equipment and nonwoven produc-
tion capacity, as well as plans to increase
production capacity at its Brazilian facility.
With the addition of FGIs equipment,
SAERTEX will now expand its focus on
the North American marine and industrial
markets. The marine industry, in particular,
will enjoy wider access to SAERTEXs prod-
uct portfolio, including SAERcore, a rein-
forcement textile combining any desired
core material and facing materials.
SAERTEX will also continue to strength-
en its presence in the Brazilian market
with its newest facility SAERTEX Brasil in
Indaiatuba, Sao Paulo. This site, which be-
gan production in 2014, will increase its
annual production capacity of non-crimp
multiaxial fabrics from the current 5000 tons
to 15,000 tons in 2015.
The SAERTEX Group, headquartered in
Germany, produces glass, aramid and car-
bon fiber multiaxial non-crimp fabrics
(NCFs). It has manufacturing facilities in
Europe, South Africa, the USA, India, Brazil
and China, and a sales and distribution
network covering more than 50 countries.
SAERTEX; www.saertex.com
HGGC and Charlesbank Capital Partners acquire The Composites GroupUS PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS HGGC and
Charlesbank Capital Partners, with portfo-
lio company Citadel Plastics Holdings,
have completed the acquisition of The
Composites Group (TCG), a manufacturer
of thermoset composite moulding com-
pounds.
The acquisition of TCG from private in-
vestment firm Highlander Partners, expands
Citadels portfolio and builds the companys
presence in markets such as energy,
aerospace and healthcare.
Formed in 2007 and headquartered in
West Chicago, Citadel provides both ther-
moplastics and engineered composite com-
pounds for the automotive, electrical,
construction, and other markets. Its com-
panies include BMC, a manufacturer of
thermoset bulk moulding compounds
(BMC).
TCG, headquartered in Ohio, USA, com-
prises three business units Premix, Hadlock
Plastics and Quantum Composites offering
a portfolio of glass fibre and carbon fiber
reinforced thermoset composite moulding
compounds and parts. This year TCG
launched the PremierLTTM family of light-
weight, high-performance sheet moulding
compounds (SMCs) designed for structural
and semi-structural applications, and the
PremierUVTM UV-resistant, flame retardant
SMCs for electrical and outdoor applications
With this acquisition, and the addition of
Lucent Polymers in December 2013, Citadel
has significantly expanded its business, with
revenue increasing from approximately
US$300 million to approximately US$525
million.
TCG strategically enhances Citadels
positioning in the market, strengthening
the companys ability to deliver customer
solutions across a growing portfolio of
product and material capabilities, reported
Gary Crittenden, Chairman of Citadel.
TCG; www.thecompositesgroup.com11
http://www.quickstep.com.au/http://www.deakin.edu.au/http://www.saertex.com/http://www.thecompositesgroup.com/
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Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 TECHNOLOGY
TechnologyMarkForged develops 3D printer for carbon fibreUS company MarkForged says its Mark One
3D printer enables engineers to design and
create carbon, Kevlar1 and glass fiber com-
posite parts at their desk.
The Mark One machine, which is
322 mm 360 mm 575 mm in size,employs the patent pending Composite
Filament Fabrication (CFFTM) process.
Parts made with CFF contain continuous
strands of fibers embedded in a thermo-
plastic matrix that hardens during print-
ing.
The patent pending towpreg developed
by MarkForged allows the Mark One to
produce parts up to 20 times stiffer and
five times stronger than the traditional
unreinforced commodity thermoplastics
like ABS used by most 3D printing systems.
MarkForged currently offers three differ-
ent continuous reinforcing towpregs in a
proprietary polyamide (PA) blend: MarkForged Carbon Fiber CFF filament
has the strongest strength-to-weight ratio
(stronger than 6061-T6 aluminium by
weight); MarkForged Fiberglass CFF filament has
the best strength-to-cost balance, and is
also EMR transparent and electrically
insulating; and MarkForged Kevlar1 CFF filament pro-
vides high abrasion and impact resis-
tance.
Many of our customers had never made
composites before, and they are using the
Mark One to produce brackets, tooling
and fixtures that they used to make from
aluminum, reports Greg Mark, CEO and
Founder of MarkForged.
MarkForged is backed by Matrix Partners
and North Bridge Venture Partners. The Mark One 3D printer won an
American Composites Manufacturers As-
sociation (ACMA) Award for Composites
Excellence (ACE) in the Manufacturing
category at the 2014 Composites and Ad-
vancedMaterialsExpo (CAMX) trade show
in Orlando, Florida, on 1316 October.
MarkForged; www.markforged.com
Helping boat builders develop new designs3A COMPOSITES CORE MATERIALS and
composites consultancy STRUCTeam have
developed structural design software to
help boat builders and designers optimise
new boat designs.
The software provides a bill of materials
and weight estimate compliant with
both ISO 12215 Category A and ABS guide-
lines. This will help boat builders and
designers conduct rapid feasibility studies
that reduce the cost and complexity of their
designs.
Decreasing the cost and complexity of
structural design without impacting on
performance are key drivers behind the de-
velopment of new boats, explained STRUC-
Teams managing director Julien Sellier. We
input the basic dimensions of a motor or
sailing yacht between 25 ft and 70 ft plus
the designers preferred build technology
into our software solution. The output is a
rapid first calculation of the bill of materials.
The service is tailored to the marine
industrys needs and it incorporates the
primary technologies used in boat building.
Designers can choose composites technolo-
gies including glass or carbon fiber, and
3A Composites product range of balsa,
PVC or PET foam core materials.
STRUCTeam; www.structeam-ltd.com
Toho Tenax develops thermoset carbon fiber preform technologyTOHO TENAX CO LTD says it has devel-
oped a technology for the efficient produc-
tion of thermoset carbon fiber reinforced
plastic (CFRP) preforms, which it is calling
Tenax1 Part via Preform (PvP).
The new technology is said to be based
on a one-step carbon fiber bobbin to
preform concept using Tenax Binder Yarn,
which combines carbon fiber with a
binder resin. The yarn can be processed
to give random fiber placement for isotro-
pic behaviour, or aligned fiber placement
in areas where higher mechanical perfor-
mance is required, or a combination of
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TECHNOLO
GY
The company claims that the Tenax PvP
process enables automated manufacturing
of preforms to any desired geometry. Expen-
sive intermediate steps are not necessary.
The technology is also said to help reduce
both carbon fiber waste and manual labour
compared to conventional preform pro-
duction.
Toho Tenax expects this automated, cost-
effective solution for the manufacture of
CFRP components will be particularly at-
tractive to the automotive industry.
The company has demonstrated the
use of Tenax PvP technology in high-
and low-pressure resin transfer molding
(RTM) processes for both structural and
visual automotive parts. It says it is
now working with car makers worldwide
to develop commercial applications for
Tenax PvP.
Toho Tenax is the core company of the
Teijin Groups carbon fibers and composites
business. Teijin has been working on a car-
bon fiber thermoplastic composites technol-
ogy for the production of automotive
components (collaborating with General
Motors) and last year it launched its Sereebo
brand carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic
materials.
Teijin; www.teijin.com
Faurecia promotes hemp-based materials for auto industryAutomotive equipment supplier Faurecia
has created a 50/50 joint venture with
French agricultural cooperative Interval to
develop and produce bio-sourced raw mate-
rials for the automotive industry.
The joint venture company, called Auto-
motive Performance Materials (APM), will
draw on the assets of Frances industrial and
agricultural sectors to develop industrial
uses for natural fibers such as hemp.
Interval will harvest and defibrate hemp
and supply it to APM, which will transform
and mix the product with polypropylene
resin to create a material known as NAFI-
Lean, which can be processed in traditional
injection moulding machines. Automotive
equipment suppliers will then be able to use
this material to make automotive parts such
as instrument panels, door panels and cen-
tre consoles.
According to Faurecia, NAFILean enables
weight savings of up to 20% on standard
plastics, and reduces overall environmental
impact by 2025% through the compo-
nents lifecycle.
APM will also begin industrial production
of BioMat, a 100% bio-sourced plastic that
uses fibers and natural resins obtained from
biomass, developed in partnership with
Mitsubishi Chemical.
APM aims to supply the automotive in-
dustry through Faurecia and other compa-
nies. It has started production in France and
is set to expand to the North American
market in 2016, with plans to export to Asia
by 2018.
Faurecia, headquartered in France, con-
tinues to invest in research into bio-sourced
materials with the dual goal of reducing
environmental impact and promoting in-
dependence from oil-based products.
Faurecia; www.faurecia.com
Benzoxazine resin suitable for high-temp usesCHEMICAL GIANT Henkel and Quickstep,
an Australian manufacturer of carbon fiber
composite components, have tested Hen-
kels Loctite benzoxazine resin in high tem-
perature-resistant components for aircraft
and helicopters.
The use of liquid resin processes such as
resin transfer molding (RTM) and vacuum
assisted RTM (VARTM) has developed rap-
idly in recent years. There is a need to use
these processes more extensively in future
aerospace structures because large and com-
plex parts can be manufactured economi-
cally, and the costs of autoclave processing
of prepreg materials can be avoided. Despite
the benefits of liquid resin processes, there
are challenges to extending their use to
primary structure and high temperature
applications due to the limitations of the
resin systems available, the companies say.
In tests, Henkels Loctite BZ 9130 AERO
resin was combined with a rapid heating and
cooling manufacturing approach to produce
high temperature resistant composite lami-
nates and parts at significantly lower cycle
times. Key mechanical strength properties
were measured. The technique was then ap-
plied to a curved, integrally stiffened com-
posite panel to demonstrate the ability of the
process to produce complex parts suitable for
use in aerospace applications.
For the laminate and demonstrator
curing the Quickstep process was chosen.
Faurecias NAFILean hemp-fiber reinforced thermoplastic features in the door panels of the production-
spec Peugeot 308.
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he Quickstep process is based on the prin-
iple of conduction heating and uses a heat
ransfer fluid (HTF) to apply heat and pres-
ure to the uncured component during pro-
essing.
In order to demonstrate the capability of
he resin and infusion/curing techniques
n a scale larger than flat laminates, a dem-
nstrator panel, approximately 1 m2 was
reformed and infused. This panel consists
f 5 layers of 370 gsm 5HS carbon fabric for
he skin plies, resulting in a skin thickness
f 2 mm, onto which a series of four hat-
haped, or omega-type stiffeners were placed
sing removable mandrels. The assembly
as bagged and placed into the Quickstep
uring chamber for infusion and cure.
The processing of the Loctite BZ 9130
resin proved to be infusion-friendly in
the Quickstep process, and void-free panels
were produced with fiber volumes in the
5557% range, which is considered high for
a woven fabric laminate. Mechanical eval-
uation and quality measurement of the
panels confirmed values similar to or higher
than those achieved in standard oven-based
VARTM processing. The Quickstep process
provided a faster heating and cooling of the
laminate and uniform temperature during
the infusion process.
Henkel and Quickstep presented the full
study at CAMX in Orlando, USA, in mid-
October.
Henkel Adhesives; www.henkel-adhesives.
com/aerospace
ranta teams up with Wichita State to use composite dataRANTA DESIGN and Wichita State Uni-
ersitys (WSU) National Center for Ad-
anced Materials Performance (NCAMP)
ave agreed that NCAMPs composite de-
ign and test data will be available to users
f the GRANTA MI materials information
anagement system.
Granta already supplies NCAMP data to
ngineering enterprises that use its soft-
are, particularly in the aerospace and de-
nse sectors, but the new agreement will
eliver more in-depth data to these orga-
izations, as well as securing access to
ture updates and improving the speed
of delivery of data updates. This will allow
the companies to compare and analyze the
new information alongside in-house data.
NCAMP data can be fully integrated in
GRANTA MI not only material property
reference data on composites, metals and
plastics from a range of other materials
data sources, but also with an organiza-
tions own proprietary composite data from
testing, QA, research and production.
For example, instead of qualifying an
entire material system, aircraft manufac-
turers can pull a system from the NCAMP
database, prove equivalency and gain
certification more quickly. Material suppli-
ers can work with NCAMP to qualify mate-
rial systems without having to be linked to
an ongoing aircraft certification program.
The composite specification and design
values developed using the NCAMP process
are accepted by the Federal Aviation Admin-
istration and the European Aviation Safety
Agency per FAA Memorandum AIR100-
2010-120-003 and EASA Certification
Memorandum CM-S-004. NCAMP stemmed
from NASAs 1995 Advanced General
Aviation Transport Experiment (AGATE).
Granta Design; www.grantadesign.com
NSERT joining technology demonstrated on BMW i3
ssembly specialist Bollhoff and adhesives
xpert DELO have developed a bonded bolt
echnology called ONSERT which has been
emonstrated in a pilot project on the
MW i3 electric vehicle.
ONSERT can be used with composites such
as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP),
which is finding increasing use in the auto-
motive industry, as well as thin sheet metals,
plasticsandothermaterials.Thejoiningtech-
nique combines the advantages of bonding
technology with those of detachable screwed
connections. Fastening elements, such as
threaded metal bolts, are fitted a transparent
plastic base, which is bonded to the compos-
ite material using a light-curing adhesive.
A key feature of this technique is its speed,
explains DELO. The adhesive is cured in
around 4 s using an LED lamp. It is also
possible to automate this process. The bond-
ed connection can be loaded immediately.
Bonded bolts with a base diameter of 25 mm
achieve a pull-off strength up to 2000 N
on CFRP. When applying higher forces, a
predetermined breaking point in the base
Hat-stiffened curved panel demonstrator
produced using BZ 9130 resin. (Photo: Business
Wire).
he ONSERT threaded bolt with plastic base anddhesive (red) on a CFRP plate. (Picture courtesy
f Bollhoff.)
In the BMW i3 trial the ONSERT joining
technology was used to fix cables, cladding and
other components. The BMW i3 has a CFRPmonocoque. (Picture courtesy of BMW.)
ECHNOLOGY Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 20154
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ensures that the composite laminate remains
intact and no fibers are torn out.
Developed for the automotive, aviation
and white goods industries, ONSERTs
are suitable for a broad variety of tasks
where components must be fixed. Possible
applications include cable harnesses,
control units, sensor retainers, brake
lines, cladding or exterior attachment
components.
DELO; www.delo.de
Bollhoff Group; www.boellhoff.com
Siemens updates Fibersim softwareSIEMENS has updated its Fibersim compo-
sites engineering software with new func-
tionality for bi-directional exchange of
computer-aided engineering (CAE) and
computer-aided design (CAD) data.
The software can be used to design and
manufacture composite structures and is
suitable for the aerospace, automotive, ma-
rine, and wind energy industries.
Siemens says that the new improvements
eliminate error prone data re-entry and can
reduce design and analysis time by up to 80%
and shorten some design for manufacturing
processes by up to 50%.
Fibersim 13 integrates analysis data into
the design environment, enabling automatic
design updates based on analysis results. It
also provides new design-for-manufacturing
processes that help improve parts designed to
match the manufacturing definition and
then trimmed to the engineering definition.
Manufacturing composite products
requires a multi-disciplined, concurrent
engineering approach where information
is efficiently exchanged between disci-
plines during all phases of the development
cycle, said Steve Luby, senior vice presi-
dent, specialized engineering software,
Siemens PLM Software. Exchanging com-
posites information between analysis and
design has historically been extremely
difficult and error prone because the
terminology and geometric representa-
tions used by each discipline are different.
The enhancements in Fibersim 13 improve
productivity by enabling engineers to im-
port and update their CAD model from the
CAE composite part representation, pro-
viding engineers with a tool to efficiently
optimize designs.
Fibersim 13 also extends its integration
with Siemens Teamcenter software to asso-
ciate manufacturing datasets such as flat
patterns, laser data and automated deposi-
tion data to the proper model revision and
subsequently communicate this informa-
tion to the factory floor.
Siemens; www.siemens.com
Creating composite structures with thermoplastic tapesCOMPOSITE CLUSTER SINGAPORE (CCS)
has conceived a technology that combines
thermoplastic tape placement technology
with robotics and laser technologies to create
compositestructuresatpotentiallylowercost.
CCS plans to develop the idea in a joint
project with its partners HOPE Technik Pte
Ltd., KUKA Robot Automation (M) Sdn Bhd,
SGL Group and TRUMPF Pte Ltd. While
HOPE will focus on integration and proto-
typing (HOPE), (KUKA) will offer robotics.
Thermoplastic composite material will be
supplied by SGL and industrial laser tech-
nology by TRUMPF.
CCS and its partners say that they are
building on recent advancements in high-
performance carbon fiber reinforced poly-
mers (CFRP) material and automation to
create a way to make components without
expensive molds and tooling.
The idea of freespace composite
manufacturing that we are developing
further in this project is certainly pushing
the boundaries of what is possible with
todays technology, said Dr. Florian Doet-
zer, MD of CCS, who is leading the project.
It is the joint competence of world class
project partners that will allow us to
achieve something that has never been
done before.
The success of the project will push the
boundaries in materials engineering
in Singapore and have disruptive implica-
tions in the high-technology based
manufacturing for the aerospace, aviation
and motoring industries, said Edwin
Chow, executive director for the innova-
tion and start-ups group, standards, produc-
tivity and innovation board (SPRING)
Singapore, which is supporting the project.
Composite Cluster Singapore; www.
compositecluster.com
Giant robot helps NASA make composite partsNASAs LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER has
installed a huge robotic arm that can move in
pre-programmed patterns to deposit carbon
fibers and epoxy to make aerospace struc-
tures and parts.
The advanced composite research capabil-
ity, called ISAAC (Integrated Structural As-
sembly of Advanced Composites) is located
in NASAs Hampton, Virginia facility and
cost around US$1.7 million dollars to devel-
op and install.
We have worked for two years to obtain
this precise robotic technology. But we pro-
posed the idea more than six years ago, said
structural mechanics engineer Chauncey
Wu. It will really make a difference in our
ability to understand composite materials
and processes for use in aviation and space
vehicles.
The researchers plan to have ISAAC up
and running by early 2015 with the first
research customer the Aeronautics Research
Mission Directorates Advanced Compo-
sites Project (ACP).
The ACP is a public-private partnership
that is geared toward reducing the amount
of time and money it takes to bring new, ad-
vanced composites from test tube to vehicles.
The crane returned two weeks later so the 21-
foot tall robot arm could be placed on the track.The robot head will make large composite pieces
by sliding up and down the track laying down
epoxy and carbon fibers in precise patterns.
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NASAs space projects also plan to use the
AAC system in their research. The second
roject planned for the robot is the Com-
osites for Exploration Upper Stage (C-EUS)
roject, a partnership between the Space
Technology Mission Directorate and Hu-
man Exploration Mission Directorate that
is led by the Marshall Space Flight Center.
The C-EUS Project is a three-year effort to
design, build, test and address flight certifi-
cation of a large composite shell suitable
for the second stage of the Space Launch
System.
NASA; www.nasa.gov
ew tech uses natural wood fibersEW TECHNOLOGY developed at the Uni-
ersity of Southern Mississippis school of
olymers and high performance materials
nd Oregon State University uses natural
ood fibers to reinforce plastic materials.
According to Mississippis Joshua
taigbe, who is leading the project with
hn Nairn from Oregon State, the technol-
gy could revolutionize the composite in-
ustry, particularly building, construction,
utomobiles, and aircraft.
Currently, the composite industry com-
ines wood particles rather than fibers with
olymers. What we are doing is extracting
bers, which are different from particles, said
taigbe. The fiber is a lot stiffer and stronger
an the wood particles, and provides the
inforcing capability for the plastic.
The process under development involves
aking the wood fibers, usually within
aper, and placing them in a mold, then
jecting a reaction mixture used to make
he polymers. The temperature is then
aised to 150 8C relatively low when com-ared to traditional melting methods and
he mixture forms a composite in a matter
f minutes. The lower temperatures are im-
ortant, since wood fibers tend to degrade
t temperatures above 190 8C.Wood fiber is renewable and based on
gricultural products, and the composite
materials we come up with would biode-
grade after their service life without harm-
ing the environment, said Otaigbe.
Greater use of wood fibers in producing
composites also could be a boost to the
paper industry by providing an important
new use for wood pulp, since paper is a
raw material for the projects. We can
extract wood fibers out of paper, he
added.
The work is being funded by the National
Science Foundation (NSF) through its struc-
tural materials and mechanics program of
the division of civil, mechanical, and
manufacturing innovation.
National Science Foundation; www.nsf.gov
ORMAX glass multiaxial fabrics achieve DNV classificationORMAX, THE MANUFACTURER of carbon
ber and speciality reinforcements, has
een awarded DNV classification for its
ange of glass multiaxial fabrics.
With a complete portfolio of carbon
ultiaxials having already achieved the
ame status, the company says that a sig-
ificant proportion of FORMAX products
ave now been accredited by the certifica-
ion body.
FORMAX supplies bespoke, engineered
fabrics with different ply weights and orien-
tations to create materials optimized for
a diverse range of applications. The Glass
Multiaxial range includes a selection of Uni-
directional, 45 Biaxial, 0/90 Biaxial, Triax-ial, and Quadaxial fabrics from weights as
low as 250 gsm, up to 6000 gsm in a variety
of fabric widths from 25 mm to 2540 mm.
FORMAX; www.formax.co.uk
This image is a schematic of structure of the wall of a wood cell, showing the substructure of load-
bearing cellulose microfibrils.
FORMAX has been awarded DNV classification for
its range of glass multiaxial fabrics.
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Graphene-toughened composites may benefit new aerospace structuresTHE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING at Cardiff
University and Haydale have announced
new research demonstrating significant
improvements in mechanical performance
including impact resistance in carbon fiber
composites.
Plasma functionalisation technology is
producing significant improvements in me-
chanical performance and damage toler-
ance in carbon fibre composites.
These results, particularly the increased
damage tolerance, could have significant
implications for the development of future
composite structures, demonstrating the
potential in future aircraft design for weight
saving and the consequent environmental
benefits such as reductions in CO2 emis-
sions.
The research was undertaken by the Car-
diff School of Engineering with additional
funding from the European Communitys
Seventh Framework program under the
Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative.
The Clean Sky Initiative is one of the largest
existing European research programs with
the aim of accelerating technological
advancements in aircraft design and green
aviation technology. The project was based
on requirements specified by the Centro
Italiano Richerche Aerospaziale (CIRA) for
developing new composite technologies for
Green Regional Aircraft (GRA), and was
managed by an integrated team from CIRA,
Cardiff School of Engineering and Haydale.
The research investigated graphene nano-
platelet (GNP) and carbon nanotube (CNT)
reinforcement technology. Compared to a
resin, a macro reinforcement such as carbon
fiber is immensely stiff and strong, and
hence in a fiber-reinforced composite, the
properties are dominated by the fiber. The
addition of functionalised graphene to neat
resin has been shown to result in a doubling
in stiffness, but the effect of this in a macro-
composite would normally be expected to be
much less. The results observed in this re-
search show a 13% increase in compression
strength and a 50% increase in compression
after impact performance, indicating that
fracture mode has been positively influ-
enced. This is a significant result as damage
res