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Deal volumes remain strong Composites come together The world on a composites diet


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

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

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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

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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/

.

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/

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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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


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


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/

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

the two.120034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.027

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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.

Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 TECHNOLOGY13

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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.

Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 2015 TECHNOLOGY15

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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.

ECHNOLOGY Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 1 January/February 20156

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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

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