The conveyor has outlets at each end so that the existing and a future, planned mill can be served. The conveyor has the declumping feature at each outlet, with supply controlled by which direction the auger is run in. When constructing reversible discharge screws, it is essential to ensure the flights are completely uniform otherwise the screw may compact material when running in one of the directions. The elevator features a long single span screw to avoid any potential blockages, effectively configured for pushing the poor flow fibre up the incline and minimise service needs.

Commenting, Scott Keil, manufacturing manager at Mersen, said, “After the recent success of working with Ajax to upgrade an existing line we were happy to work with them again on this new line. Commissioning with the new multi-screw system has gone exceptionally well with production totally satisfied that the Ajax feed of product to our mill is consistent and indeed superior to our original Silo set up.”

“Recently Ajax has seen a trend in projects requiring very large multi-screw feeders including two identical 11m quadruple screw feeders for a waste-to-energy facility and the sextuple screw feeder for Mersen. In these projects multi-screw feeders enable active extraction from high capacity hoppers with wide outlets, ensuring consistent supply of material for the processing line. Having adopted a hopper design which has a large outlet to secure flow it is critical that the feeder extracts over the full area and Ajax feeders are very adept at this,” said Eddie McGee, managing director, Ajax Equipment.

Craig Ryan, integrated product team director, Space Systems, Eaton’s Aerospace Group said:
“Our VITA can help transform the satellite industry. The efficient design of the VITA feed system requires less space on the satellite bus, plus it saves integrators significant procurement, assembly, testing, troubleshooting and rework effort.”

VITA will play a critical role in helping propel satellites to final orbit and in station-keeping to maintain orbital position. By enabling additional payload flexibility and control over which type of fuel can be included on a satellite mission, the VITA design supports the growing satellite industry, especially in the highly competitive area of small satellite providers.

“We have the infrastructure to quickly meet high demand volume and are currently taking orders,” said Ryan. “We look forward to supporting the success of a wide range of leaders and emerging innovators in the rapidly growing satellite market.”

The innovative design of Eaton’s VITA eliminates the feed system envelope by integrating proportional flow valve technology into a housing that is then integrated into the neck of a lightweight composite propellant tank. The initial configuration of the VITA solution has two redundant shut-off valves to support one thruster for increased reliability. The drop-in VITA design approach supports modular satellite configurations, making architectural changes easier. Qualified in testing with xenon, this system has demonstrated to be fully compatible with krypton as well. The valve and tank assembly can be pre-filled with propellant and shipped ready to install.

About Eaton Aerospace Group:
Eaton’s proven and trusted space propulsion technologies include tanks, valves, regulators and feed systems to provide customized solutions to meet specific customer requirements.

Eaton’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. They provide sustainable solutions that help their customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently, and more reliably. Eaton’s 2020 revenues were $17.9 billion, and they sell products to customers in more than 175 countries. They have approximately 85,000 employees.

This multi-agitator system is equipped with independently controlled drives and is highly efficient at producing good turnover and imparting shear to a viscous batch. Powered by a 300 HP TEFC inverter duty motor, the High Speed Disperser runs at tip speeds up to 5,000 feet per minute, inducing high shear forces while the 60 HP Three-Wing Helical Anchor Agitator feeds product towards the disperser blade and ensures that the mixture is constantly in motion.  Teflon scrapers on the anchor wipe materials from the vessel wall, enhancing heat transfer from the jacket.

The Eagle C135 continuously conveys rolled material good with consistent speed and control, delivering unrivaled levels of material utilization. The computer controlled (CNC) ply-cutting system is engineered for single- to low-ply automatic cutting of flexible fabrics and requires minimal operator guidance to automatically feed and spread material. The conveyor system is completely customizable based on application needs and available footprint.

It is the system of choice for thousands of manufacturers around the world due to its industrial build, durable components, and proven rack & pinion drive system. The Eagle C135 system features cutting speeds up to 60 inches per second (152cm/second). Material to be cut at the fair includes Vectorply e-glass, NEXX-Technologies prepreg carbon, and Lantor Soric®.

Meet Eastman at JEC World 2023, hall 6, stand D59.

The Scorpion AFP4.0 can work with thermoplastic, thermoset, dry fiber, & towpreg.

This is AFP4.0 in a box that includes:

• FANUC M-900iB/700 Robot
• 4 lane 1/4″ AFP head
• Vacuum Flat Charge Table (2.5m x 3m capacity)
• Laser safety enclosure
• Operator Interface

Modular AFP Head Features:

• 4 lane, 1/4″ tow baseline AFP
• 2 segment “eye-safe” Laser heat or 4 segment high output Laser heat
• Servo Creel

Process Capabilities:

• Initial Feed: 4000″/min (100m/min)
• Re-feed: 3000″/min (75m/min)
• Cut: 3000″/min (75m/min)
• Min piece: 4″ < l < 5.5″ @1200″/min (30m/min)
• Thermoplastic, Thermoset, Dry Fiber, & TowPreg

Capable of reaching a top speed of 360 kph (225 mph) in just 30 seconds from a standing start, it’s designed to set the bar for performance and technology in the radical new sport of piloted Airspeeder racing. This now opens the door to OEM teams to join Airspeeder in a motorsport revolution, as it unveils the world’s first, and fastest, crewed flying racing car for performance sports.

“We have built the vehicles, developed the sport, secured the venues, attracted the sponsors and technical partners. Now is the time for the world’s most progressive, innovative and ambitious automotive brands, OEM manufacturers and motorsport teams to be part of a truly revolutionary new motorsport.” said Matt Pearson, CEOAlauda Aeronautics

With its sophisticated electric propulsion system, advanced aerodynamics and a take-off weight (MTOW) of just 950kg, the Airspeeder Mk4 is also extremely efficient, with a projected range of 300km (188 miles) while producing near-zero emissions.The Airspeeder Mk4 is powered by a 1,000 kW (1,340 horsepower) turbogenerator which feeds power to the batteries and motors. Specifically designed for use in eVTOLs, this revolutionary technology allows green hydrogen to be used as fuel, providing safe, reliable and sustainable power over long distances and flight times.

The Mk4 has a projected range of over 300 km (188 miles). As well as taking the existing eVTOL industry into the next-generation H2eVTOL era, this technology has the potential to significantly reduce emissions and create a sustainable future for individual air travel.

The large-scale multi-material print was achieved by making modifications to the BAAM and including a new extruder design that accommodates a dual feed system.

For the past several years, CI has collaborated with the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to continuously improve and develop the BAAM. Initial research focused on large-scale printing of single material systems, typically short fiber reinforced polymers.

“The objective of this particular study was to demonstrate printing of a multi-material composites tool including transitions, exceeding 10 feet in length, containing recycled material and printed without manual intervention,” said Alex Riestenberg, CI’s Additive Manufacturing Product Manager.

The part selected for this demonstration was a single facet of a precast concrete tool used in the production of commercial window panels for a high-rise development in New York City. The mold weighed approximately 400 pounds, with a length of 10 feet, 10 inches. Print time was approximately seven hours.

“Studies have shown that by using multiple materials within a structure, new mechanical responses and multi-functionality can be achieved—such as light-weight structures with tailored mechanical properties, soft and rigid segments within a part and impact resistant structures,” said ORNL materials scientist Vidya Kishore.

The two materials used in the build were a blend containing 100% recycled CF/ABS and standard CF/ABS and ABS Syntactic foam.

Besides the ecological benefits of using recycled materials, the advantages of multi-material extrusion include incorporating conductive circuit printing for smart structures, light-weight core structures, lower costs for tooling, easier removal of support material, localized reinforcement of specific areas, the capability to use different materials in different features on the component, and even changing the color of the part.

The key to the accomplishment of the goals outlined above was the BAAM Multi-Material system, developed in conjunction with ORNL. The large dual-material thermoplastic extrusion system allows the user to print with multiple different materials within a single build using just one extruder.

“The source of material fed into the extruder is switched on the fly at specific times during a print by sliding two material ports back and forth over the infeed to the extruder,” said Riestenberg. “The system also includes a material blender outside the frame of the machine that can blend specific amounts of different materials and fillers on the fly for specific custom material grades.”

Riestenberg explained that the combination of the material feed switching mechanism and the material blender gives users the ability to print with several different types of materials and material combinations within a single build, instead of two.

“The BAAM with a multi-material system upgrade is the only machine that can currently do this, and that sets us apart from our competitors,” said Riestenberg. “With the scientific research support of DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and ORNL, we’ve been able to achieve this manufacturing milestone.”

Coming from all corners of the globe, the finalists include clean energy and desalination from sea waves and solar technologies; kelp forest restoration and seaweed innovations such as for bioplastics and methane-reducing livestock feed supplements; carbon dioxide removal such as through gasification of algae biomass, electrochemistry and alkalinity enhancement; and many more.

The finalists were selected by a global group of 18 Expert Evaluators for their impact potential, innovation, commercial and scale potential, capacity and feasibility, alignment with Prize principles, and the value of Prize support.

“We congratulate the semi-finalists and are thrilled to draw attention to these important and timely innovations to address our climate crisis, using the power of the ocean,” said Stanley Rowland, CEO of the Blue Climate Initiative. “As the current COP26 discussions emphasize, bold action on climate solutions has never been more urgent.”

The goal of the Ocean Innovation Prize is to identify and accelerate market-based ocean-related solutions to our climate crisis in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, and drawing insights from the Blue Climate Initiative’s Transformational Opportunities.

A High-Level Judges panel will select final winners early 2022, who will share the US$1 Million cash prize and be featured at the Blue Climate Summit in May 2022 in French Polynesia.

About CorPower Ocean:
CorPower Ocean brings innovative wave energy technology, converting ocean waves into clean electricity. Wave energy help offsetting the intermittency of wind and solar power, accelerating the transition to a 100% renewable future. Their technology is based on decades of research, inspired by the pumping-principle of the human heart, and using a composite buoy.

The solution is based on three steps: cutting of the material on a conveyor cutter or tape feeder,  picking of the material by the robot and then placing and spot-welding the plies to create a stabilized preform, ready to be moulded. It can work with the existing, wide material rolls to optimize the cost and does not need new design or qualification effort, since it uses existing processes for cutting and welding. Depending on the need, different variants can be supplied, optimized for productivity, accuracy or flexibility. One of the great advantages of Airborne Preforming technology is that it can create any preform: in size, in shape (making free-form edges and 100% net-shape), and in thickness variation, and it can also make cut-outs in the middle of the ply.

Increasing need for all-round automated preforming solution
Typically, the process of creating a preform is quite costly. Many composite forming processes, such as press consolidation, press forming, vacuum forming, or diaphragm forming, are based on the use of tailored 2D preforms or blanks. Although the forming processes are usually efficiently automated, the blanks or preforms going into these processes are often produced manually – a repetitive process, requiring both skill and concentration from the operators. With higher production rates it becomes increasingly difficult for operators to keep up with production while maintaining quality. And if automation of the process is considered, in many cases the engineering and programming time is prohibitive, especially in factories with a wide mix of products.

Scalable and easy to use
Airborne is now conquering these challenges with the launch of its very flexible Automated Preforming system. Automated programming allows for short start-up times with no engineering effort: no programming is needed. The design file can be loaded directly into the machine and the preform can be made without intervention. The Airborne Preforming system can handle both dry fibre and thermoplastic composite materials in many different forms (UD, fabric, core materials, surface films, adhesive films, etc.). Functionalities can be added easily (quality control, preform offloading, additional material feeds, higher volume material feeds, etc.).

Marcus Kremers, CTO Airborne:
“The basic principle of the system is very simple: ‘Pick & Weld’. This is a pick and place action by the robot during which we spot-weld the plies. We very much like this conceptual simplicity since it makes the process very robust, flexible and versatile. Of course, the devil is in the detail to make it work consistently with the right quality. In many cases, customers handle lots of different materials and product designs. Their ideal situation is to have a single automation technology and that’s what we can provide them.”

The ProRate PLUS feeder line features a unique design which allows a very compact, space-saving arrangement. The trapezoidal shape of the ProRate Plus feeders allows up to six feeders to be easily grouped around an extruder inlet within a 1.5 meter [5 ft] radius. The three feeder models PLUS-S, PLUS-M and PLUS-L cover a wide range of throughputs. The ProRate PLUS feeders are capable of handling feed rates from 3.3 up to 4800 dm³/h [0.12 up to 400 ft³/h], depending on the material. Theoretically a feeding system with six ProRate PLUS-L feeders can feed up to 28.8 m³/h [1017 ft³/h] on a footprint of only 7 m² [75 ft²].

ProRate feeders are highly standardized and include a variety of design features to optimize performance and ease of use. Simple access for cleaning and maintenance, even within a cluster, is provided thanks to a patent-pending rail system called “ProClean Rail”. ProClean Rail makes it possible to retract the base unit toward the rear of the feeder and rotate it for access to the feeding section and screw element. This allows for maintenance and cleaning of the feeding unit while keeping the feeder in position. In addition, the bellows and screw use the latest magnet technology for simple but robust mounting. The magnet connections allow these parts to be released without tools while at the same time providing the required holding force for optimal and safe operation. Thanks to the high level of standardization of the feeders, the number of spare parts required for emergency stock is minimal. Many parts are identical for all three models and can be used as exchange parts for all devices.

ProRate PLUS feeders are suitable for use in hazardous locations rated NEC Class II, Div. 2, Group F & G and ATEX 3D/3D (outside/inside).

Accurate weight measurement and reliable control modules for efficient operation

All ProRate PLUS feeders are equipped with P-SFT load cells, featuring reliable Smart Force Transducer weighing technology. They operate under compression and provide accurate, stable and reliable digital weight measurement under a broad range of operating conditions. The load cells supply a direct digital weighing signal and the onboard microcontroller ensures excellent repeatability and stability. P-SFT load cells have a high tolerance to vibration and electrical noise. They feature built-in over and underload protection.

Each feeder comes equipped with its own pre-wired ProRate PLUS PCM control module. The PCM is mounted to the feeder stand, with adjustable height positioning. Each PCM is pre-tested in Coperion K-Tron’s manufacturing facility prior to shipping. There are two models of PCM to choose from: a basic motor control unit (PCM-MD) or an advanced version with integrated user interface and line control functionality (PCM-KD). Within a group of up to eight feeders, one feeder must be equipped with the PCM-KD while the PCM-MD is sufficient for the others.

The PCM-KD comes with all the software the ProRate PLUS feeder will need for continuous applications and supports all three feeder models. Connection between weigh feeders, operator interface and smart I/O is via an industrial network. All motor setup, diagnostics and operator interface functions are integrated into the PCM-KD user interface. The PCM-KD is equipped with a host communication port (Ethernet IP or Profinet).

A variety of service offerings to keep processes running smoothly 

Coperion K-Tron’s dedication to customer satisfaction has also led to the creation of a unique new portfolio of service offerings for the launch of this product line. A variety of Start-up and Service Packages are available for ProRate PLUS feeders to ensure each customer can get exactly the level of service they need. Coperion K-Tron also offers quick and easy remote services for ProRate PLUS. From an online portal to 24-hour phone support and even remote start-up assistance, trained service technicians are available to keep systems running around the globe. In all, the brand new ProRate PLUS feeder line offers a simple, robust and reliable solution for feeding a variety of free-flowing bulk materials in plastics processing applications.

The system primarily consists of six stations. The unwinding station prepares the material that is to be consolidated on rolls. This means that six layers of material can be pressed into one organic sheet. If necessary, the number of laminate layers can also be increased.

A feed table ensures the individual layers are aligned correctly and the current material usage is always calculated on the control side using incremental length measurement.

Before the actual consolidation, the material is heated in a pre-press to approximately 100°C and pre-compressed with a press capacity of 3 kN. This makes it possible to also process awkwardly shaped non-woven fabric in the machine.

The material is pulled semi-continuously through the press together with the separating sheets by the feeder arranged behind the press. This achieves theoretical speeds of 200mm/s. Depending on the number and thickness of the layers, up to 1.7m of laminate can be produced per minute.

The core of the machine is the heating-cooling press with a press capacity of 2,000 kN, which is fitted with a synchronized hydraulic system. This is constructed with four press cylinders with power and location control. In addition to the very high plane-parallelism of +/- 0.02mm, a special feature of the design is the option of deliberately placing the heating plates in a sloping position (1.5mm/1.2m). Furthermore, the heating plates can be adjusted to six individual positions over a length of 1,200mm and thermally separated temperature zones (up to 451°C) have been installed. As a result, material-specific heating and cooling curves can be run without any problems to form the melt front in the direction of manufacture. A thickness measuring device is used for quality control purposes, which determines the precise thickness of the pressed semi-finished product at four measuring points using a laser sensor.

The final station of the machine is the cutting station, which cuts the endless material into defined pieces. Alternatively, the material can also be run with winders on a roll. All the stations are connected to each other on the control side and provide a fully automated process.

The machine, which is located at the Textile Research Institute in Chemnitz, Saxony, can process glass fibres, carbon fibres, aramid fibres, natural fibres, as well as PP, PA, PES, PPS, PEEK, PEI… or also hybrid non-woven fabrics (reinforcement fibres + thermoplastic fibres). Please contact STFI or RUCKS if you are interested in press trials.

In addition to the CCM system described above, RUCKS has supplied many CCM system over the last years. The newest CCM system is assembled in Japan right now. It has a production width of 1.3m. Concepts for systems with production width of 1.5m are ready to be build.

Meet RUCKS Maschinenbau GmbH at JEC World 2023, hall 5 – D79.

The increased use of glass fibres has led to concerns over how they are disposed of as waste. The tonnes of composite materials waste containing valuable glass fibres need to be recycled cost-effectively and with a minimal environmental impact to allow for circularity, if the sector is to meet net zero ambitions.

Much of this waste material globally is currently going to landfill or being incinerated. The EMPHASIZING project will address this environmental issue by developing a viable value chain to recycle and exploit these waste materials for future use within the automotive sector.

The project will assess, process and analyse materials from wind turbine blades, as well as automotive and marine parts to create roadmaps for recycling. The EMPHASIZING consortium, of which Longworth is a member, will work to demonstrate the concept of a circular economy for fabricating automotive end products from upcycled glass fibre materials. This upcycling will include a technical step change from established processes such as pyrolysis and solvolysis in the form of emerging technology DEECOM®, a thermo-cyclic form of pressolysis to enable the high-yield reclamation of high-quality, clean, reusable fibres, that are free from residues and have a retained length and properties akin to virgin materials. The recovered, clean fibres will then be upcycled through re-sizing, giving them increased performance properties much higher than glass but at a similar cost. It’s hoped that through finding several use cases for this material, the industry will have access to a brand new, advanced material, on-shored and readily available, at a low cost.

The new products will feed into plans for a sustainable future for composites use as they look to become a ‘go-to’ material for the automotive industry with a transition through a new generation of vehicles with fewer metallic parts.

The EMPHASIZING solution will include the introduction of low-cost, high-quality and high yield reclaimed fibres for production to support the vision for this new generation of vehicles with increased composite use from 2030 and beyond.

EMPHASIZING, which was initially launched on Nov 11, 2022 is led by Longworth, with TWI joining fellow project partners EMS Chemie, Ford, Gestamp UK, Gen2Plank and Brunel University London Composites Centre.

You can follow EMPHASIZING progress through to 2024 on lead partner, Longworth’s Linkedin page.

Want to know more about the Deecom® fibre recycling process ?
Subscribe now and read the latest JEC Composites Magazine N°150 which includes a feature on the Deecom® fibre recycling process.

For more information on DEECOM® and pressolysis as a circular composites solution, visit the Cygnet Texkimp stand at JEC World 2023, hall 5, booth M72.

This model is strong enough to spin line up to 0.095-inch and was able to cut through neglected areas easily. It’s not strong enough to handle the thick stuff out, but any of your typical lawn grasses and weeds are no match.

The vibration levels are lower compare to gas trimmers. However, some of the premium residential and professional models reign it in more.

When it comes to runtime, it is possible to trim for just over 28 minutes on the 4.0Ah battery that comes in the kit. That’s running at high speed with 0.095-inch line in the longer cutting position. That’s enough to cover most lawns up to a 1/2-acre. The nice thing is Hart includes is a fast charger that gets you back in the game 3 times faster than the standard 40V charger.

Attachment capable

This trimmer is attachment capable and Hart uses a universal attachment connection. It works with all Hart PowerFit attachments and any other universal attachments you might have.

As an added bonus, the 3-position detent makes it easy to turn the string trimmer 90° and edge without messing with the handle ergonomics.

3-in-1 bump feed head

Hart includes a 3-in-1 trimmer head with this model. The standard head has a reversible cutter that you can set to 13 inches for tighter areas and longer runtime or 15 inches for larger areas and faster cutting.

There’s a second attachment for the head you can swap out that gives you a pair of plastic grass-cutting blades. These have more mass and can get through some of the stalkier grasses better than trimmer line. They’re more likely to damage paint and other soft materials, so be aware of what’s around you when you use them.

Weight and balance

The big deal about switching the shaft to carbon fiber is weight savings.

The bare weight of the trimmer is 8.8 pounds and a 4.0Ah battery brings the total package up to 11.1 pounds. It is a very reasonable weight for the performance level of this trimmer.

With that battery and the brushless motor in the powerhead, the balance is definitely toward the back. That’s normal for attachment-capable string trimmers.

Hart 40V rushless carbon fiber string trimmer price

You can find this HART string trimmer at Walmart in-store and online for $248. The kit includes the trimmer, 4.0Ah battery, and fast charger (3x faster than Hart’s standard charger). Hart warranties the tool for 5 years and the battery for 3.

This article was initially published on protoolreviews.com by Kenny Koehler with editorial changes made by JEC Group.

In 2021, however, HORIZN STUDIOS was looking to really revolutionise luggage design. Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, the company intended to create the world’s most sustainable luxury luggage. Embracing a philosophy of lightweight, high-performance, and sustainable materials, HORIZN STUDIOS sought out a partner that would be able to simultaneously fulfil these demanding criteria.

Natural fibre composite technologies
Already proven in the unrelenting world of motorsport and the equally challenging arena of ultra-high-end furniture, Bcomp’s innovative ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ are ground-breaking carbon-neutral composite reinforcements made entirely from flax fibre.

Cultivated across Europe, flax is an indigenous plant that has been part of the agricultural industry for centuries. With low water and nutrient requirements and little need for pesticides and fertilisers, it is a popular rotational crop with excellent utility – useful for feed, making flax oil, and its fibres can be used in textiles.

ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ make the most of flax’s inherent mechanical properties, creating composite parts with high stiffness, resistance to breakage, torsion, and compression – perfect to form the shell of tough and sturdy luggage. Using appropriate care and processes, Bcomp’s materials also offer a flawless surface finish, suitable for luxury product applications.

Most importantly, ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ are some of the most sustainable composite technologies available today, particularly in the high-performance category. Analysis of past projects has shown that Bcomp’s technologies can provide a material emission reduction of 90% when compared to its most commonly used equivalent, carbon fibre. Overall, they offer an outstanding 80-85% cradle-to-gate emission reduction, while retaining many of the performance benefits.
This was perfect for HORIZN STUDIOS’s new Circle One range.

A revolutionary new luggage solution
Circle One is HORIZN STUDIOS’s European-made sustainable luggage range, harnessing ampliTex™ in its BioX technology, a patented hard-shell luggage innovation. With a much lower carbon footprint than carbon fibre or aluminium – including energy consumption in manufacture and use of a bio-based resin – BioX is one of the most sustainable hardcase luggage materials on the market. Thanks to ampliTex™, BioX is not only a more sustainable material, but it even allows to eliminate some petroleum-based materials that would normally be used from the manufacturing process.

Unlike other luggage materials that would be sent to landfill at the end of their useful life, the Circle One range has various end-of-life recycling options thanks to Bcomp’s flax fibre composite technologies. ampliTex™ also opens up the possibility of repair, rather than replace, something of great interest to the HORIZN STUDIOS team.

With the circular economy and sustainable products becoming an increasingly important part of consumer purchasing decisions and lifestyle, the use of innovative natural composites is the perfect way to integrate carbon-neutral, sustainable materials. With excellent stiffness, low weight, and the possibility of stunning surface finishes and designs, Bcomp’s technologies offer a sustainable alternative to manufacturing conventional luxury and performance products.

Longer and lighter rotor blade designs

Resin materials must prove their long-term aging resistance before they can be given lower safety margins that allow for broader rotor blade design and application. For the first time ever, DNV has lowered the γm1 factor of polyurethane resin, marking an important milestone for Covestro.

Compared to epoxy resin, which is often used to manufacture rotor blades, polyurethane resin shows better mechanical properties. With a lower γm1 value, rotor blade designers can take full advantage of polyurethane and also achieve greater design freedom. As the need for longer and larger rotor blades increases, so does the weight of the blades. Therefore, weight reduction has become an important issue in the rotor blade industry. Polyurethane resin enables the production of lighter blades with the same length, which greatly improves the efficiency of blade production and its applications.

Dr. Irene Li, vice president of research and development for Covestro’s Tailored Urethanes business entity in Asia Pacific, remarked, “We are pleased that the excellent performance of polyurethane has been recognized by a wind power industry’s certification authority. As more and more polyurethane rotor blades are installed, we look forward to further innovations in polyurethane resin and the rapid development this will bring to the wind power industry.”

Innovative materials in focus

For a long time, epoxy resin was the main material used in the production of wind rotor blades. For years, Covestro has invested in research into polyurethane resins to improve rotor blade performance and reduce manufacturing costs. Today, polyurethane – a new material in the field of wind rotor blade manufacturing – is rapidly gaining recognition in the market. With this innovative solution, Covestro aims to drive the use of renewable energy and, in the end, the shift to a circular economy.

Kim Sandgaard-Mørk, executive vice president of DNV’s Renewable Energy Certification Division, said, “Wind turbine blades are becoming lighter and larger, while favorable feed-in tariffs for wind energy are gradually being reduced. This poses a challenge for cost control in wind rotor blade production and development. The wind power industry is therefore looking for new material applications while optimizing designs to reduce costs while ensuring optimal performance. By demonstrating the performance of polyurethane under the new blade standards and obtaining a new safety factor certification for its resin products, Covestro is blazing a new trail for blade design.”

Due to material properties such as low density, compressibility or demanding mixing ratios, so-called premixed-frozen (PMF) and 2-component cartridges (injection and barrier style) have established themselves in practice. However, in most cases the volumes are predefined, such as 180 ml cartridges, but are not suitable for the application and are only partially used due to the limited processing time. In addition to the costly waste of material, environmentally conscious action is becoming increasingly important for consumers and it is a fundamental goal to reduce material waste in general.

Discover more videos on JEC Composites Web TV.

Demand-driven mixing through ViscoTec’s cartridge filling stations
In view of these market requirements, a demand-driven filling system was presented during the live demonstration. The visitors were able to individually fill cartridges with the polysulfide “Naftoseal MC-780B-2” provided by Chemetall. The participants were impressed with the easy operation of the unit as well as the technology. After all, precise and gentle filling is a basic requirement for meeting the high demands of the aerospace industry. Without influencing the complex overall processes, ViscoTec cartridge filling stations can make a significant contribution to cost reduction through more efficient material supply.

Unique combination: Static-dynamic mixing and the endless piston principle
The heart of the filling systems is the 2-component dispenser vipro-DUOMIX, which was released in 2018. The static-dynamic mixer is perfectly suited for compressible, twocomponent materials with very different viscosities, extreme mixing ratios and highpressure sensitivity. Volumetric dispensing at low pressure is the key to success. Like all products in the ViscoTec portfolio, the vipro-DUOMIX also relies on the technology of the endless piston and offers the proven high quality.

Depending on the production volume: Scalable complete solutions thanks to modular design
Each ViscoTec cartridge filling system consists of two material emptying systems and a 2-component dispenser. Depending on the production volume and the available container sizes of the material used, these different standard solutions are easily scalable, always oriented to the actual consumption. If at a later date a fully automated material application is required, the existing equipment can easily be integrated into a holistic solution.

“With our cartridge filling systems, we continue to offer our customers the advantages of flexible material application from cartridges, but reduce material waste to a minimum, while at the same time obtaining material from large containers,” summarizes Sales Manager Franz Kamhuber. Complicated mixing and logistically complicated cooling chains are now a thing of the past, which not only saves energy but also reduces environmental pollution.

In addition to the demonstration, the focus was also on face-to-face dialogue with users.
After all, close collaboration with the customer and the fulfilment of individual requirements
have always been part of the ViscoTec philosophy. The scalable system concept, as well as the possibility of adaptation to automated sealant application, was particularly well received by the visitors to the event. However, the typical characteristics of the technology used were also impressive: “As no valves are used,
another source of error is eliminated. Valves cause fluctuating mixing ratios in production operations by pulsing the feed and dispensing flow,” says an aerospace specialist from Chemetall.

Meet ViscoTec at JEC World 2023, hall 5, P84.

Thorsten Groene, CEO of Cevotec explains:
“SAMBA Step systems with their flexible degree of automation are explicitly designed for prototyping and product development in R&D departments, institutes and universities. The systems feature individual robot configurations and are very flexible regarding the materials processed. They can additionally be equipped with a variety of sensors to monitor the production process. We currently plan an extension of the SAMBA Step system with 12 individual sensors that feed real-time data to an AI-based analysis engine.”

Augsburg University intends to use the system for research in the field of ceramic fiber composites. “We will investigate the patch-based process using ceramic fiber composites for new applications,”, states Prof. Dietmar Koch, head of chair in Materials Engineering at MRM.

With the installation of a SAMBA Step system at MRM in Augsburg, Cevotec also continues and strengthens the existing cooperation with Augsburg University of Applied Sciences.

Prof. Neven Majić, as one of Cevotec’s co-founders now dedicated to developing FPP technology in the science and research environment of the Augsburg institute, comments:
“AI is a relevant research topic for us. Fiber Patch Placement represents an innovative composite production technology with increased degrees of freedom. This offers a huge potential for AI development in patch-based composites manufacturing.” Majic’s research colleague Prof. Baeten underlines this statement and adds: “Fiber Patch Placement will be also used for the production of hybrid materials to achieve ultra-lightweight designs.”

While the Augsburg University was responsible for setting-up the initial SAMBA Step system, the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences will take over the future expansion with a sensor-intensive automated feeding unit. The SAMBA system, all parties agree, forms a solid foundation for joint research projects to come.

Since its market launch, the uniEX series has established itself very successfully in the market. Following the extension of its process engineering options, it is now also available for sheet and board extrusion lines in three sizes (35, 45 and 60 mm), and thus replaces all older series. The output rates range from 50 kg/h to 500kg/h, depending on the material. The pronounced modularity of the extruders enables them to perform virtually any type of special processing task. A wide range of different plasticizing units is available to cover every application. These come with a choice of either grooved or smooth feed zones. Fitting the extruders with a degassing unit, as is required for ABS processing, presents no problem either.

Moreover, a great variety of different mechanical engineering options are available, such as screw extraction to the rear, a gearless drive via torque motor or flexible positioning of the control cabinet. Extensive standardization in production ensures high and above all fast availability of parts and consequently short delivery times and quick troubleshooting in case of problems.

The models of the uniEX series stand out by their extremely wide process and application window and their ability to process a great variety of different materials thanks to specific screw geometries.

Sabic’s certified renewable butadiene is derived from animal-free and palm oil-free ‘second generation’ renewable feedstock, such as tall oil, a by-product from the wood pulping process in the paper industry. This feedstock is not in direct competition with human food and animal feed production sources. According to the cradle-to-gate lifecycle analysis, from sourcing the raw feedstock to producing the polymers, each kilogram of the company’s bio-based butadiene reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 4 kilograms compared to fossil-based virgin alternatives. Additionally, each ton of the butadiene also cuts fossil depletion by up to 80 per cent. 

Mohammed Al-Zahrani, Vice President, Chemical at Sabic adds, “Sustainability in Sabic is embedded across our organization and goes hand in hand with our commitment to helping our customers and their customers meet their own sustainability targets. Developing more sustainable solutions requires partnerships across the value chain. Our collaboration with Kraton for renewable butadiene as feedstock for Kraton’s polymers is another example of working together towards our common goals and confirms the wide interest from the chemicals industry in developing sustainable solutions for the future. After Sabic’s earlier successes in developing certified renewable and circular ethylene, propylene, and benzene, we are delighted to add certified renewable butadiene to our Trucircle portfolio.”

Sabic’s certified renewable butadiene will be used in Kraton’s newly launched ISCC PLUS certified renewable CirKular+™ ReNew Series to expand Kraton’s existing suite of solutions designed to advance the circular economy. With up to 70% certified renewable content, the ReNew Series offers customers the opportunity to use the mass balance approach and adopt ISCC PLUS certification to produce renewable products. Kraton successfully produced CirKular+ ReNew Series Hydrogenated Styrenic Block Copolymers (HSBC) at the Berre plant earlier this year using Sabic’s renewable butadiene. 

“Kraton’s ambition is to enable the bioeconomy and play a role in advancing the circular economy. Value chain collaboration is instrumental in achieving progress towards a circular economy. Kraton is excited to collaborate with Sabic in using certified renewable butadiene enables us to develop and produce styrenic block copolymers with up to 70% of certified renewable raw material content,” said Holger Jung, Kraton Senior Vice President, and Polymer Segment President. “This is an exciting innovation for our customers as it can help reduce the carbon footprint of fossil-based HSBC made in our Berre plant by up to 65 percent”. 

International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification is a globally-recognized system that provides traceability of recycled and renewable-based materials across a complex supply chain, by following predefined and transparent rules.

Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio spans a range of products and services, including design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastic, certified renewable products from bio-based feedstock and closed-loop initiatives to recycle plastic back into high quality applications and help prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste. 

Its creation marks the latest chapter in Cygnet Texkimp’s work to forward the interests of the industry through the development of equipment used in fibre processing, materials and part manufacturing, and recycling.

Organisations can reserve time in the centre to carry out trials to optimise and validate their process design, evaluate materials, and gather evidence to prove their business case or justify investment.

The facility has been designed to complement existing industry support from academic institutions and the UK’s Catapult Network and is intended to help companies develop technologies from TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 5 or 6 to commercial viability and on to full-scale production.

“Our Innovation Centre forms part of our commitment to reinvest in UK capability and to accelerate learning in this area of materials science, so that organisations involved in the development and application of advanced materials can achieve more and do so more quickly,” explains Cygnet Texkimp CEO Luke Vardy.

“In this way we hope to create an asset for the world’s composites and advanced materials industry, and to support the work of the UK’s composites industry, including the Catapult Network and university-led innovation centres, as a world-class destination for composites technology.”

Andy Whitham, Director of Process Development at Cygnet Texkimp, says: “We’ve created an open-access facility with some of the most advanced fibre processing technologies in the world where our partners can come to push the boundaries of innovation further while developing the next generation of advanced materials and parts in a secure way.

“Our principal aims are to support industrialisation of emerging composites manufacturing technologies, take the guesswork out of process qualifications, and reduce the inherent commercial risk associated with investment in large-scale capital equipment by demonstrating the capabilities of our equipment.”

As a commercial engineering firm, Cygnet Texkimp has a 50-strong engineering team including R&D and product specialists, mechanical, electrical, software and design engineers to support the development work taking place in the company’s Innovation Centre.

“The breadth of expertise within our in-house engineering team means we can leverage other technologies to solve a particular problem and are ideally placed to manufacture specific items or equipment needed to demonstrate a process,” says Andy Whitham.

“Having our own team of specialist software engineers, for example, is a valuable asset and means that operating improvements identified within a trial programme can be made quickly and securely to create the most effective tailored solution for each application.”

The centre will allow Cygnet Texkimp to show the full scope of its diverse and growing range of fibre processing equipment in one place.

“As a machine builder and fibre specialist, we’ve developed a full life cycle of fibre processing technologies from handling and manufacturing to end-of-life management, recycling and repurposing. Being able to demonstrate the full extent of this capability under one roof is a pivotal moment for us and for the industries we serve,” says Luke Vardy.

Technologies housed within Cygnet Texkimp’s Innovation Centre will include:

• Direct Melt Thermoplastic Processing Line capable of producing UD, and narrow tape prepregs from standard industrial feedstock.
• Multi-Roll Stack, high-speed, short-footprint, vertically stacked prepreg manufacturing line.
• High-Precision Slitter-Spooler-Rewinder to process UD prepreg slit tapes.
• 9-Axis Robotic Filament Winding system with a range of fibre feed and resin dosing systems capable of high tension and thermoplastic winding
• Multi Axis and 3D Winders providing high-rate deposition for wound parts of varying geometry.
• Automated Filament Winding Cell showcasing Cygnet Texkimp’s work in high-rate manufacturing of composite components.
• Composites Reclaiming & Recycling Solutions including those powered by DEECOM®
• Spread Tape Line for low crimp fabrics
• High-temperature Consolidation Line
• Automation demonstration equipment
• Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)
• Fibre Unrolling Creels

Cygnet Texkimp will be celebrating the launch of the company’s new Innovation Centre at JEC World 2023 in Paris with a drinks reception on Wednesday 26^th April 12:00 to 14:00 at Hall 5 Stand M72.

“Already when Cevotec officially joined the FPC at JEC World 2019, it was clear that a Fiber Patch Placement (FPP) system will be installed in the FPC to provide our partners and customers with a complete portfolio of the latest technologies and developments for the next generation of composite manufacturing. The new SAMBA Pro Prepreg System from Cevotec offers many advantages for the production of complex shaped components with short cycle times”.

Cevotec, together with its partner Baumann Automation, have commissioned the SAMBA Pro Prepreg production cell in Meitingen since November 2020. It is now ready for operation and the first application development projects have already been started.

The SAMBA Pro Prepreg system in Meitingen is an advancement of the FPP system presented in 2017 at the JEC World in Paris. “In order to ensure maximum flexibility in terms of geometry and patch edges, a laser cutting unit was installed also in this system,” reports Felix Michl, CTO of Cevotec. “The entire material feed is temperature-controlled, so that the pre-impregnated materials can be processed in a controlled environment.” The robots in the system are the well-known and proven pair of TP80 pick-and-place robot and the TX200 tool manipulator from Stäubli. “This configuration enables us to ensure a high lay-up frequency combined with a very high positioning accuracy, allowing for a fully automated lay-up of complex geometries of medium to small dimensions,” explains Michl. In addition, the vision system, the machine vision quality control system for material quality and placement accuracy, has been fundamentally revised by Cevotec and now offers extended set-up options to adapt the system to different materials.

“We look forward to further developing the FPP technology together with our FPC partners and to opening up new fields of application”, states Thorsten Groene, Managing director of Cevotec.

Dr. Renato Bezerra, research associate at Fraunhofer IGCV added:

“Within the context of the FPC, the production system serves interested industrial companies from various sectors for active technology and application development, together with the researchers of the Fraunhofer Institute. It is really exciting for Fraunhofer IGCV to have the SAMBA Pro Prepreg put to operation at the FPC. This placement machine for fiber patches was designed according to the latest state of the art for processing dry fiber and prepreg material. It perfectly complements our portfolio of placement technologies and expands our scope of research and development services.”

Prior to the installation of the system, SGL Carbon also entered into a development partnership with Cevotec. The aim is to develop innovative applications based on SGL TowPreg and using the SAMBA systems. “The SGL TowPreg tape harmonizes perfectly with our system”, reports Felix Michl, “We expect very interesting development projects, for example in the green mobility sector, aviation and medical technology”. In general, the SAMBA Pro system covers a wide range of different fiber materials that can be processed automatically for different industries.

“The FPP technology can now prove itself in direct competition with different technologies in the FPC,” Michl concludes. “Interested customers can select the optimal technology for their specific application from the technologies available in FPC, which cover the entire spectrum of automated fiber placement. This is real value added for all manufacturers looking for innovative manufacturing solutions”.

For Continuum, net zero doesn’t stop at generating clean energy from wind. They’re taking it a step further, by delivering to the European market a revolutionary industrial scale end-to-end service that ensures end of life wind turbine blades never die and most certainly never go to landfill or get hidden in energy hungry co-processed solutions.

When the end of their first life finally arrives, Continuum simply, logically, and efficiently recycle them into revolutionary new, high performing composite panels for the construction, and related industries. Their vision? Abandon the current landfilling, and drastically reduce CO2 emitted during currently applied incineration & co-processing in cement factories by 100 million tons by 2050, via their state-of-the-art mechanical composite recycling technology and their industrial scale factories.

Better yet? The technology is proven, patented, and ready to go. Reinhard Kessing, co-founder and CTO of Continuum Group ApS has spent 20+ years of research and development in this field, perfecting the reclamation of raw materials from wind blades and other composite products and transformation of these materials into new, high performing panel products.

By working with partners, Continuum’s first class, cost-effective solution covers end-to-end logistics and processes. This spans from the collection of the end-of-life blades through to the reclamation of the pure clean raw materials and then the remanufacturing of all those materials into high value, highly performing, infinitely recyclable composite panels for the construction industry or the manufacture of many day-to- day products such as facades, industrial doors, and kitchen countertops. The panels are 92% recycled blade material and greatly outperform competing products.

The result is a fully sustainable, ultra-low carbon footprint solution for an industry challenge that otherwise leaves mountains of waste.

Nicolas Derrien: Chief Executive Officer of Continuum Holdings ApS said: “We need solutions for the disposal of wind turbine blades in an environmentally friendly manner, we need it now, and we need it fast, and this is where Continuum comes in! As a society we are rightly focussed on renewable energy production, however the subject of what to do with wind turbine blades in the aftermath of that production has not been effectively addressed. We’re changing that, offering a recycling solution for the blades and a construction product that will outperform most other existing construction materials and be infinitely recyclable, and with the lowest carbon footprint in its class.”

Martin Dronfield, Chief Commercial Officer of Continuum Holding ApS and Managing Director of Continuum Composite Transformation (UK) Ltd, added “We need wind energy operators & developers across Europe to take a step back and work with us to solve the bigger picture challenge. Continuum is offering them a service which won’t just give their business complete and sustainable circularity to their operations but help protect the planet in the process,”.

Each Continuum factory in Europe will have the capacity to recycle a minimum of 36,000 tonnes of end- of-life turbine blades per year and feed the high value infinitely recyclable product back into the circular economy by 2024/25.

Thanks to investment from Climentum Capital and a grant from the UK’s ‘Offshore Wind Growth Partnership’, Continuum are planning for the first of six factories in Esbjerg to be operational by the end of 2024 and for a second factory in the United Kingdom to follow on just behind it. After that they are looking to build another four in France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey by 2030.

As part of this amazing story, and as part of their own pledge to promote green behaviour, Continuum have designed their factories to be powered by only 100% green energy and to be zero carbon emitting environments; meaning no emissions to air, no waste fluids to ground, and no carbon fuel combustion.

Investment opportunities still exist in Continuum and the company will be able to start taking end of life blades by the end of 2023.

About Continuum:
Continuum Holdings ApS is a company registered in Denmark, it has subsidiary companies in Denmark Continuum Aps and the UK Continuum Composite Transformation (UK) Limited. Continuum are giving a new purpose to end-of-life wind blades and composites, preventing them going to waste by using 20+ years of research and development and building state of art factories. They will reduce the amounts of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere by the current waste streams, delivering significant value to Europe’s Net Zero efforts.

Samad’s Chief Technical Officer, Norman Wijker explains:

“CTOL trials are an essential step towards VTOL aircraft development. Ticking off the CTOL flight capability is a crucial step towards the validation of all flight modes. With CTOL trials complete, we will begin hovering trials and the flight trials will be concluded by transition between hovering flight and aerodynamic flight in both directions”

During the CTOL flight test (November 2020) the aircraft took off at a length of 250 meters, demonstrating a great potential for Short take-off and landing (STOL). Take-off and landing were smooth, and the vehicle maintained a comfortable cruise at a speed of (90 mph) airborne for over five minutes. Witnesses were amazed at just how quiet this aircraft was compared to a helicopter.

The flight tests included evaluations on aircraft flight dynamics, performance as well as handling qualities. As the e-Starling adopts a semi blended wing body (BWB) design, it requires a low angle for take-off; it is important to understand when the aircraft is capable of taking-off and at which speed.

Apart from slow and fast taxiing on the runway as well as take-off and landing; the half scale demonstrator also performed banking manoeuvres in addition to tests on yaw, pitch and roll. The results show very stable in terms of handling quality.

Among other tests of subsystems were: brake, telemetry, redundancy links, and ensuring the centre of gravity (CG) of the aircraft is at the correct design place.

The aircraft’s performance matched the predicted calculations made during preliminary and detailed design stages.

​​​​“The data provided by the flight tests were sufficient and invaluable for us to feed into fine tuning the aircraft for auto pilot to allow us to conduct a subsequent test on auto pilot mode,” says one of the engineering crew on-site.

Why a CTOL test for a VTOL aircraft? The ability to take off and land conventionally is an important part of the safety justification for VTOL aircraft, a key safety contingency.

Samad’s Aircraft Design Adviser, Professor John Fielding explains:

“Safety is key. We have investigated various safety challenges via CFD analysis and now through the flight tests using this 50% scaled CTOL prototype.”

Samad Aerospace is a disruptive green-tech start-up based in the UK. The company’s highly skilled and sought-after team of engineers are pioneering the development of the world’s fastest hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft set to revolutionise civil air transportation globally. Samad Aerospace is now listed in the top 5 e-VTOL start-ups worldwide* and is regarded as an essential and key contributor to the 3rd aerospace revolution**.

Samad Aerospace has been developing its unique manned and unmanned aircraft with two scaled prototypes (10% and 20%) successfully built, flown, and showcased in reputable international air shows such as Singapore, Geneva and Farnborough.

Preparations for the e-VTOL flight tests are already well underway. 2021 will see the completion of the 50% e-VTOL version of the e-Starling.

*Start Us Insights, 5 Top Vertical Take-Off & Landing (VTOL) Start-ups, https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/5-top-vertical-take-off-landing-vtol-startups/
**Aviation 2020, The future of UK aviation, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/769695/aviation-2050-web.pdf

China led the world in new installations for the third year in a row with more than 3 GW of offshore wind grid connected in 2020. Steady growth in Europe accounted for the majority of remaining new capacity, led by the Netherlands, which installed nearly 1.5 GW of new offshore wind in 2020, followed by Belgium (706 MW). 

The report forecasts 235 GW of new offshore wind capacity will be installed over the next decade under current policies. That capacity is seven times bigger than the current market size, and is a 15 per cent increase on the previous year’s forecasts. 

However, this is only 11 per cent of the capacity required to meet net zero targets by 2050, and the world has so far installed only 2 per cent of the offshore wind capacity that will be needed by the middle of this century to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. 

The Global Offshore Wind Report 2021 finds that wind has the biggest growth potential of any renewable energy technology. Currently 35 GW of capacity is installed globally, helping the world avoid 62.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of taking 20 million cars off the road – while providing 700,000 jobs across the planet. This is though only 0.5% of global installed electricity capacity. 

The Global Offshore Wind Report highlights that the policy environment needs to improve rapidly for offshore wind to reach international net zero targets. 

While some countries across the world have already put in place comprehensive offshore wind targets and strategies, the report finds that all together these targets across the world only account for 560 GW. Based on scenarios published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the world needs 2,000 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050 to have a chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5°C pre-industrial levels. 

The report highlights that delivering on offshore wind’s potential to achieve a Net Zero world calls for a step change in political action, in order to streamline planning and permitting regimes and reduce red tape, create robust market frameworks and overhaul power grids and other infrastructure. 

Ben Backwell, CEO at GWEC commented:
“The offshore wind industry continues to break records, reduce prices, and innovate to new heights and depths while creating significant industrial and socioeconomic benefits for countries capturing its potential. But as the G20 recognised at its most recent summit, we are in a climate emergency and we can no longer be content with simply breaking records – the scale of growth we need to achieve for the future of our planet goes beyond anything we have seen before. The offshore industry believes they can meet this challenge, but there is a clear target and policy gap that countries need to fill for the industry to deliver”. 

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has always made extensive use of composite materials in its construction, and the launch of General Motors’ new 8th generation flagship car, with a carbon fibre bumper beam and mid-engine layout, continues this strategy. With the first two years of production sold already, the TTI and Shape process is well placed to support GM’s production requirements, with the new Radius Pultrusion line delivering an annual production capacity of 70,000 parts.

TTI set up the initial process on its prototype line, and optimized fibre and fabric guide systems to feed the complex set of reinforcements into the chrome plated steel Radius Pultrusion moulds. As pultrusion places particular stresses on the reinforcement fabrics used, TTI also suggested modifications to the selected carbon multiaxials to maintain perfect fibre alignment in the part and improve production line speed. 

The highly automated bumper beam production cell installed at Shape controls a complex set of reinforcements including carbon fibres running from a creel, biaxial, triaxial and stitched unidirectional carbon fabrics – all with glass surface tissues for stabilization and a better surface finish. 

Toby Jacobson, Plastic Materials & Process Manager, Advanced Product Development, Shape, commented :

“TTI’s Radius Pultrusion provided the perfect advanced composites solution for an extremely challenging bumper beam requirement in the Corvette Stingray. With TTI providing a complete technology package of machinery, process development and exceptional technical support, the Corvette Stingray project has been a great success for Shape Corp. and TTI.”

The curved, multi-hollow carbon fibre rear bumper beam produced for the Stingray showcases Radius Pultrusion’s ability to form complex curved profiles for highly structural applications, within a compact machine space. TTI has developed this concept further with the recent launch of its ultra-compact pullCUBE pultrusion machine. At only 3.5m in length, pullCUBE is around 75% shorter than traditional machines making it a highly transportable and space-efficient option for both curved and straight section pultruded parts.

Due to its expertise in the composite field and confidence in their capabilities, MTorres was awarded the Innovative Infusion Airframe Manufacturing System (IIAMS) project, funded via the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme under grant agreement No 820845.

The project

The IIAMS project is related to advanced low-weight, high-performance structures. More specifically, this innovative system had to enable the manufacturing of flyable components for a wing box carbon fibre composite structure, which had to be manufactured by infusion. Moreover, all the structural elements had to be manufactured by AFP lay-up for higher quality. And all this without forgetting the main aim: achieving a significant cost reduction.

As can be seen in the figures, the team developed everything but one of the skins for a 4m long outer torque box without fasteners, using vacuum bag-only resin infusion for both the left and right wings of a C-295 turboprop demonstrator. It was a one-shot process, including the skin, spars, stringers and stiffeners, where all the components had different shapes and thicknesses.

The wing box used narrow (12,7 mm wide) dry carbon fibre tapes and high-temperature (180°C Tg) curing resins, with energy-saving tools, low-cost heating systems and sensor- based digital control and simulation to predict and manage the processing step.

One of the project’s most demanding requirements was portability. It was critical that all the tooling and manufacturing equipment were portable and flexible in order to facilitate an easy deployment at any manufacturing site. In addition, the manufacturing process could not make use of existing means, such as overhead cranes, in order not to interfere with existing manufacturing processes. The Automated Centre for Thermo Infusion (ACTI) was designed for this purpose, performing hot drape forming of the stringers and spars, including their stiffeners; infusion of the stringers, spars, stiffeners and skin altogether; and cure cycles without resin sure application, just vacuum. Moreover, also looking for lightweight and tolerance accuracy, the tooling was made of CFRP materials.

One of the leverage points when the company applied for this project was its experience in making its own materials and technology for dry fibre tapes.
During the development phase, they used their 12.7mm wide, 300g/m2 TorresTape® dry carbon fiber tape for process set-up and tuning, made from Mitsubishi Rayon 50K high-strength (HS) fibre, as it was engineered to facilitate and perform well during infusion, but also during lay-up using their AFP heads, so it was easier and less expensive for the project.

Last, but not least, the team had to deal with the challenging one-shot infusion process. They used positioners, caul plates and digital technology to monitor everything, and placed them altogether into the ACTI where the tooling was heated to 120°C. The Hexcel RTM6 epoxy resin was heated to 70°C and degassed before infusion through a single resin feed location. Despite the complexity of the process, the infusion was relatively quick, followed by a two-hour cure at 180°C using only hot air, sharing the same equipment used for Hot Drape Forming (HDF).

The results

The first prototype was built in less than 16 months (engineering, process definition, tests, tooling and prototype manufacturing). Lower cover, front and rear spars were integrated into the unitized flying demonstrator using a one-shot, low-cost portable process.
The IIAMS project represents the first product case of flyable and potentially certifiable carbon fibre wing box made using LRI and OoA composites in Europe.

This article has been published in the JEC Composites Magazine N°148.

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At the end of many value chains in aerospace or mechanical and plant engineering, for example, machines process the final contour of components made of fibre composites – a process that places high demands on the milling tool. Sensor systems that monitor and observe the process create optimisation potential here. Researchers at the University of Augsburg are currently using artificial intelligence to evaluate data streams that arise during CNC milling.

Observing and predicting

Research on such supposedly detailed process steps is relevant because industrial manufacturing processes are often highly complex, so that many factors influence the result. Equipment and machining tools wear out quickly, especially with hard materials such as carbon fibres. The ability to recognise and predict critical degrees of wear is therefore essential in order to be able to deliver high product quality. Research on an industrial CNC milling machine shows how suitable sensor technology coupled with artificial intelligence can deliver such forecasts and improvements.

Structure-borne sound as an indicator

The sensors are the “sensory organs” of the CNC milling machine. Most modern machines have some basic sensors already built in which record energy consumption, feed force and torque, for example. However, this data is not always sufficient for the resolution of fine details. For this reason, sensors for structure-borne sound analysis were developed at the University of Augsburg and also integrated into an industrial CNC milling machine. These sensors detect structure-borne sound signals in the ultrasonic range that are generated during the milling process and propagate in the system to the sensor. The structure-borne sound allows conclusions to be drawn about the state of the machining process. “This is an indicator that is as meaningful to us as bow strokes on a violin. Music professionals can tell immediately from this whether the instrument is in tune and how well the person playing it has mastered the instrument,” explains Prof. Dr. Markus Sause, director of the AI ​​Production Network

Machine learning

However, so that the milling process can also be optimised from the recording of the signal, the researchers working with Sause make use of what is known as machine learning. Certain characteristics of the acoustic signal can indicate an unfavourable process control, which points to poor quality of the milled component. As a result, the milling process can be directly adjusted and improved with this information. For this purpose, an algorithm is trained with recorded data and the corresponding states (e. g. good or bad machining). The person who operates the milling machine can then react – he is either presented with status information – or the system is programmed to react independently.

Predictive maintenance – acting with foresight

Machine learning can not only optimise the milling process directly on the workpiece, but also plan the maintenance cycles of a production plant as economically as possible. Functional parts should work in the machine for as long as possible in order to increase economic efficiency, but spontaneous failures due to damaged parts should be avoided.

Predictive maintenance is an approach in which the artificial intelligence calculates from the collected sensor data when a part should be replaced. In the case of the CNC milling machine under investigation, for example, an algorithm recognises when certain characteristics of the sound signal change. In this way, it not only identifies the degree of wear on the machining tool, but also predicts the right time to replace the tool. This and other artificial intelligence processes are being incorporated into the AI ​​Production Network that is currently being created in Augsburg. Together with other production facilities, a network is to be created that can be reconfigured in a modular and material-optimised manner.

Applying ML processes to engineering problems typically requires expert knowledge and large amounts of training data to produce valid and reliable results, which leaves it out of reach for many smaller enterprises and non-specialists. By removing the need for complex data models and allowing the user to solve their problem by inputting widely-available CAD files, imagery or scalar data and relate it to training data from Hexagon’s simulation solutions, the ODYSSEE A-Eye platform makes powerful Digital Twin capabilities available to designers, production engineers, operators and other non-specialists. They can then make informed engineering decisions and explore problems interactively with near-realtime results.

Example applications include:

• Exploring how car wheel designs behave when impacting obstacles such as a kerb or debris. Engineers can build a database of different configurations using nonlinear finite element simulations such as the design or number of spokes to understand the effect of various designs. Vehicle design teams can then use this to quickly understand the behaviour of a wheel without any engineering or CAE knowledge based on only a 2D image.
• Predicting lift and drag coefficients for new aircraft wing profiles based on a 3D image of a new wing design, by building a database of just 16 wing profile simulations from the widely-used National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) definitions. Typically, this process would take several days, and demand the time and attention of a CAE analyst and multiple simulation tools.
• A machinist or machine salesperson using an ODYSSEE A-Eye application to predict how long a part will take to produce with a given CNC machine tool and metal, using just the database and 3D Step file, capturing valuable process knowledge for others to better plan production and bid for projects. By applying manufacturing process simulation, the same process can be applied to predict dimensional tolerances or the strength of joinery.

Engineers without machine learning knowledge can use ODYSSEE A-Eye to develop their robust AI applications based on any particular problem that needs to be overcome, from optimising tyre-tread design to fault-analysis of computer chips, and then make them available to others who need that knowledge. The new platform integrates with all of Hexagon’s CAE solutions, working seamlessly with customers’ existing processes and bringing AI to industries that may not have seen this as a feasible solution to their current design needs. Its accessibility means it can be used by companies who either do not carry CAE specialists, or want the expertise they do have to solve other problems or perform final design validation. With ODYSSEE A-Eye, a single engineering expert is able to specify an application that would help progress a design, and then feed that to the product design team and operators to execute.

Roger Assaker, President of Hexagon’s Design and Engineering Software Business Unit, said: “AI is an increasingly valuable tool within design and engineering, helping push virtual engineering to the next level. It has the potential to shorten the time taken to complete labour-intensive design tasks that may have previously taken days or weeks down to minutes or hours without losing simulation fidelity. Furthermore, the user-friendly design of ODYSSEE A-Eye makes it simple to integrate into modern engineering practices, democratising a highly advanced process for use by non-experts, and producing the results in a very accessible format.”

Propelled by Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion, the DART spacecraft will be the first demonstration of a kinetic impactor: a spacecraft deliberately targeted to strike an asteroid at high speed in order to change the asteroid’s motion in space. The asteroid target is Didymos, a binary near-Earth asteroid that consists of Didymos A and a smaller asteroid orbiting it called Didymos B. After launch, DART will fly to Didymos and use an onboard targeting system to aim and impact itself on Didymos B. Earth-based telescopes will then measure the change in orbit of Didymos B around Didymos A.

DART is set to launch in late July 2021 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, intercepting Didymos’ secondary body in late September 2022. The spacecraft’s chemical propulsion system is comprised of 12 MR-103G hydrazine thrusters, each with 0.2 pounds of thrust. The system will conduct a number of trajectory correction maneuvers during the spacecraft’s roughly 14-month cruise to Didymos, controlling its speed and direction. As the DART spacecraft closes in on the asteroid, its chemical propulsion system will conduct last minute direction changes to ensure it accurately impacts its target.

In addition to providing the chemical propulsion system for the spacecraft, Aerojet Rocketdyne’s NEXT-C (NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster – Commercial) system will also be demonstrated on the mission. NEXT-C is a next-generation solar electric propulsion system designed and built by Aerojet Rocketdyne based on mission-proven technology developed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

Eileen Drake, president and CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said:

“DART plays an important role in understanding if it is possible to deflect asteroids and change their orbits. Our chemical propulsion system will help the spacecraft reach its destination and impact its target, while our electric propulsion system will demonstrate its capability for future applications.”

The NEXT-C system completed acceptance and integration testing at NASA Glenn in February. With a in-flight test of this next generation of ion engine technology, DART will demonstrate its potential for application to future NASA missions and may make use of NEXT-C for two of the planned spacecraft trajectory correction maneuvers.

“As our world becomes increasingly connected, so does the need for faster and higher capacity wireless connections,” Trevor Polidore, New Product Development Group Leader at Rogers Corporation said. “Partnering with Fortify will allow Rogers to deliver a complete solution for the manufacturing of 3D-printed dielectric components, enabling our customers to create the next generation of wireless systems.”

Wireless communications and SATCOM systems have led the expansion of active antenna systems (AAS) use into mainstream consumer applications. By taking advantage of AAS’s ability to generate highly directive signals that can be electronically steered and form various beam patterns, the latest applications such as 5G and high-throughput satellites (HTS) can deliver services previously inaccessible with conventional antennas.

However, many AAS technologies are expensive and complex to manufacture with multitudes of performance tradeoffs that often require new technologies and high cost devices to yield competitive solutions. It is possible to address some of these challenges with intricate 3D dielectric materials, but complex 3D dielectrics have historically been difficult or impossible to manufacture with the necessary cost, quality, and repeatability to meet practical manufacturing requirements.

“The photopolymers available today are an order of magnitude more lossy than thermoplastics, yet 3D printing complex parts at scale out of thermoplastics is time consuming.” Phil Lambert, Sr. Applications Engineer at Fortify said. “With the right low-loss material systems from Rogers combined with Fortify’s printers, we can offer a solution that provides excellent feature resolution, great RF properties, and high throughput capabilities for end-use parts.

While traditional DLP platforms struggle to print highly viscous materials, CKM technology employed on all Fortify Flux Series printers allow for the processing of advanced materials, such as Rogers’ low loss materials, while maintaining material quality and consistency throughout the manufacturing process.

“With Rogers, we are positioned to commercialize the first scalable, low-loss 3D printed RF dielectric materials,” Josh Martin, CEO and Cofounder of Fortify said.  “This partnership is a great example of how innovative materials and technology companies can come together and provide a differentiated value proposition to a rapidly growing market. Fortify has a scalable way of manufacturing continuously varying dielectric material, which is a game changer for the scanning beam antenna market (5G, surveillance, remote sensing, and security).”

Applications of this new technology include passive lens devices that augment gain and directivity for single or multi feed systems found in RF sensing and SATCOM On-The-Move commlinks, and 5G AAS systems to widen field of view and reduce sidelobe levels.

The advantages of Fortify’s 3D printers for printed RF dielectric technology include: lower weight, wide bandwidth, scalable manufacturing, structure design freedom, quick turnaround parts, and more. The two companies continue to collaborate to optimize printing processing parameters to realize all these benefits and more.

A drone that flies over densely populated areas or the open sea has to be able to take off and land vertically, for example on an apartment complex or the afterdeck of a ship. This drains a lot of power from the battery and is detrimental to the flight duration. Fossil fuels are often used to increase aircraft range and endurance, though this is not a particularly sustainable solution. Moreover, to fly efficiently over long distances, a drone needs wings, however, fixed wing drones require additional facilities to land them, such as a runway or a net. So all in all up to now no drones have been developed that can sustainably fly long distances and still take off and land almost anywhere.

Bart Remes, Project Manager of the Micro Aerial Vehicle Lab (MAVLab) at TU Delft:

“That is why we developed a drone that can take off and land vertically using hydrogen plus a battery set, and that during the horizontal hydrogen-powered flight can recharge the battery via a fuel cell, ready for the vertical landing. The fixed-wing design and the use of hydrogen means the drone can fly horizontally for hours at a time.”

The fully electric drone weighs 13kg and has a wingspan of three metres. It is also very safe: it is powered by 12 motors so even if several motors fail, it can still land safely on the afterdeck of a ship, for example.

Sustainable
The drone is equipped with a 300 bar, 6.8 litre carbon composite hydrogen cylinder. The cylinder feeds hydrogen at low pressure to the 800w fuel cell that converts it to electricity. The only emissions are oxygen and water vapour. In addition to the fuel cell that supplies electricity to the motors, there is also a set of batteries that together with the fuel cell provide extra power to the motors during the vertical take-off and landing.

The knowledge acquired while designing the drone can be used to make aviation greener. Henri Werij, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft:

“One of the most important aspects of this research project is the hydrogen-powered flight. Worldwide, hydrogen is seen as one of the most important contenders for achieving a green and sustainable aviation fuel.”

Maritime
Drones are already regularly used for flying over land, but flying over the sea brings many extra challenges. Wind, salt water, a moving ship with limited take-off and landing facilities, these are all dynamic conditions that put high demands on the drone. This is why the TU Delft hydrogen drone was not only tested in a wind tunnel, but also on Royal Netherlands Navy and Dutch Coastguard service vessels, sailing on the open sea off the Dutch coast.

Thanks to the combination of the wings and the hydrogen cylinder and battery, the TU Delft drone was able to stay airborne in stable flight for over 3.5 hours. These properties make the drone suitable for providing support in reconnaissance and inspection tasks.

Commander Pieter Blank:

“Introducing new technologies demands a more exploratory approach than we are used to. The current generation of young people grow up in this way of learning and experimenting, and for us they are our personnel of the future. This is why we are making every effort to work together with others to create operational applications for these technologies. As an innovator in the Royal Netherlands Navy and Dutch Coastguard service, I am proud of this cooperation with TU Delft. The development of the maritime, hydrogen-powered drone is a true technical breakthrough which has huge future potential.”

According to Dr. Tim Bremner, Materials Technology Director at CDI:
“In the past decade, thermoplastic-based materials development in the energy and chemical process sectors has been dominated by the push for operation at higher temperatures and higher pressures. The added challenge of achieving customers’ performance targets in very high or very low pH fluid handling, as encountered in sulphuric acid production or caustic amine gas treaters, introduces another challenge to material design due to the limitations these corrosive environments place on our choice of fillers and reinforcements. We are more than enthusiastic about the performance of dures® 200 in pump applications where the combined temperature, pressure, and corrosive fluids would cause premature failure in lower-performing materials.”

Currently, dures® 200 is delivering similar results for custom-designed components in single-stage overhung pumps and horizontally split multistage pumps with lean amines under pressures of over 200psi. Pump operators using dures® materials can operate their equipment with tighter clearances, decreasing vibration and downtime while improving and boosting efficiency. CDI’s dures® materials also improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs by reducing the risk of pump failures due to touch-off or dry running conditions during start-up. In the dures® family of materials, A451 and XPC2 are also recognized by API and meet the requirements of API 610 for stationary wear or rotating parts applications.dures 200 Social Media V1

Gary Gibson, P.E., CDI’s Senior Sales Engineer for API 610 Pump Components says:
“API pumps are manufactured to meet certain industrial requirements including specifications that directly affect performance and safety. Designing components for those extreme duty pumps requires extensive technical knowledge of both the equipment and the environments for end use.”

Every five years, the API Committee convenes to review API standards and seek comments from its members which includes oil and gas industry leaders and distinguished industry institutes. Gibson goes on to say, “when the API 610 Twelfth Edition was released earlier this year, we were thrilled to learn that dures® 200 was now recognized in the non-metallic wear part materials selection.”

CDI’s team has extensive pump knowledge with proven results for components developed for circulating water pumps, cooling water pumps, boiler feed multistage pumps, river and waterway pumps, screening wash pumps, sump tank pumps, and much more. To learn more about dures® 200, or the dures® family of materials for power generation, hydrocarbon processing, or water treatment applications, contact a CDI representative.

Advanced composites in general – and thermoplastics in particular – are true game changers in the world of aerostructures because they enable the production of components that are simultaneously lighter and stronger than the materials previously used, and at lower cost. Another major advantage is that they can be recycled/repurposed as part of a circular economy. The resulting performance gains are therefore significant, and help limit aviation’s environmental impact.

The Shap’In TechCenter’s key purpose is to drive Daher’s consolidation of its leadership in aerostructure technologies, which are key to the aerospace industry’s success in meeting the twin challenges of competitiveness and reduced environmental impact.

A unique facility and resources

To ensure the 100% alignment of innovation and manufacturing, Shap’In is located on Daher’s Saint-Aignan-de-Grandlieu site, adjacent to its specialized production plant for thermoplastic aerospace components – which is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the aerospace industry.
This combination of innovation center and production plant brings together a unique set of skills and resources that will accelerate innovation in aerostructures and the methods and processes used to manufacture them. Shap’In will capitalize on the technological advances made by Daher in the design and production of aircraft wings, tails and engines by enabling designs to be put into production faster and with greater agility, thereby shortening the lead time to product maturity.

At the cornerstone unveiling ceremony, Daher CEO Didier Kayat said: “We are extremely proud to see this project come to fruition; a process that has accelerated significantly in recent months thanks to the support we have received from the France Relance national recovery plan. Together with Log’In, our future logistics acceleration platform at Toulouse; and Fly’In, the Tarbes innovation center dedicated to the forward development of our aircraft product range; Shap’In further underlines our determination to embrace the future, and will showcase how our technological expertise feeds into a cutting-edge French industry. It also will considerably extend our ability to develop disruptive technologies and their production processes. We are putting the needed resources in place for Daher to remain at the forefront of our industry, while also ensuring our status as a key player in tomorrow’s low-carbon aviation sector.”

360° innovation

Shap’In has been developed around three key axes:
• Expertise:

• People: By bringing R&D and production teams together, they will be able to work collaboratively and benefit from each other’s ideas in shortening the development and innovation cycle;
• Materials: While previously dispersed across a number of regions, all Daher composite material testing laboratories (which also work on behalf of other leading aerospace prime contractors) will now come together at a single site;
• Processes: The TechCenter will oversee new developments in production, new processes (e.g. induction welding, etc.), digital integration, etc.

• Equipment and resources:

• Shap’In will incorporate pre-development resources that bridge the gap between laboratory testing and the production line, as well as facilities for analyses of materials and finished products;
• These resources will make it possible to conduct research on reducing production costs, reducing the carbon footprint and boosting performance, with the ultimate aim of positioning Daher in new markets and setting the company distinctively apart from its Asian and American competitors;
• Being fully aligned with the Daher Open Innovation strategy, Shape’In also will provide the opportunity for selected manufacturers of production machinery essential for the manufacture of composite structural components to test their future developments on site in partnership with Daher.

• The decision in favor of the Nantes region:

• The Nantes technology hub boasts a very rich and diverse local R&D network (including the IRT Jules Vernes R&D institute for advanced manufacturing technologies, the EMC2 competitiveness cluster, etc.) in which Daher already is heavily involved;The Nantes region overall is recognized in the aerospace industry for its expertise in advanced composites, and its ability to respond effectively to tomorrow’s aerospace challenges, which include the recycling of material offcuts.

In 2022, Toray developed a 100% bio-based adipic acid, a raw material for polyamide 66 (nylon 66), from sugars derived from inedible biomass. This achievement came from using a proprietary synthesis technique combining the company’s microbial fermentation technology and chemical purification technology that harnesses separation membranes. The recent demonstration was a first step toward creating a technology to make cellulosic sugar from biomass, putting it on track to mass production. The company now looks to establish an integrated technology to manufacture fiber and resin from abundant agricultural residue, avoiding competition with the food chain (see Figure 2).

Toray looks to set up a structure to supply cellulosic sugar in collaboration with Thai sugar refineries and starch manufacturers and other companies using biomass resources. It will endeavor to upscale technology from an effort under development to produce adipic acid from cellulosic sugar. In providing cellulosic sugars to chemical companies around the globe, Toray seeks to help materialize a circular economy by replacing petroleum-based chemicals with plant-derived offerings that are not part of the food chain. 

Toray is leveraging a basic policy of creating and deploying innovative new materials and technologies for tomorrow in entering new fields while drawing on internal and external collaboration to accelerate research. As part of this approach, it will engage in open innovation for membrane bioprocessing with players in different industries, establishing supply chains and providing solutions with companies using biomass and cellulosic sugar.

The technology announced is a fruit of NEDO’s Demonstration Project for an Energy-Saving Cellulosic Sugar Production System using Bagasse under International Demonstration Project on Japan’s Energy Efficiency Technologies. The demonstration plant is at a site in Udon Thani Province, Thailand, of Cellulosic Biomass Technology Co., Ltd., which Toray and Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd., set up in January 2017. There, Toray verified and assessed manufacturing process energy savings, production performance, and the economic feasibility of this production system from August 2018 through December 2022. It completed the demonstration in March 2023. The Thai government looks for the new technology to contribute significantly to materializing the Bio-Circular Green Economy model, which the Thai Government deployed as a strategy for national development and post-pandemic recovery. 

Demonstration project overview
1.Name: Demonstration Project for an Energy-Saving Cellulosic Sugar Production System Using Bagasse (as part of NEDO’s International Demonstration Project on Japan’s Energy Efficiency Technologies)
https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/activities/activities_AT1_00175.html
2.Project period: August 2016 through March 2023
3.Demonstration period: August 2018 through December 2022
4.Location: Udon Thani Province, Thailand
5.Facility scale: Dried bagasse processing capacity of 3,000 metric tons annually

Demonstration technology details
1.Using enzymes and separation membranes to turn inedible plants into sugars
At the demonstration plant, Toray verified a technology to produce cellulosic sugar as a raw fermentation material for ethanol, lactic acid, succinic acid, and other substances by reacting unused bagasse and cassava pulp with enzymes, using membrane separation to purify and concentrate the resulting cellulosic sugar.
In verifying this technology with bagasse as a raw material, Toray confirmed that it is possible to halve enzyme usage by recovering and reusing enzymes in membranes. Such losses have been costly to date in producing cellulosic sugar.
The company further purified sugars with membranes, separating acetic and other organic acids from cellulosic sugars. It thereby obtained cellulosic sugars offering outstanding fermentability and confirmed that fermentation into ethanol and succinic acid and edible sugars is possible.

2.Cost savings in producing chemicals with proprietary enzyme production technology
Toray upscaled production of the enzyme production technology stemming from its R&D (a non-genetically modified organism enzyme production technology using a trichoderma filamentous fungi; attaining world-class enzyme production capacity). It used the upscaled enzyme production facilities in Thailand to demonstrate sugar production from bagasse. This enzyme production technology should serve as an on-site technology as sugar production systems spread, cutting enzyme costs to help such systems become mainstream.

3.Reducing total chemical production costs by using cassava pulp as raw material
cellulosic sugar derived from cassava pulp does not contain xylose (see note 4). It can be purified through membrane saccharification to remove viscous substances. This results in a sugar solution with higher glucose purity than that of cellulosic sugar derived from bagasse (see Figure 3). Toray also confirmed good conversion efficiency in fermentation through the demonstration effort. The high glucose purity and low impurity content could slash the total costs of manufacturing chemicals. Among them are adipic acid, the raw material for nylon 66.

Notes:
1.Cellulosic sugar is a solution whose prime component is glucose. It results from decomposing agricultural residue (biomass) that is not used as food.
2.Bagasse is a solid residue from pressing sugarcane. Sugar refineries burn some bagasse in boilers to generate electricity; the remainder is called surplus bagasse. Thailand is one of the world’s leading sugarcane producers.
3.Cassava pulp is a residue from extracting tapioca. It is used as livestock feed after drying in the sun. It cannot be preserved when undried, creating a need for ways to use it in that state.
4.Biomass-derived cellulosic sugars mainly comprise glucose, which microorganisms can easily metabolize, and xylose, which is hard for microorganisms to metabolize. Lower xylose concentrations enhance chemical production efficiency. Bagasse-derived cellulosic sugars normally have a glucose and xylose ratio of 2:1. Cassava pulp-derived cellulosic sugars have very little xylose.

Meet Toray Advanced Composites at JEC World 2023, hall 6, booth D28.
And Toray Carbon Fibers Europe, hall 5, booth J5.

Also on display will be the P-CAM131 multi-ply computerized cutting machine (NC cutting machine). Shima Seiki’s fast, efficient and reliable P-CAM series computerized cutting machines are known for their innovative functions and Made-in-Japan quality, and boast the largest market share in Japan. P-CAM131’s multi-ply cutting capability allows up to 1 inch (33mm) of fabric or material to be cut. At JEC World P-CAM131 is shown in its most compact form, featuring a cutting area of 1,300 mm x 1,700 mm, with option for expansion. A knife sharpening system produces a sharp, strong blade every time. Strong, robust components permit quicker response times for knife movement and more accurate cutting of composites and other industrial materials.

Demonstrations will be also performed on Shima Seiki’s new SDS-ONE APEX4 design system, the fourth generation of its series and the most powerful, most efficient APEX to date. Processing speeds for programming and simulation are improved by up to 600 per cent compared to the previous-generation SDS-ONE APEX3, for quicker response especially in virtual sampling. Virtual sampling based on ultra-realistic simulation improves on the design evaluation process by minimizing the need for actual sample-making in prototyping. This realizes significant savings in time, cost and material, further contributing to sustainable manufacturing. Once a design is approved, production data can be created for both knitting machines and cutting machines.

Discover Shima Seiki team at JEC World 2020, Hall 6, Booth P28.

The filament winder was designed by Cygnet Texkimp to enable Solvay to produce large sheets of composite material, or preforms, which can be moulded using Solvay Double Diaphragm Forming (DDF) technology and hot compression moulding to create exterior parts for the automotive industry, including bonnets and boot lids [hoods and trunk lids].

It is in effect a semi-automated drum winder, but unlike traditional machines of this kind, it is capable of winding fibre in a much wider range of angles, so providing customers with greater flexibility in selecting material properties within multi-layer preforms.

The winder is capable of winding at a fibre speed of up to 100 metres/min and has been built to accommodate a mandrel spanning 2.2m in length by 0.6m in diameter, which means it can produce 2m² preforms. The finished wind is sliced from the mandrel and trimmed to size using an integrated, automatic cutting unit before being transported to the next stage of processing on a dedicated transfer table.

Richard Russell, Process Engineer at Solvay, said:

“Cygnet Texkimp worked closely with us to develop a highly controlled and efficient process that removes a lot of the labour requirement and allows us to show our customers how they can produce carbon fibre prepreg quickly, cost-effectively and competitively using our resins and materials.

“For the automotive market in particular, this is a very interesting alternative way to make high-performance composite parts in medium volumes.”

The winder takes dry fibres, or tows, from an integrated, four-position driven creel, and feeds them onto an application head. The driven creel controls fibre tension throughout the process, which ensures consistent spreading despite variations in fibre speed which occur throughout the winding process.

The four tows are spread over the application head to create a 50mm wide consolidated sheet or tape onto which Solvay’s resin system is applied, immediately before it is laid onto the mandrel.

Cygnet Texkimp’s design incorporates a resin metering system to mix Solvay’s advanced resins at the point of application, and in doing so eliminates the issue of pre-mixed resin curing before application or needing to be stored under special conditions.

• Production of hybrid knitted fabric structures over a non-woven substrate
• Manufacture of unidirectional (UD) fabrics for fibre-reinforced plastics and plain knitted fabrics for thermal textiles in the mobility sector
• Reinforcement of wound dressings in the medical textiles sector.

The new machine platform comes with new features which open up new research avenues for ITA and its research partners (as depicted in figure “Biaxtronic CO opens new research opportunities”).

The possibility to feed in base substrate will allow ITA to fundamentally research applications in the field of geotextiles. The installed Karl Mayer Command System “KAMCOS” includes an ethernet interface for integration into an existing network, which fulfils the requirements for research topics in the field of Industry 4.0, inline quality control, sociology, networking of the process chain etc. The newly developed electronic guide bar control system and the possibility to vary process parameter inline will improve the product quality substantially and help in producing locally adapted tailored textiles.

ITA thrives on the development of new innovative technologies and products, which mainly result from bilateral research projects between industry and universities. Thus, with the acquisition of the Biaxtronic CO ITA is looking forward to undertake collaborative projects with national and international partners in the coming years.

This acquisition of the Biaxtronic CO is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, project number INST 222/1264-1 FUGG. ITA extends its gratitude towards the DFG and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for their financial support.

“Everybody involved has managed to make tremendous progress with the development of AMB 001, despite the challenges we have all been facing. This special motorcycle is, like our road cars, the result of beautiful design melding with modern technology to produce a bike that any collector will be proud of. We are delighted to see how much progress has been made, both on and off track and look forward to the moment when production starts for this stunning machine.”

Prototype testing is one of the most vital parts of the development process with a test motorcycle allowing the team to validate the chassis geometry, the ergonomics and dynamic behaviour. In the same way that Aston Martin’s vehicle dynamics engineers can ‘read’ a car, Brough Superior’s test rider feeds back on all areas of performance, from the overall dynamic feel of the bike to details regarding cornering, braking, acceleration and the like.
 
Commenting on the ongoing success of the development programme, Brough Superior CEO Thierry Henriette said:

“One of the key design features of the AMB 001 is an aluminium fin that runs along the full length of a carbon fibre tank, passing under the saddle and out onto the rear. The body holding the fin and supporting the saddle is one of the areas where we called on the unique knowledge of Mecano ID, who joined the project to apply specialist aerospace-quality carbon fibre skills to the exclusive AMB 001.”

While the focus of the track testing is directed at the chassis, engine bench testing takes place in parallel to streamline the development process. The AMB 001 boasts a turbo-charged engine with an output of 180 hp.

Once this testing process is complete the AMB 001 will go into production this Autumn at the Brough Superior factory in Toulouse, France.

Located in Mulhouse and Strasbourg, in the North-East of France, Cetim Grand Est benefits from an environment favourable to technological innovation due to the nearby University of Strasbourg and Carnot MICA institute. Cetim Grand Est supports customers in their projects towards the industry of the future through various technological innovations.

Composites and plastics: focus on recycling
The global production of composites and plastics currently amounts to 10 and 350 million tons a year, respectively. These materials, which were developed on a large scale in the last century and have now become unavoidable, are struggling to find technically and economically viable recovery routes. What might once have appeared as a minor inconvenience is now becoming a threat to industrial activity.

Indeed, the predicted scarcity of non-renewable material and energy resources is leading to tighter regulations, gradually forcing the composites and plastics industries to reduce their environmental footprint. Even though the objective is the same for all, the historical context is significantly different.

The composites industry, which is not highly automated and mainly targets niche markets, produces high-value-added and long-lasting goods, made from a long or continuous fibre reinforcement (glass) and a thermosetting resin (unsaturated polyester) in nearly 90% of cases. While production waste remains more or less stable from year to year despite an overall increase in production, end-of-life waste is increasing sharply as the first generations of products designed 20, 30 or 40 years earlier (boat hulls, wind turbine blades, cladding panels, etc.) come to the end of their life cycle. The sharp increase in waste deposits is not necessarily a problem in itself.

However, given the infusible nature of the resin, landfill remains the only option in nearly 90% of cases. This percentage has not decreased for many years, despite numerous R&D efforts in this area. Technical solutions exist, but none of them convincingly overcomes the barrier of economic viability (with the exception of composites containing carbon fibre, but they represent only 4-5% of the market).

Thermosaïc and ThermoPRIME process line

This situation is no longer acceptable today. The composites industry needs to find an alternative to the thermosetting resins historically used. It is currently undergoing a transformation by innovating in the field of materials, on the one hand (for example Arkema’s Elium resins), and in materials and processes, on the other hand, by moving closer to plastics processing. In both cases, the idea is to use thermoplastic resins, which have a higher recycling potential than thermosetting resins. However, these materials will only be massively adopted once their recyclability has been proven on an industrial scale.

The highly-automated plastics industry, which is mainly aimed at mass markets, produces low-value-added and short-lived goods from thermoplastic resins. This short lifespan generates very high waste volumes every year. A material recycling channel does exist, but for the moment it only manages to capture a small part of the waste stream (around 10%). Another part of this stream is captured for energy recovery (about 20%). Thus, on a global scale, nearly 70% of waste is dispersed in nature or buried. As before, this situation is no longer acceptable at present. The plastics industry must increase the recycling rate of its resins through the use of applications with a higher added value, by approaching the composites industry in particular.

This mutual understanding between two formerly compartmentalised industries offers new waste recovery prospects. In this respect, Cetim Grand Est developed two eco-technologies that meet the upcycling expectations for these materials.

Two technologies with the same production line
Using a step-by-step thermomechanical process, this innovative process allows the continuous production – from waste – of recycled semi-finished products in the form of large-scale thermoplastic composite panels. The pre-industrial production line installed in Mulhouse’s workshop, designed in a flexible, cost-effective and versatile way, and with an “upcycling” approach, allows the recovery of various thermoplastic waste into ranges of recycled composite semi-finished products with high added value and an optimised and competitive cost/performance ratio.

Starting from the same production line, but with two different feed systems, the Thermosaïc and ThermoPRIME (Thermo Plastic Recycling for Innovative Material and Ecodesign) eco-technologies were developed to fully exploit the recycling potential of composite and plastics materials.

Thermoplastic composite waste: Thermosaïc technology
Starting from a deposit of production waste (and then end-of-life products), this technology consists in shredding the material in order to maximize its economic potential for recovery. The Thermosaïc technology  retains the intrinsic value of the initial composite material, continuously moulding these shreds by thermocompression into panels. Compared to recycling into short fibre compounds, Thermosaïc panels have significantly better mechanical properties and a high formability potential.

Thermosaïc recycled composite

Plastic or fiber waste: ThermoPRIME technology
Starting from a recycled plastic material with low added value, formulated to the specific needs of the application (controlled quality), ThermoPRIME consists in associating this polymer with continuous or long fibre reinforcements to produce continuous laminates with high durability and economic recovery potential.

ThermoPRIME recycled composite

Industrial applications
Thermoplastic composite waste recycling has already been the subject of various studies, in particular with Porcher Industries, the aim being to find ways of recovering materials such as PPS/glass with a high added value. Generally speaking, the aeronautical industry shows interest in any technology capable of recycling various production waste (up to 40% waste) resulting from stamping or thermocompression operations.

Porcher PPS/GF Thermosaïc

With the same logic of economic optimization and reducing the environmental footprint of materials, an eco-designed laptop case demonstrator made of recycled and/or bio-sourced materials is currently being developed for the fashion and luxury sector (CARATS) of the Carnot institutes.

Through the LCFC (Low Carbon Footprint Composite) collaborative project, associating Cetim Grand Est and IS2M (Institut des Sciences et Surfaces de Mulhouse) within Carnot MICA, a proof of concept was developed based on the manufacture of a material combining a recycled matrix (polypropylene) with a bio-sourced fibre reinforcement (nettle).

Example of a product thermostamped with ThermoPRIME/Thermosaïc technologies

These examples show the interest of manufacturers and academics in major subjects that meet strong societal expectations. This flexible and agile technology makes it possible to recycle all types of thermoplastics (from PP to PEEK) and reinforcements (glass, carbon, flax, etc.). It is mature enough to support industrial needs through feasibility studies, proofs of concept, specific formulations, pilot production, etc.

This article has been edited with the participation of Frédéric Ruch, PhD Team Manager, Engineering and Material, Science Polymers – Composites & Recycling, and Clément Callens, BU Manager Industry of the Future, Cetim Grand Est.

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The launch began with the 812 Competizione completing several laps of the circuit to give viewers a full appreciation of the car’s forms in this dynamic and high performance context in addition, of course, to hear the unmistakeable sound of Ferrari’s iconic naturally-aspirated V12. After the hot laps Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, officially presented the car and then unveiled the 812 Competizione A.

This duo of cars is dedicated to a very exclusive group of collectors and enthusiasts of the most noble of Ferrari traditions, which focuses on uncompromising maximum performance. The innovative technological concepts applied to the engine, vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics have raised the bar to new heights.

Powertain
The 812 Competizione and 812 Competizione A sport the most exhilarating V12 on the automotive scene and is derived from the multi-award-winning engine powering the 812 Superfast. The result is a naturally-aspirated 830 cv engine that pairs impressive power with electrifying delivery and the inimitable soundtrack that Ferrari V12 purists know well. To boost the output of the engine, which has the same 6.5-litre displacement as the 812 Superfast’s V12, several areas have been significantly re-engineered to achieve a new record red line while optimising the fluid-dynamics of the intake system and combustion, and reducing internal friction.

Aerodynamics
Two carbon-fibre side air intakes for the brakes flank the main grille, which feeds cooling air to the engine and cockpit. These intakes are square in section and are split between brake cooling and a double air curtain duct. Thanks to the latter, the charged flow that strikes the side of the bumper is channelled and used to reduce the turbulence generated by the outer part of the tyre tread, thereby improving the front downforce generated by the outside edge of the bumpers.

Vehicle dynamic
Particular attention was paid to making the car as light as possible, which resulted in 38 kg being slashed off its overall weight compared to the 812 Superfast. The areas primarily involved were the powertrain, running gear and bodyshell. Carbon-fibre was used extensively on the exterior, especially on the front bumpers, rear bumpers, rear spoiler and air intakes.

The powertrain contributions to weight reduction came from the use of titanium con-rods coupled with a lighter crankshaft and a 12V lithium-ion battery. Great attention was also paid to the design of the cockpit with the extensive use of carbon-fibre trim, lightweight technical fabrics and a reduction in sound-proofing. There are also dedicated sporty, lightweight forged aluminium rims and titanium studs.

All-carbon-fibre rims are also being made available for the very first time on a Ferrari V12 and offer a total weight reduction of 3.7 kg compared to the lightweight forged 812 Superfast wheels. The inside of the channel and of the spokes is coated in a layer of white aerospace-derived paint that reflects and dissipates heat produced by the car’s extremely efficient braking system, guaranteeing consistent performance over time even under hard use on the track.

Exterior
One of the 812 Competizione’s many striking features is its bonnet, which has a transverse groove in which the carbon-fibre blade sits. This proved an original way of disguising the air vents for the engine bay, whilst also increasing their surface area. From a design perspective, the choice of this transverse element rather than the louvres seen on some previous Ferrari sports cars, means that the bonnet looks cleaner and more sculptural. This theme also acts as a three-dimensional interpretation of the concept of livery, recalling the signature stripe across the bonnet that characterises certain historic racing Ferraris.

The modified front-end aerodynamics allowed the designers to endow the car with a more aggressive character befitting its limited-edition special status. The car’s nose shows off all of its imposing power with a very wide front grille flanked by the two distinctive and prominent side brake intakes. The carbon-fibre splitter underscores the car’s broad, squat stance, hinting at its impressive road-holding.

The most noticeable aspect of the 812 Competizione’s aesthetic is the replacement of the rear screen by an all-aluminium surface. The vortex generators on the upper surface that boost the car’s aerodynamic efficiency simultaneously create a backbone effect that underscores the car’s sculptural forms. Together with the carbon-fibre blade that traverses the bonnet, this motif changes the overall perception of the car’s volume: the car seems more compact than the 812 Superfast, accentuating its powerful, fastback look. Not having a rear screen also creates a textural continuity between roof and spoiler, providing owners with the opportunity to personalise the car even more with a whole new single continuous graphic livery that runs unbroken its entire length.

When printing thermoplastic material, each polymer has an ideal print temperature at which the best fusion between layers occurs. This new system not only attains but precisely maintains this ideal temperature automatically.

Thermal sensor layer automation system

Called “Thermal Sensor Layer Automation”, it continuously measures the temperature of a printed layer just before a new bead is added. This allows the machine to automatically adjust the feed speed, using “Layer Time Control”, to print at, or very close to, the perfect temperature needed to achieve the best possible layer to layer fusion. This results in superior printed part quality. Until now, these adjustments relied primarily on operator skill and judgement. Now it is not only totally automatic, but also much more precise.

The new process uses a non-contact temperature sensor which rotates about the print nozzle under servo control and continuously measures the temperature of the existing layer less than a half inch in front of the moving print nozzle. This provides precise feedback of the temperature at the moment of layer fusion, insuring integrity of the bond being generated at every point on every layer.

Data from the probe is processed through an advanced algorithm which adjusts the speed at which each layer is printed. The algorithm takes into account not only the temperature at the point of printing, compared to the target temperature, but also the changing geometry of the part as it grows. Print speed is no longer defined in the print CNC program but instead, it is continuously adjusted by the LSAM control system itself during printing, in response to changes in the print environment. This is important because there is no way to know exactly what the print environment will be when you are creating a program or whether that environment will change during the sometimes lengthy print process, leaving the operator responsible for achieving and continuously maintaining print temperature. This is not a particularly easy task.

Automatic print temperature control

With Thermwood’s new system, optimum print temperature is now part of the parameters stored in the control for each polymer and is determined when the polymer is first qualified. To run a specific material using a properly equipped LSAM, it is only necessary to load a part program, specify the material and turn it on. The entire build process, including all temperature control, is then pretty well automatic.

This system achieves much tighter control of the basic print process than is currently possible and best of all, it is totally automatic, not requiring input or adjustment by the machine operator.

As a bonus, temperature data from the print process is available in several forms. A digital readout displays, real time, the current temperature reading as well as the average temperature for the layer being printed. These displays are color coded so that the operator can tell at a glance if the program is printing within temperature tolerance. When the print is complete a report is available that details the print temperature profile of each printed layer. This documentation could provide the quality control basis needed to verify more critical parts, such as flying parts on an aircraft, further expanding the capability and potential use of LSAM printing.

Real-time temperature measurement and control

There is one additional significant aspect to this new development. For the first time in extruder based large scale additive manufacturing, the temperature at the moment of layer fusion can be measured and controlled. This opens the possibility for more advanced research, focused on the very core of an extruder based print process. Research using this technology should result in a better, more thorough understanding of the print and layer fusion process that is at the very core of this emerging industry.

Thermwood believes this is a major advance in the base technology and will make large scale additive manufacturing not only better, but also practical for a broad range of new users. It makes a once complex and highly specialized process, pretty well automatic, allowing almost anyone to produce parts today that are better than the best that could be made by highly skilled experts in the past.

Retrofits available

Existing LSAM customers can also upgrade their current systems to the new Thermal Sensor Layer Automation System in the field. Please contact our Retrofit department for details.

The bottom line

With “Thermal Sensor Layer Automation” large scale composite additive manufacturing has become a valuable new production tool, suitable for a much larger segment of manufacturing applications. It is no longer exclusive to the rare few with highly specialized personnel but it now works for about anyone.

The main driver of this growth was market-based mechanisms, with auctioned wind capacity in 2019 surpassing 40 GW worldwide, accounting for two-thirds of total new capacity and doubling auctioned capacity compared to 2018.

The majority of wind energy installations in 2019 were located in established markets, with the top 5 markets (China, US, UK, India and Spain) accounting for 70 per cent of new capacity. In terms of cumulative installations, China, US, Germany, India and Spain remain the top markets, collectively making up 73 per cent of the total 651 GW of wind power capacity across the world.

Ben Backwell, CEO at GWEC said:

“The wind energy sector is continuing to see consistent growth, after having unequivocally established itself as a cost-competitive energy source worldwide. Established market players such as China and the US accounted for nearly 60 per cent of new installations, however, we see emerging markets in regions such as South East Asia, Latin America and Africa playing an increasingly important role in the years to come, while offshore wind is also becoming a significant growth driver.

He added:

“Nevertheless, we are still not where we need to be when it comes to the global energy transition and meeting our climate goals. If we are to have any chance at reaching our Paris Agreement objectives and remaining on a 1.5°C pathway, we need to be installing at least 100 GW of wind energy annually over the next decade, and this needs to rise to 200 GW annually post-2030 and beyond. To do this, we need to look past competitive LCOE alone, and ensure that regulation and market design is fit for purpose to support an accelerated rate of wind power installations. This will mean stronger measures to push incumbent fossil fuels off the grid and a shake-up of administrative structures and regulation to ensure we can go out and build”.

Feng Zhao, Strategy Director at GWEC said:

“The wind energy industry is growing thanks to new innovations in business models and technology. In 2019, we continued to see more and more countries transitioning away from Feed-in-Tariffs to market-based mechanisms, as well as continued growth in the corporate PPA market. Additionally, new technology developments such as hybridisation and green hydrogen are increasingly being implemented in both mature and emerging markets to increase the share of wind and other renewables in their energy systems. If policymakers and industry stakeholders embrace these new opportunities, we can accelerate the global energy transition to never-before-seen levels”.

The Asia Pacific region was the global leader for new onshore wind installations in 2019, installing 28.1GW of new capacity, more than half of the total new global capacity. Despite a slump in Germany’s wind market, Europe still saw a 30 per cent year-on-year growth for its onshore wind market, driven by strong growth in Spain, Sweden and Greece. Emerging markets for wind in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and South East Asia also showed moderate growth in 2019, with combined installations of 4.5 GW.

Looking to offshore wind, 2019 was a record year for the sector with an impressive 6.1 GW installed and now accounting for 10 per cent of total wind installations globally. This growth was led by China, which remains in the number-one position for new offshore capacity with 2.3 GW installed in 2019. In terms of cumulative offshore wind capacity, the UK remains in the top spot with 9.7 GW, accounting for nearly one-third of the 29.1 GW of total global capacity.

The report forecasts that this growth will continue, with over 355 GW of wind energy capacity added over the next five years. This would mean that we would see 71 GW of wind energy added each year to the end of 2024, with offshore wind expanding its share of total wind energy installations to 20 per cent by that time.

This forecast will undoubtedly be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, due to disruptions to global supply chains and project execution in 2020. However, it is too soon to predict the extent of the virus’s impact on the wider global economy and energy markets. GWEC Market Intelligence is monitoring the situation closely, and will publish an updated Market Outlook for 2020-2024 in Q2 2020.

In in-situ polymerisation, the thermoplastic RTM process, pre-shaped dry fibre preforms are infiltrated directly in the mould cavity with the reactive matrix. Thanks to ε Caprolactam’s low viscosity in molten state, the dry fibres can be wetted particularly well. Compared to duroplastic RTM, longer flow paths and a higher fibre content are possible. When the ε Caprolactam is polymerised to create polyamide 6, a composite with particularly high load-bearing capacity is formed that can be functionalised by injection moulding immediately after manufacture in the same process.

Gentle preparation of material
Servo-electric injection pistons are a proven solution for injecting the reactive components. They support particularly precise adjustment of the injection volume and absolutely synchronous injection of the two components. The recirculation common in reactive systems is deliberately avoided. The volume of monomer melted is limited to what can be processed directly. The reactive components have a particularly short residence time in the system and are not prone to residence time scatter. This in turn prevents thermal damage to the material.

A further benefit of Engel’s system comes into play in testing and technology centre operations with frequent recipe and batch changes: the residual material can be quickly removed from the system without the system needing to be flushed.
The magnetically coupled screw conveyors for feeding the solid reactive components are a new feature. They ensure reliable and process-assured feeding of the solids. The magnetic couplings are contact-free and provide a wear-free sealing to ensure that the entire material feed is evacuated.

Within the user-defined limits, the solids are continuously dosed and plasticised using an approach that is largely independent of the injection process. Up to the moment when the material is fed in, storage and conveying of the solids remain strictly separated thermally and spatially from the melting zone underneath. The vacuum above the molten material is maintained even when topping up the storage hoppers material, and this further boosts both process stability and product quality.

Compatible with all Engel injection moulding machines
Both sizes of the Engel reactive unit can be combined with Engel injection moulding machines from all series. A retrofitting option is available for injection moulding machines with the CC300 control unit. Complete control integration ensures that the entire process can be managed centrally on the machine display. Optionally, the reactive unit can be operated as a stand-alone system with its own CC300 control unit.

The range of applications for in-situ polymerisation extends from small parts with thin wall thicknesses through to large, highly stressed structural elements in lightweight automotive engineering, automotive electronics, technical moulding and sports equipment manufacturing. When overmoulding metal inserts or cables in very small structures, in-situ polymerisation can offer advantages over other processes – even without fibre reinforcement.

Trend to thermoplastic composites
The new reactive unit is available for customer trials at Engel’s Center for Lightweight Composite Technologies in Austria. At the Center, Engel is collaborating with the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria, and mould maker Schöfer, on the further development of the in-situ polymerisation process.

On account of the trend towards thermoplastic composites, this technology is increasingly shifting into the focus of lightweight engineering developers. The continuous thermoplastic material base enhances processing efficiency while at the same time paving the way for recycling composite parts. In the form of in-situ polymerisation and the Engel organomelt technology, system supplier Engel has two production-ready processes for the manufacture of thermoplastic composite parts in its product range.

Haydale uses its patented plasma process to develop bespoke solutions with varying levels of plasma treatment and functionalisation. Properties can be adapted to develop hydrophilic, hydrophobic, carboxylic, amine and oxidative modifications to a range of materials. These modifications improve the treated material’s incorporation into advanced materials. Currently, Haydale has plasma-treated over 250 different types of material that it has characterised and fingerprinted, enabling specific properties to be targeted in future projects.

Historically, Haydale has been able to provide a functionalised process through the dry plasma HDPlas process with maximum fuctionalisation levels of 21%. The existing graphene oxide market offers a material with traditionally 25 atomic percent oxygen atoms. Graphene oxide is produced by wet chemistry processes; this has issues with scalability and the length of time to produce a batch of material taking days. Typical methods involve environmentally hazardous by-products and unstable intermediates (potentially explosive). Graphene oxide is used for batteries and capacitors as well as in flexible electronics, solar cells, chemical sensors and bio-sensing and as an antibacterial defence.

Having a stable plasma process treating extremely conductive material is challenging, especially in a commercial and scalable process. Having already achieved 21% functionalisation through its scalable process, Haydale has a sound base on which it can build to increase the surface chemistry levels by having a more effective and efficient plasma and chemistry. Having a more powerful plasma means improving the engineering solutions. This includes, but is not limited to, the electrode, gas control systems, power delivery and generation, reaction barrel and chamber and materials of construction. By refining the design and implementing novel components that are bespoke for the application, the plasma can be further enhanced.

Haydale’s primary focus in enhancing the functionalisation levels are improved chemistries, including the feed of the process chemistry and potential mixed chemistry and staged functionalisation treatments. The system operates at a vacuum; the process chemistry is bled into the reaction chamber and, once the treatment parameters are established, the plasma can be struck.

In developing the 28% treatment levels, the above system, chemistries and processing conditions all need to be balanced to ensure a stable, non-arcing and repeatable process, as well as achieving the required output. As the effectiveness of the process increases, so does the aggressiveness of the plasma. If this is not balanced with the above parameters, arcing can occur; this means a sustained spike in electrical current that could lead to a thermal plasma which could be damaging to both the reactor and the material. The main outcome of this is a less effective treatment. Current is controlled by a combination of electrical interlocks and a well-balanced process.

Nonetheless, Haydale has been able to balance all of the above and achieve a repeatable and accurate treatment of levels that are comparable of the wet chemical methods of graphene oxide production. Verified in a letter of support by the Cardiff University, 28% Atomic Percent oxygen has been measured, targeting the existing graphene oxide market. No solvents or harsh chemical treatments are used in this dry and environmentally friendly process and a scalable proven process is already used in industry. This new system can also apply to Haydale’s other properties (hydrophilic, hydrophobic, carboxylic, amine etc.) providing the same environmentally friendly, scalable process now with even more surface chemistry.

VTT’s research scientists have been testing the prototype’s performance with, for example, pieces of plastic film, mixed plastic waste, various kinds of textiles and bread. In addition to recycling, the device has been used to produce long fibre composites, and it can also be utilised in food and feed processing.

Behind the idea for the novel extruder is VTT’s Research Scientist Hannu Minkkinen, who discovered that materials can rotate around the device’s hollow cylinder. The device was designed and the prototype built with funding from Business Finland’s and VTT’s funding instrument for commercialisation of research results.

“Commercialising the device would create completely new possibilities both in terms of waste processing and novel material combinations”, explains VTT’s Principal Scientist Tomi Erho.

“Many textile recycling processes are only suitable for products containing homogeneous fibres. However, textiles are often made of a mix of fibres, and many products are comprised of different layers. The new extruder opens up a revolutionary opportunity to recycle mixed textiles and materials without having to separate fibres or components. We have successfully tested the device, for example, for recycling pillows without removing the filling in the course of a project called Telaketju with funding from Business Finland”, says Senior Scientist Pirjo Heikkilä from VTT.

30-cm screw diameter
The diameter of the extruder screw determines the size of the feed throat and also the kinds of materials that the device is capable of processing. The first prototype has a screw diameter of 30 cm instead of the 3–4 cm typically found in conventional devices of the same output.

The large diameter combined with a shallow screw channel makes it possible to mix different components of problematic, porous and lightweight materials and to make the mixed mass compatible with the next stage of the production process.

Benefits compared to traditional extruders:

• Thanks to the simple design of the device, it is one of the cheapest device in comparison with traditional mixing twin-screw extruders.
• VTT’s first prototype is less than two metres long and weighs 1.5 tonnes. Thanks to its short length, the device can also be mounted upright if necessary.
• The compactness of the device makes it possible to transport.
• The design enables accurate temperature control combined with efficient mixing and, considering the size of the device, long residence time. This can be a benefit when processing materials such as food and feed.
• Long fibres can be processed without cutting them, which is useful when processing textiles, for example, or when mixing fibre composites.

In addition to its considerably higher cost-effectiveness, the process has the great advantage that as well as the high pressing capacity that can be achieved, temperatures above 450°can also be reached effortlessly. This means that even PEEK can be processed using this procedure, which is extremely advantageous compared with double belt presses.

The system primarily consists of six stations. The unwinding station prepares the material that is to be consolidated on rolls. This means that six layers of material can be pressed into one organic sheet. If necessary, the number of laminate layers can also be increased.

A feed table ensures the individual layers are aligned correctly and the current material usage is always calculated on the control side using incremental length measurement.

Before the actual consolidation, the material is heated in a pre-press to approximately 100°C and pre-compressed with a press capacity of 3kN. This makes it possible to also process awkwardly shaped non-woven fabric in the machine. The material is pulled semi-continuously through the press together with the separating sheets by the feeder arranged behind the press. This achieves theoretical speeds of 200mm/s. Depending on the number and thickness of the layers, up to 1.7mof laminate can be produced per minute.

The core of the machine is the heating-cooling press with a press capacity of 2,000kNm, which is fitted with a synchronized hydraulic system. This is constructed with four press cylinders with power and location control. In addition to the very high plane-parallelism of +/-0.02mm, a special feature of the design is the option of deliberately placing the heating plates in a sloping position(1.5mm/1.2m). Furthermore, the heating plates can be adjusted to six individual positions over a length of 1,200mm and thermally separated temperature zones (up to 451°C) have been installed. As a result, material-specific heating and cooling curves can be run without any problems to form the melt front in the direction of manufacture. A thickness measuring device is used for quality control purposes, which determines the precise thickness of the pressed semi-finished product at four measuring points using a laser sensor.

The final station of the machine is the cutting station, which cuts the endless material into defined pieces. Alternatively, the material can also be run with winders on a roll. All the stations are connected to each other on the control side and provide a fully automated process.

The machine, which is located at the Textile Research Institute in Chemnitz, Saxony, can process glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, natural fibers, as well as PP, PA, PES, PPS, PEEK, PEI…or also hybrid non-woven fabrics (reinforcement fibers + thermoplastic fibers).

In addition to the testing facility described above, Rucks has supplied seven interval heating press manufacturing machines over the last few years and is currently manufacturing two further ones with a heating plate width of 1.3 maximum press capacity of 8,400kN.

“Sustainability is at the very core of our business. Saving the planet cannot wait, it must happen now, and Volta Trucks wants to spearhead the rapid change in large commercial vehicles, from outdated diesel to clean and safe technological solutions.”

Full electric drivetrain
Volta Trucks aims to mitigate the environmental impact of logistics and freight deliveries that forms the commercial lifeblood of large metropolitan cities. Thanks to its full-electric drivetrain and 160-200KWh of battery power, the Volta Zero will operate for 150-200kms delivering freight and parcels across the world’s cities in a clean and efficient way.

By 2025 operators of Volta Trucks will eliminate around 180,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – the equivalent annual CO2 usage of 24,000 houses. And thanks to its the silent electric operation, the Volta Zero will also improve a city’s noise pollution and enable 24-hour usage for its operator.

Natural and biodegradable body panels
The Volta Zero will be one of the first road vehicles to use a sustainably sourced natural flax material and biodegradable resins in the construction of exterior body panels, with the cab’s dark body panels and many interior trims constructed from the natural material. The high- tech flax weave was developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency and is currently used in 16 of the world’s most competitive motor racing series.

Flax is a sustainably farmed crop where the entire plant is used; flax seeds for linseed oil, the fibres for fabrics, and any leftovers as animal feed or field fertilizer. Volta’s world-leading supplier, Bcomp of Switzerland, uses the harvested flax fibre to create their ampliTex technical fabric – a natural and fully sustainable technical fabric.

The flax fibre’s quality, yarn thickness and twist are all highly engineered, and the weave is reinforced by Bcomp’s patented powerRibs grid technology, inspired by the principles of leaf veins. The result is a fully natural, extremely lightweight, high-performance fibre reinforcement that is almost CO2 neutral over its lifecycle. The panels made with powerRibs can match the stiffness and weight of carbon fibre but uses 75% less CO2 to produce.

The flax matting is then combined with a biodegradable resin by world-class composites manufacturer, Bamd in the UK, to produce the body panels for the Volta Zero. The fully bio- based resin, derived from Rape Seed oil, creates a naturally brown coloured matting. A black natural pigment dye is added to complete its darker, technical appearance. Bamd’s revolutionary manufacturing processes aims for total recyclability of all tooling materials, including solvent-free, water-based sealers and release agents.

Advanced material properties suited to an electric vehicle
The natural flax composite offers a number of benefits when compared to carbon fibre or other similar lightweight man-made materials. Unlike the conductive nature of carbon fibre, the flax composite is non-conductive, lessening any issues of a short circuit in the event of a vehicle accident. It also offers up to three times better vibration damping.

Should an accident occur, the flax composite bends, reshapes and ultimately snaps, unlike carbon fibre that shatters, offering a flexible fracture behaviour without sharp edges. This makes the powerRibs and ampliTex composite body panels particularly suited for urban mobility, reducing the risk of sharp debris that can injure people or cause further accidents through punctures.

At the end of their useful life, flax composite parts can be burnt within the standard waste management system and used for thermal energy recovery, unlike alternative composite materials that are usually sent to landfill.

Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Rob Fowler, concluded:

“Every Volta Zero will remove tonnes of CO2 from our city’s atmospheres but we believe that sustainability is more than just tailpipe emissions, so we have taken an environmental-first approach to all material sourcing. This includes the world’s first use of a natural Flax and biodegradable resin composite in body panel construction that is CO2 neutral and fully recyclable. We will continue to strain every sinew to ensure we deliver on our mission of becoming the world’s most sustainable commercial vehicle manufacturer.”

This agreement allows both companies to expand their efforts to advance the circular economy. Ineos Styrolution is expanding its portfolio of working with leaders in the chemical recycling industry, and GreenMantra continues to find new, innovative ways to apply its existing technology and divert plastic from landfills, while creating value-added performance polymers that serve a broad range of industries and applications.

Ricardo Cuetos, VP Standard Products, Ineos Styrolution America LLC, says:

“We are excited to announce this JDA with Greenmantra as we continue to expand our partnerships with companies across North America. It is a pleasure to collaborate with a company that shares our commitment to pursuing a circular economy and keeping valuable polystyrene material from ending up in our oceans and landfills.”

Domenic Di Mondo, VP of Technology at GreenMantra adds:

“As we launch our new technology to up-cycle waste polystyrene, we are delighted to work with Ineos Styrolution on applications for our secondary recycled styrene product. This exciting partnership aids both Ineos Styrolution in its goal of enhancing the sustainability of its products and GreenMantra in our mission to close the loop on waste PS by identifying value-creating outlets for our two product streams.”
 replacing a portion of virgin monomer feed in Ineos Styrolution’s polymerization process.

This new custom machine is particularly impressive in its ability to handle large parts and complex operations. It has a stationary bridge and a moving table to facilitate faster loading and positioning of large hardware. There are two operational modes including traditional 5-axis functionality and a secondary rotisserie operation that allows for working on tubular parts. There is an integrated tool changer that automatically adjusts for tool length offsets, providing rapid and highly accurate machining and drilling action. The machine’s programming can compensate to a tool-center-point at the tool tip, allowing for faster and more reliable setups. Also, with variable RPM up to 24,000 rotations per minute, it provides the flexibility for a variety of material processing feeds and speeds. The company’s designers use CAD software that works with the CAM software to create an easy transition between the design and part.

The ability to machine large parts in-house quickly offers a strategic cost advantage through significant risk mitigation and labor efficiencies.

Victor Montoya, General Manager of RWC’s San Diego facility said:

“We are cultivating the resources to get things done for our customers in the most cost-efficient and reliable manner possible,”

“Bringing certain functions in-house reduces risk, increases throughput, and enables greater control over quality.”

‘These projects will find direct application in achieving one of the major regional platform deliverables — the full-scale integrated composite fuselage ground demonstrators,’ explains Clean Sky Project Officer Elena Pedone. She says that ‘the primary impact will be improving the manufacturing lead time, which implies on one side a reduction in energy required for the final manufacturing phase and also a decrease in manufacturing waste. The reduced quantity of scrap material produced and lowered energy needs feed into Clean Sky’s sustainability goals. This project will also optimise the manufacturing process in terms of time and use of resources, therefore increasing competitiveness.’

Smarter ways to automate composite panel manufacture

Aircraft construction, especially for regional aircraft fuselage structure, relies heavily on the manufacture of composite panels which are typically constructed using thin and lightweight carbon fibre skins impregnated with resin (known as pre-preg) on the sides, with viscoelastic material embedded in the middle to attenuate the cabin noise. This production technique helps reduce weight, and therefore means less fuel-burn, in line with the Green Deal’s vision. But this process can also be slow and labour-intensive, posing a challenge when production rates need to be accelerated.

Clean Sky’s SMART LAY-UP project provided a cost-cutting approach to manufacturing fuselage panels within a shorter timeframe for Leonardo’s integrated cabin demonstrator for regional aircraft.

A rig with the capacity to lay down stiffened panels 4.5m long for a fuselage of up to 3.5m diameter was built. The centrepiece of the rig is an AFP machine for the pre-preg and viscoelastic material lay-up which reduces lay-up time and also produces panels with embedded acoustic insulation for suppressing cabin noise, in line with European noise reduction targets. The entire rig can be installed within a 10m x 5.5m footprint, making it convenient for multiple rigs to be set up in a manufacturing environment if needed, while also enabling Leonardo to validate the new AFP process in a representative environment for production of the panels for its fuselage demonstrators. The system has been validated for assembly of fuselage sections for structural testing and also for cabin comfort studies.

‘Six fuselage skin-stringer panels for the structural demo were fabricated using the MTorres automated fibre placement machine installed at Leonardo Aircraft’s facilities in Pomigliano d’Arco,’ says work package leader Vittorio Ascione at Leonardo. ‘The biggest challenge in the SMART LAY-UP was to implement and get a reliable and affordable automated process for the manufacturing of the hybrid fuselage demonstrator in a limited time-frame.’

Another challenge in the project was the use of a new viscoelastic material, which Eurecat project manager Angel Lagrana describes as ‘the most “unknown” aspect of the project, which put the consortium’s experience of automated composite lay-up to the test.’

Lagrana says SMART LAY-UP is a key enabler for demonstrating hybrid manufacturing: ‘Without SMART LAY-UP it simply would not have been possible to make the panels within the specified conditions.’ What makes SMART LAY-UP particularly innovative is its versatility — it can be adapted to produce various types of panels using different tools and materials that can be tailored on a case-by-case basis, enabling modular ways to lay-up, laminate, shape and ultrasonically cut the materials.

According to Ascione, it’s the teamwork — not just between humans and robots but between the various project partners, that have brought the project to successful fruition: ‘Clean Sky is actually a unique opportunity to work in the aerospace research field with applicants of different European countries and diversified businesses, making it quite easy to collaborate with universities, research centres, high technology companies and small start-ups. In SMART LAY-UP, Leonardo has actively collaborated with MTorres and Eurecat, bringing the right mixture of heterogeneous knowledge together with a very cooperative approach. This has been the key for the project’s success.’

Robotics and ultrasonic inspection for composites

Composite materials (carbon fibre reinforced polymers) and laminates (hybrid polymer-metal multilayer sandwich structures) will provide effective pathways towards lighter, more fuel-efficient aircraft. The latest passenger airliners on the horizon will likely contain up to 80% of such materials in their primary structures. However, two prominent challenges are yet to be cracked: compared to conventional aluminium alloy structures, composites are expensive to produce, and it’s harder to detect internal defects or impact damage to these materials in service.

Complementing SMART LAY-UP, ACCURATe (Aerospace Composite Components – Ultrasonic Robot Assisted TEsting) project developed an advanced prototype laser ultrasonic testing (LUT) system for optimising non-destructive inspection (NDI) techniques. These were used to inspect large hybrid and thick composite structures and structures containing acoustic damping materials (for cabin noise suppression), such as the stiffened panels of both REG IADP Fuselage Structural and Passenger Cabin Demonstrators.

A demonstrator-oriented approach

The project plan was to design, build, test and deploy a prototype cell (a type of rig) for validating component panels supplied by topic manager Leonardo, using hybrid materials technology. Validation took place at Leonardo’s site in Pomigliano d’Arco, using a combination of lasers.

The KUKA robotic system employed uses a 6 axis lightweight robot arm for deployment of the optical head, providing an unrivalled dexterity inspection solution compared to other LUT systems, since it has the ability to move on a rail track that runs the length of one side of the CFRP panel being inspected. The robot arm scan window is sufficient for the whole panel to be scanned at speeds of over 8m2 per hour with just a single fixture rotation.

Leonardo’s Ascione says that the biggest challenge in ACCURATe was ‘the implementation of a fully automatic high-speed inspection process, based on contactless no-couplant laser ultrasound technology, able to assure defects detectability comparable with conventional ultrasound by a laser power optimisation – and to do this without causing damage to the part, and with no false signals.’

Safety first

Working with lasers requires heightened safety measures, says Kyriakos Mouzakitis, Senior Project Leader at TWI Technology Centre:

‘The ACCURATe inspection system is very complex. Achieving our targets whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety has been a very challenging process requiring intricate path planning of the robot, precise calculations for laser activation and deactivation, and designing the safety guards to ensure the wellbeing of personnel.’

Currently the system is ready for installation at Leonardo’s Pomigliano d’Arco plant, where the Laser Enclosure is under construction. Looking ahead, the ACCURATe consortium has discussed the potential to form a separate venture for the commercialisation of its system, to be defined in the final year. The plan is that this separate entity (ACCURATe Ltd) will be led by KUKA systems, while other consortium partners also intend to exploit the IP developed in ACCURATe for other industries.

Putting it all together

To keep pace with demand as aviation recovers post-Covid, production and assembly rates have to play their part too. And that’s where Clean Sky’s LABOR (Lean robotised AssemBly and cOntrol of composite aeRostructures) project comes in, bringing a lean, self-adaptive approach to using small/medium sized robots that can be adapted for different assembly operations.

Currently on aircraft assembly lines involving large panels there are many recurrent operations such as drilling, fastener insertion, riveting, sealing, coating and painting. Many of these tasks can be performed using large robotic machines, but these rigs tend to be costly, rigid solutions that can mainly perform a predefined sequence of operations on a specific assembly. Such setups often require human operation, especially during drilling and riveting operations. 

LABOR developed a self-adaptive cell capable of automated drilling and fastener insertion based on robotised systems for composite structures. 

‘The robotic cell, as an innovative automated system for manufacturing processes, developed in the Clean Sky’s LABOR project, supports the integration and assembly of both the full scale Regional IADP Fuselage Structural Demonstrator and the Passenger Cabin Demonstrator,’ explains project coordinator Dr. Cristina Cristalli, Research for Innovation Manager at Loccioni Group.  

The system is capable of carrying out a range of automated functionalities, including referencing and high accuracy positioning, drilling, and countersinking of holes with several diameters of hybrid stack-ups via cooperative robots. The cell can also handle hole sealing and fastener insertion and can even inspect hole quality and fastener installation using real-time monitoring and robot speed modulation for safe human/robot coexistence. 

One of the biggest ambitions of the project, according to Dr. Cristina Cristalli, has been the use of small/medium size robots for the assembly operations of big panels in co-presence with the operator: ‘The innovative approach proposed in the LABOR project relies on this aspect, together with the concept of distributed software modules that can be arranged to perform the desired cycle of work. The adaptability of the robots is also a new feature: through the 3D measure performed by a profilometer the robot’s path is adapted based on the real position of the components to be assembled.’

LABOR provides an instant exploitation path thanks to the fact that robots can be integrated with ease into pre-existing shop-floor environments. But getting here would not have been possible without Clean Sky’s philosophy of maturing research through the construction of demonstrators. 

As the project currently undergoes final validation, results that can be potentially applied in industry beyond the LABOR work cell include smart tools for drilling, inspection, sealing and fastening in applications where similar assembly sub-operations are needed, along with applications requiring real-time workspace multimodal monitoring for human-robot collaborative work cells.

Coal-to-carbon fiber research shows great promise to positively impact the nation’s sluggish coal industry. In 2019, U.S. coal production, consumption and employment reached their lowest levels in 40 years. These trends are likely to persist as coal continues to lose market share to natural gas and renewable generation in the electric power sector. Recent studies suggest that U.S. coal utilization for coal-to-products applications has the potential to reach utilization levels on the same order of magnitude as that of steam coal.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said:

“The researchers at UK CAER continue pushing the boundaries of innovation in support of Kentucky’s coal miners and the families who rely on them. I was proud to support UK’s team as they research coal manufacturing and its potential for good-paying Kentucky jobs. Since I joined the Senate, I’ve constantly fought for Kentucky’s coal communities. To further that mission, I used my role as Senate Majority Leader to help bring this cutting-edge opportunity to our Commonwealth. I’d like to congratulate UK CAER on this national recognition, and I look forward their continued contributions to Kentucky.”

The market for carbon fibers, however, continues to grow, driven by increased use in aerospace and defense applications as well as lightweighting of automobiles. New market growth in other high-volume applications — such as thermal insulation for buildings and materials for construction and infrastructure — also show great promise. The market for carbon fibers is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12% through 2024.

“The researchers at UK CAER continue pushing the boundaries of innovation in support of Kentucky’s coal miners and the families who rely on them…I’d like to congratulate UK CAER on this national recognition, and I look forward their continued contributions to Kentucky.” – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

The collaboration will allow two of the world’s leading carbon fiber research and development organizations to maximize their respective expertise in the field.

CAER’s Materials Technologies Group, guided by Director Rodney Andrews and Associate Director Matt Weisenberger, will lead the effort to convert a variety of coal feedstocks into carbon fibers and composites. CAER is a global leader in developing carbon fiber from a variety of sources and is home to the largest carbon fiber spinline facility at any academic institution in North America.

UK CAER is home to the largest carbon fiber spinline facility at any academic institution in North America. Photo by Mark Mahan.

CAER will be working with ORNL to optimize coal-derived pitch processing for carbon fiber and composites development. CAER will produce laboratory-scale quantities of carbon fiber to develop structure-property relationships between the feed coal material and the resultant carbon fiber to develop processing-structure-properties relationships. ORNL will collaborate with CAER in this phase of the project by using their expertise in chemistry and high-performance computing to correlate the molecular structure of coal with its processability, identifying optimum pitch compositions to fabricate carbon fibers with tunable properties.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said:

“The University of Kentucky looks forward to working with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on this important project. By leveraging our expertise and collaborating with forward-thinking partners, we can advance coal conversion and reenergize the market. As Kentucky’s land-grant institution, UK has a responsibility to encourage economic prosperity through innovation and discovery, and this is an ideal opportunity to pursue those missions. We would not be celebrating this exciting project without the strong and consistent support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Senator McConnell was an early and fervent supporter of this work, and we appreciate his commitment to ensuring CAER remains a global leader in energy research and development.”

CAER and ORNL will also collaborate to develop process conditions for scaling up fiber production at  the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF) at ORNL, DOE’s only designated user facility for carbon fiber innovation. The CFTF, a 42,000-square foot facility, provides a platform for identifying high-potential, low-cost raw materials including textile, lignin, polymer and hydrocarbon-based precursors. Using the CFTF, ORNL is developing optimal mechanical properties for carbon fiber material, focusing on structure property and process optimization.

“As Kentucky’s land-grant institution, UK has a responsibility to encourage economic prosperity through innovation and discovery, and this is an ideal opportunity to pursue those missions.” – UK President Eli Capilouto

The facility is capable of custom unit operation configuration and has a capacity of up to 25 tons per year, allowing industry to validate conversion of its carbon fiber precursors at semi-production scale.

ORNL will also lead efforts in materials characterization, technoeconomic analysis and technology-to-market portions of the project.

ORNL Deputy for Projects Moe Khaleel said:

“ORNL is looking forward to contributing its expertise and unique facilities to this valuable partnership in order to push the boundaries of what is possible in materials science and advanced manufacturing. By collaborating with the University of Kentucky, we will move breakthroughs to the marketplace to strengthen our economic and national security.”

CAER’s Materials Technologies Group, guided by Director Rodney Andrews said:

“Adding value to Kentucky’s and the nation’s economy has long been a hallmark of our research and outreach at the UK Center for Applied Energy Research. This coal-to-carbon fiber project allows us to continue that tradition in new and exciting ways and alongside a partner in Oak Ridge National Laboratory that is known across the globe for their innovation, discovery, and technology transfer programs. On behalf of CAER, I thank Senator McConnell for championing this work and important CAER research programs throughout his career.”

ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

According to Babcock, the facility will employ complex testing equipment that will simulate real-world forces, helping to speed up product development cycles. At the heart of this will be a hydraulic system that enables structures to be tested more efficiently than existing technologies. The system will also recover energy between load cycles, reducing the cost of testing. Babcock said that advanced measurement systems will enable developers to understand damage accumulation and optimise blade structures using data-driven design.

“When UoE approached Babcock they were looking for specialist facilities and engineering design expertise to help get the project from research application to reality,” said Neil Young (left), a technology director at Babcock who has been involved from the project’s outset.

“At Rosyth, we had both these key requirements, which were not available anywhere else in a single location. Our focus has been to optimise the design of the reaction frame to which the composite structure is mounted, and we’ve done this in partnership with Edinburgh. The design also included upgrading the foundation design in the building to accommodate the additional loads imposed by the fatigue testing.

“Whilst we are still at the early stages of development, we are creating something that will have real benefits for all the companies using the facility in years to come.”

As well as providing UoE’s engineers with a new testbed for composites and tidal technology, Fastblade will also help fulfil the university’s commitments under the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which include targets to help improve digital skills across the whole of the region.

“This collaboration is an opportunity to develop a world-class engineering facility to accelerate and support the development of new efficient technologies, and will be a great benefit to the tidal energy sector,” said Professor Conchúr Ó Brádaigh, head of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering.

Babcock told that work on Fastblade will begin later in the year, with the facility fully operational by Spring 2020.

This article has been written by theengineer.co.uk, with editorial change made by JEC Group.

The grant will provide funding for the purchase of a tape slitter; vacuum table; autoclave with wireless sensors, rheometer, nitrogen generator and a heated platen press, which will be used in the development of manufacturing protocols for automated fiber placement processes for thermoplastic aircraft primary structures.

Currently, labor-intensive nondestructive inspection for quality assurance interrupts automated fiber placement processes. The proposed project will develop and demonstrate incorporation of real-time inspections with automated fiber placement processes and machine learning algorithms.

John Tomblin, WSU vice president for research and technology transfer said:

“In the current environment, there are increasing pressures facing the aerospace and defense industries to innovate with flat budgets, record-setting production rates, increasingly complex programs and an evolving workforce. Investments in emerging advanced manufacturing technologies are critical to maintain economic growth in our region. We want to thank the EDA for acknowledging the importance of the advanced manufacturing sector in South Central Kansas with this investment.”

NIAR senior research scientist Waruna Seneviratne who will lead the lab finished:

“ATLAS provides a neutral ground for manufacturers to research advanced manufacturing concepts with various machine, software and processing options. It will also educate and train student Factory of the Future engineers on advanced manufacturing concepts.”

ATLAS will be located at NIAR headquarters building on the campus of Wichita State. The first floor will house manufacturing development facilities with computer-aided simulations and analysis on the third floor.

ATLAS already has several strategic partnerships with government agencies, aircraft manufacturers, equipment suppliers, material suppliers and other universities. In addition to support from the EDA, ATLAS has received significant funding from the Office of Naval Research and State of Kansas for acquiring advanced AFP equipment, inspection systems and test systems.

Aerospace jobs and supply chains across the UK will benefit from cutting-edge research and development projects announced by the government and aerospace industry leaders.

Government grants totalling £200 million, delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme, will be matched by industry to create the total investment of £400 million in new research and technology, enabling ambitious projects to lift off and support the sector’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

New projects set to receive funding will include developing high performance engines, new wing designs, ultra-lightweight materials, energy-efficient electric components, and other brand new concepts to enhance innovation within the sector. A project led by Williams Advanced Engineering in Oxford, for example, will develop ultra-lightweight seat structures that will reduce an aircraft’s fuel consumption.

The funding will also secure highly-skilled jobs in the UK’s aerospace sector and will benefit companies of all sizes from Caldicot in Wales to Bedlington in the North of England. Higher education institutions will also be a part of the projects, including the universities of Nottingham and Birmingham.

The funding was announced today by Business Secretary Alok Sharma at Farnborough Connect, the virtual version of Farnborough International Airshow.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma said:

We have an incredible aerospace industry right here in the UK that defines the way aircraft are manufactured globally.

This £400 million ATI investment will help secure our world-leading position in developing new flight technology to make air travel safer and greener into the future.

The successful projects that will receive a share of the government’s £200 million grant funding through the ATI programme, and match it with their own investment, include:

• wings: the UK is the home of Airbus wing design and manufacturing. Airbus-led projects (Broughton, Filton) will drive forward more efficient wing assembly, systems installation, digital design processes and a range of innovative wing concepts including folding wing tips
• engines: Rolls-Royce-led projects will support the development of the UltraFan engine technology, which will make a step change in the efficiency and environmental performance of aircraft
• power systems: the AEPEC project led by Safran Electrical & Power UK (Pitstone) will research how new electrical power systems can lead to more efficient energy usage
• cabin systems: an Oxford-based project led by Williams Advanced Engineering will develop ultra-lightweight seat structures for air travel, reducing the weight of aircraft

Stu Olden, Senior Commercial Manager for Defence, Aerospace & Emerging Markets at Williams Advanced Engineering, said:

A key benefit for us of the ATI support has been to enable accelerated development of the 3 companies involved in the consortium.

Additionally, by developing UK technologies and innovation, the ATI programme is enabling UK-based product development and, hopefully, future jobs. For Williams Advanced Engineering it has allowed us to participate in the aerospace sector as a non-traditional supplier.

During his speech today, the Business Secretary also announced the FlyZero initiative to kickstart exploration into zero-carbon emission commercial aircraft.

The FlyZero study will receive government funding and bring together around 100 experts to tackle issues involved in designing and building a commercially successful zero-emission aircraft. The study will create a strong basis for further research and development into a wide of technologies necessary for future flight, with the aim of securing future manufacturing in the UK.

This follows the launch of the Jet Zero Council, which brings industry and government together to make net zero emissions possible for future flights. The FlyZero study will feed into the work of the Council in defining and delivering this ambition.

Gary Elliott, Chief Executive of the Aerospace Technology Institute, said:

FlyZero represents an acceleration of the UK’s ambition to lead the world in green aviation. These are challenging but also exciting times for the aerospace sector; we need to help UK companies to recover while also creating new approaches to technology development and innovation.

FlyZero will engage a team of highly-skilled engineers and technologists from across the UK to look into how to design and build a zero emission commercial aircraft, with the solid aim of securing future manufacturing in the UK.

The UK was the first major economy to commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and over the past decade, the UK has cut carbon emissions by more than any similar developed country. In 2019, UK emissions were 42% lower than in 1990, while our economy grew by 72%.

Projects approved by the ATI’s rigorous assessment programme create opportunities to secure jobs in research and manufacturing across the UK as well as sharing knowledge across industry and academia.

Further background on the projects:

• Airbus projects: Wing of Tomorrow will develop new technologies and manufacturing processes to produce the next generation composite wings and help Airbus’s leading position in the single aisle market. A critical part of the programme is to develop capability to manufacture more efficient, light weight carbon-fibre wings, at a rate much higher than previously possible
• Rolls-Royce projects: UltraFan will be the most efficient engine produced by Rolls-Royce and will use less fuel and produce lower CO2 emissions. Projects funded as part of the £200 million will drive efficiency and contribute towards shared government and industry ambitions on decarbonisation
• Williams Advanced Engineering: the AIRTEK project is focused on developing lightweight seat structures for the civilian aerospace sector. Williams Advanced Engineering, in a collaboration with JPA Design and SWS Certification, is developing new lightweight aircraft seats in order to reduce the weight of aircraft, which in turn will lead to airlines saving fuel and CO2
• Safran Electrical & Power UK: AEPEC: The Aerospace Electric Propulsion Equipment, Controls & Machines (AEPEC) project involves lead partner Safran Electrical & Power UK and its supply chain partners. They will develop electrical power systems to improve energy use on future aircraft, covering power generation, control systems, and other functions on more-electric aircraft

About the Aerospace Technology Institute
The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is at the heart of UK aerospace R&T. Working collaboratively across the UK aerospace sector and beyond, the Institute sets the national technology strategy to reflect the sector’s vision and ambition.

The ATI Programme is a joint government and industry commitment to invest £3.9 billion in research to 2026. In addition to the ATI Programme and FlyZero, the Institute also supports the supply chain through NATEP and aerospace start-ups through the ATI Boeing Accelerator.

Further information:

• small businesses will benefit from the continuation of the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) whose next call is scheduled for October and the launch of the next R&D call for small business scheduled for November.
• at the same time as supporting R&D activities for SMEs the Supply Chain 21 Competitiveness and Growth programme remains open for applications to help businesses improve their competitiveness.

“Using the Simcenter 3D AM Process Simulation solution at toolcraft will allow us to complete our additive manufacturing workflow,” said Christoph Hauck, Managing Director, MBFZ toolcraft GmbH. “Through real-world testing, we have gained confidence that the Siemens AM Process Simulation solution will assist us in ensuring quality output from our print process.”

When metal parts are 3D printed, the method used to fuse the layers of the print typically involves heat. As the layers build up, the residual heat can cause parts to warp inside the printer, causing various problems, from structural issues within the part itself to print stoppage. Issues such as these cause many prints to fail, and make getting a “first-time-right” print very difficult. Simulation of the printing process can help to alleviate many of these problems.

Siemens’ new process simulation product is integrated into the Powder Bed Fusion Process chain in the Siemens PLM Software Additive Manufacturing portfolio and is used to predict distortion for metal printing. The product provides a guided workflow to the user that allows for the assessment of distortions, the prediction of recoater collisions, prediction of areas of overheating, and other important feedback about the print process. The AM Process Simulation solution offers the ability to iterate on a solution between the design and build tray setup steps of the workflow, and the simulation step. This closed feedback loop is possible due to the tightly integrated nature of the Siemens digital innovation platform. The simulation data created feeds into the digital thread of information which informs each step of the printing process. This digital backbone enables the system to develop pre-compensated models and, more importantly, to feed those seamlessly back into the model design and manufacturing processes without additional data translation. This high level of integration is what customers need today in order to be successful in industrializing additive manufacturing.

“This solution is the latest addition to our integrated additive manufacturing platform, which is helping customers industrialize additive manufacturing by designing and printing useful parts at scale,” said Jan Leuridan, senior vice president for Simulation and Test Solutions at Siemens PLM Software. “By using a combination of empirical and computational methods we can increase the accuracy of the simulation process, feeding the digital twin and helping customers better predict their real-world print results. We have proven this over months of real-world testing with some selected first adopter companies. Providing corrected geometry and closed loop feedback can ultimately allow our customers to get better results from their additive manufacturing processes, helping to achieve that first-time-right print and realize innovation with this technology.”

The AM Process Simulation solution is expected to be available in January 2019, as part of the latest NX™ software and Simcenter 3D software.

The £1.8m DMU 340 G linear machine tool arrives at the AMRC at the end of the year and will be the first of its size to be fitted with an ultrasonic-capable spindle for use in five-axis machining applications.

The specification for the machine – which has a 59 sqm footprint – has been tailored and developed with the input of Dr Kevin Kerrigan, the lead for the Composites Machining Group at the AMRC Composites Centre, helping DMG Mori create a product it is able to market.

The DMU 340 G is capable of providing improvements in composite machining, ranging from high-end luxury vehicle monocells to next-generation aeroengine lightweight fan blades. It is also capable of titanium drilling and finishing operations and working with materials of the future such as glass fibre reinforced aluminium, a glass fibre in a resin laminate interspersed with sheets of aluminium and an array of high-temperature composite materials.

The machine boasts many other features including linear motors for high accuracy and rapid motion, novel dust extraction technology, high pressure cutting fluid delivery systems, on machine inspection technology, and a multitude of industry 4.0 capabilities including wireless in-process monitoring and control technologies, enhanced connectivity and plug-in technologies to interface with the AMRC’s vast data analytics suite.

Project proposals are already in the pipeline and the machine will have applications for companies like McLaren, Roll-Royce, The Boeing Company, BAE Systems and Airbus. It also opens up opportunities in the renewables, medical and construction sectors.

On securing the machine, Kevin said: “This machine is the first of the DMU 340 G product range to have the ultrasonic assisted machining kit. It cements the AMRC’s reputation for world-leading research for capabilities in composite machining.”

The advantage of the machine’s ultrasonic capabilities is that the high frequency movements – 40,000 micro-movements per second – bring a higher degree of control of chip formation and heat within the system. The result is less damage, less waste and a better finish – which is why the technology is suited to machining hard, abrasive, brittle material like carbon fibre composites, alloys and CMCs.

Kevin said: “The ultrasonic assisted machining process is basically the same as a standard rotatory cutting tool operation, but with an added highly tuneable, micro-scale, axial motion of the cutting tool providing a secondary motion during cutting.

“It is the additional movement that has the ability to control the amount of energy supplied into the cutting interface affecting the amount of thermal energy and fracture energy associated with the process.

“The incoming machine also has linear drives which create better acceleration and change of acceleration, i.e. jerk, to push the machine really fast during 5-axis tool paths which helps when producing complex shapes at high rate whilst retaining part geometric accuracy. With this linear drive system, the machine can get up to feed rates of 90 m/min. Current feed rates, between 1 and 4 m/min, are mostly driven by the fact that the forces generated during cutting, even with rpms of over 20,000 rpm, would snap the tools if feed rates got any faster. That is a massive difference and a huge benefit to productivity.”

The machine is digital ready – kitted out with an intelligent, customisable controller that allows the machine to integrate process-monitoring techniques, providing data that can not only measure performance but also help to improve tool life.

Kevin said: “The usefulness of this is really on the process monitoring side of things. The 840D controller is considered state-of-the-art for enabling the extraction of process information, enabling machine health monitoring, shop floor connectivity and closed-loop adaptive control. It can also link to additional live retrofit process measurements that are linked to things like tool wear, damage defects on a part.

“That’s useful information that gives us greater insight into the machining operations being undertaken on complex materials.”

Borealis had previously announced to study the feasibility of significantly increasing its PP production capacity in Europe.

Borealis has taken the final investment decision to expand the capacity of its PP plant in Kallo, Belgium, by 80kt. The added capacity is expected to come on stream in mid-2020. 

Borealis also approved the start of the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase for the expansion of its PP plant in Beringen, Belgium. The final investment decision on this 250-300kt expansion is envisaged by the end of 2019 and the start-up is expected mid-2022. This project would include an upgrade of the current process technology to the proprietary Borstar platform.

The capacity increases are aimed to take full advantage of the additional propylene supply coming from the new PDH (propane dehydrogenation) plant in Kallo, Belgium, for which the final investment decision was announced in October this year. Feedstock will be flowing to Beringen via an underground pipeline network, which is the safest and most environmentally friendly transportation mode. Borealis has a well-established, ongoing cooperation with various authorities and stakeholders in Flanders and Belgium, including the Port of Antwerp and Locate-in-Limburg, to support its PP growth ambitions.

“This PP capacity increase will be another significant European investment aimed at serving our European customer base. In Europe, polypropylene supply is not keeping up with increasing demand. With the market tightening and continuous application expansion for PP materials, additional investment is needed to support the growth of our customers. The synergies with the ongoing PDH project in Kallo will ensure a reliable and integrated value chain from feedstock to customers,” says Alfred Stern, Borealis Chief Executive.

“Additional capacity will support the increasing demand in flexible and rigid packaging applications, where Borealis technology and products offer enhanced properties to our customers. Additional supply is also needed to support the automotive industry, for which PP is the fastest growing polymer material,” says Maria Ciliberti, Borealis VP Marketing & New Business Development.

The Borealis PP plants in Kallo and Beringen provide sophisticated and innovative PP solutions for a wide range of high-quality applications, especially for advanced packaging, automotive and healthcare customers.

The system primarily consists of six stations. The unwinding station prepares the material that is to be consolidated on rolls. This means that six layers of material can be pressed into one organic sheet. If necessary, the number of laminate layers can also be increased.

A feed table ensures that the layers are aligned correctly and the current material usage is always calculated on the control side using incremental length measurement.

Before the actual consolidation, the material is heated in a pre-press to approximately 100°C and pre-compressed with a press capacity of 3 kN. This makes it possible to also process awkwardly shaped non-woven fabric in the machine. The material is pulled semi-continuously through the press together with the separating sheets by the feeder arranged behind the press. This achieves theoretical speeds of 200mm/s. Depending on the number and thickness of the layers, up to 1.7m of laminate can be produced per minute.

The core of the machine is the heating-cooling press with a press capacity of 2,000 kN, which is fitted with a synchronized hydraulic system. This is constructed with four press cylinders with power and location control. In addition to the very high planeparallelism of +/- 0.02mm, a special feature of the design is the option of deliberately placing the heating plates in a sloping position (1.5mm/1.2m).

Furthermore, the heating plates have six individual heating zones over a length of 1,200mm. They are thermally separated and can go up to 451°C. As a result, material-specific heating and cooling curves can be run without any problems to form the melt front in the direction of manufacture. A thickness measuring device is used for quality control purposes, which determines the precise thickness of the pressed semi-finished product at four measuring points using a laser sensor.

The final station of the machine is the cutting station, which cuts the endless material into defined pieces. Alternatively, the material can also be run with winders on a roll. All the stations are connected to each other on the control side and provide a fully automated process.

The machine, which is located at the Textile Research Institute in Chemnitz, Saxony, can process glass fibres, carbon fibres, aramid fibres, natural fibres, as well as PP, PA, PES, PPS, PEEK, PEI… or also hybrid non-woven fabrics (reinforcement fibres + thermoplastic fibres).

In addition to the testing facility described above, Rucks has supplied seven continuous compression moulding system over the last few years and is currently manufacturing two further ones with a heating plate width of 1.3m and a maximum press capacity of 8,400 kN.

Borealis a précédemment annoncé la réalisation d’une étude de faisabilité sur une augmentation substantielle de ses capacités de production de PP en Europe.

• Borealis a pris la décision finale d’investissement pour augmenter la capacité de son atelier PP de Kallo en Belgique de 80 kt. Cette capacité additionnelle devrait être disponible mi-2020.
• Borealis a également approuvé le lancement de l’étude FEED (Ingénierie de base) pour l’expansion de son atelier PP à Beringen en Belgique. La décision finale d’investissement pour cette augmentation de 250-300 kt devrait être prise à la fin 2019 et la mise en service de l’atelier est prévue mi-2022. Ce projet prendrait également en compte la modernisation des procédés actuels de production de la plateforme brevetée Borstar.

Ces augmentations de capacité visent à tirer pleinement parti de l’approvisionnement supplémentaire en propylène fourni par le nouvel atelier PHD (déshydrogénation du propane) de Kallo en Belgique dont la décision finale d’investissement a été annoncée en octobre dernier. La matière première sera acheminée vers Beringen par un réseau de pipelines souterrains qui est le moyen de transport le plus sûr et le plus écologique. Borealis coopère étroitement aves plusieurs autorités et parties prenantes en Flandre et en Belgique, dont le Port d’Anvers et Locate-in-Limburg, pour soutenir ses ambitions de croissance PP.

« Cet accroissement de la capacité PP sera un nouvel investissement européen important visant à servir notre clientèle européenne. En Europe, l’offre ne répond pas à la demande croissante de polypropylène. Avec le resserrement du marché et l’augmentation continue des applications utilisant des matériaux PP, des investissements supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour soutenir la croissance de nos clients. Les synergies avec le projet PDH en cours à Kallo garantiront une chaîne de valeur fiable et intégrée, de la matière première aux clients », déclare Alfred Stern, Directeur Général de Borealis.

« Une capacité additionnelle permettra de soutenir la demande croissante en applications dans les conditionnements flexibles et rigides, domaine dans lequel la technologie et les produits Borealis offrent des propriétés améliorées à nos clients. Un approvisionnement supplémentaire est également nécessaire pour soutenir l’industrie automobile pour qui le PP est le matériau polymère observant la plus forte hausse de la demande », déclare Maria Ciliberti, VP Marketing & New Business Development Borealis.

Les ateliers PP Borealis de Kallo et Beringen fournissent des solutions sophistiquées et innovantes pour une large gamme d’applications haute qualité, notamment pour les clients des secteurs des conditionnements avancés, de l’automobile et de la santé. 

In their new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Aalto University researchers present a way to control the fabrication of carbon nanotube thin films so that they display a variety of different colours—for instance, green, brown, or a silvery grey.

The researchers believe this is the first time that coloured carbon nanotubes have been produced by direct synthesis. Using their invention, the colour is induced straight away in the fabrication process, not by employing a range of purifying techniques on finished, synthesized tubes.

With direct synthesis, large quantities of clean sample materials can be produced while also avoiding damage to the product in the purifying process—which makes it the most attractive approach for applications.

“In theory, these coloured thin films could be used to make touch screens with many different colours, or solar cells that display completely new types of optical properties,” says Esko Kauppinen, Professor at Aalto University.

To get carbon structures to display colours is a feat in itself. The underlying techniques needed to enable the colouration also imply finely detailed control of the structure of the nanotube structures. Kauppinen and his team’s unique method, which uses aerosols of metal and carbon, allows them to carefully manipulate and control the nanotube structure directly from the fabrication process.

“Growing carbon nanotubes is, in a way, like planting trees: we need seeds, feeds, and solar heat. For us, aerosol nanoparticles of iron work as a catalyst or seed, carbon monoxide as the source for carbon, so feed, and a reactor gives heat at a temperature more than 850 degrees Celsius,” says Dr. Hua Jiang, Senior Scientist at Aalto University.

Professor Kauppinen’s group has a long history of using these very resources in their singular production method. To add to their repertoire, they have recently experimented with administering small doses of carbon dioxide into the fabrication process.

“Carbon dioxide acts as a kind of graft material that we can use to tune the growth of carbon nanotubes of various colors,” explains Jiang.

With an advanced electron diffraction technique, the researchers were able to find out the precise atomic scale structure of their thin films. They found that they have very narrow chirality distributions, meaning that the orientation of the honeycomb-lattice of the tubes’ walls is almost uniform throughout the sample. The chirality more or less dictates the electrical properties carbon nanotubes can have, as well as their colour.

The method developed at Aalto University promises a simple and highly scalable way to fabricate carbon nanotube thin films in high yields.

“Usually you have to choose between mass production or having good control over the structure of carbon nanotubes. With our breakthrough, we can do both,” trusts Dr. Qiang Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher in the group.

Follow-up work is already underway.

“We want to understand the science of how the addition of carbon dioxide tunes the structure of the nanotubes and creates colours. Our aim is to achieve full control of the growing process so that single-walled carbon nanotubes could be used as building blocks for the next generation of nanoelectronics devices,” says professor Kauppinen.

Mike Flewitt, CEO, McLaren Automotive:

“McLaren continues to push the boundaries of supercar and hypercar development in pursuit of outstanding and unparalleled driving experiences for our customers, and the McLaren Elva epitomizes that pioneering spirit. The McLaren-Elva M1A [Mk1] and its successors are in many ways the true spiritual forerunners of today’s McLarens – superlight, mid-engined cars with the highest levels of performance and dynamic excellence. It’s fitting that the new McLaren Ultimate Series roadster – a uniquely modern car that delivers the ultimate connection between driver, car and the elements and with that new heights of driving pleasure on road or track – acknowledges our rich heritage with the Elva name.”

The new McLaren Elva is a fast open-cockpit; a two-seater with a bespoke carbon fibre chassis and body but no roof, no windscreen and no side windows. With every sensory input heightened, this is a car that exists to provide unparalleled driving pleasure on road or track.

A 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged McLaren V8 from the same family of engines that powers the McLaren Senna and Senna GTR combines with the light vehicle weight to give the new Ultimate Series roadster performance, with high levels of acceleration, agility and driver feedback.

The low nose and pronounced front fender peaks provide visual drama and at the same time enhance forward vision. Large, carbon fibre rear fenders flow from the front of the door to the rear deck, while the height of the twin rear buttresses is minimized by using a deployable roll-over protection system.

Helmets can be worn if preferred, but the form and sculpture of the upper cabin wraps around the driver and passenger to provide a secure environment. A fixed windscreen derivative of the car is also available for most markets as a factory option.

Aero protection
A connection with the elements is integral to the McLaren Elva driving experience but that hasn’t stopped McLaren innovating, with the Active Air Management System (AAMS) to enhance driving pleasure. The system channels air through the nose of the Elva to come out of the front clamshell at high velocity ahead of the occupants before being directed up over the cockpit to create a relative ‘bubble’ of calm. The system comprises a large central inlet situated above the splitter, a front clamshell outlet vent and a discreet carbon fibre deflector that raises and lowers vertically; when the AAMS is active, the deflector is deployed at the leading edge of the bonnet outlet, rising 5.9in into the freestream to create a low-pressure zone at the vent.

The vented air is directed through a 130-degree radius, using a network of transverse and longitudinally mounted carbon fibre vanes across the bonnet outlet; distributing the airflow both in front of and along the side of the cabin further assists air management in the cabin environment. At urban speeds, when the level of airflow into the cabin means the AAMS is not needed, the system is inactive. As vehicle speed increases, the AAMS automatically deploys and remains active until speed reduces, at which point the deflector retracts. The system can also be button-deactivated by the driver.

Aesthetic and technical design in harmony
McLaren’s design philosophy intrinsically links aesthetic design and technical design, rather than separating the disciplines of design and engineering as is commonplace in the automotive industry. The AAMS is an example of the results of this harmonious approach, being integrated within the aerodynamic and cooling functionality of the McLaren Elva.

When the AAMS is inactive, the central duct is sealed, diverting air flow into the low-temperature radiators and increasing their cooling efficiency. To provide optimal packaging conditions for the AAMS, the McLaren Elva features twin low-temperature radiators (LTRs) positioned ahead of each front wheel. The new cores used in these LTRs contribute to the engine’s 804bhp power output by reducing charge air temperature and also cool the oil in the seven-speed seamless shift transmission.

In addition to housing the AAMS, the front clamshell features deep contours that guide air into a discreet duct in the leading edge of each carbon fibre door. This captured cooling air is then directed into the two rear-mounted, powertrain-cooling, high-temperature radiators (HTRs) located just ahead of the rear wheels. A second, lower duct that starts inside the front wheelarch also channels air through the bodyside to the HTRs, which are additionally fed through the visible main side intakes. Intakes on the rear of each buttress channel combustion air into exposed air filters under the tonneau, which feed the carbon fibre engine plenum.

The trailing edge of the bodywork features a full-width active rear spoiler, the height and angle of which are adjusted simultaneously to optimize aero balance. Airbrake functionality improves braking from high speeds, the range of operation varying according to whether the AAMS is active. The rear diffuser works in conjunction with the active rear spoiler. The McLaren Elva has a flat underfloor until the point by the rear axle at which the diffuser starts and increases in height to accelerate air out from under the vehicle. The diffuser features vertical ‘fences’ to guide the airflow without reducing the air evacuation path and these combine with the rear bumper side extensions to further improve the aerodynamic efficiency.

Design and driving experience

Rob Melville, Design Director, McLaren Automotive:

“Our mission with the McLaren Elva was to create an open-cockpit, two-seat roadster that delivers the most elemental of driving experiences. Formula 1-inspired shrink-wrapped volumes create a technical  sculpture that is as striking as it is remarkable, the exterior flowing into the interior in a stunning example of a new and unique McLaren ‘blurred boundaries’ design principle that has allowed us to seamlessly bring the outside in to further enhance driver engagement while remaining true to our philosophy of making no compromises.”

There is no clear demarcation between the exterior of the McLaren Elva and the interior. The uppermost sections of the carbon fibre doors simply curve over and flow down into the cabin, the light, stiff and strong composite material providing the good properties to form such enticing shapes and forms. Complementing this design feature, the buttresses behind the driver and passenger also flow into the cabin behind the seats. While ensuring the driver and passenger remain exposed to the elements, the sculpture of the wraparound upper cabin environment enhances the feeling of security and protection within a cocooned interior.

A spar of carbon fibre additionally sweeps down from between the buttresses and runs between the driver and passenger seats to support a central armrest and cradle the engine start button and the controls for Drive, Neutral and Reverse functions. The seats themselves are of a bespoke design, with a new lightweight carbon fibre shell that not only supports the head, shoulder and back area of the occupants, but works with the upper shape of the cabin. The lower area of each seat is marginally shorter than a conventional McLaren seat, allowing enough space within the footwells for driver or passenger to stand should they want to in order to enter or leave the vehicle. The seats are available with different upper and lower colors and materials, creating a contrast between the exposed upper section and cocooned lower section. Six-point race harnesses can be selected should the customer wish to use the McLaren Elva on track.

Stowage space is offered beneath the rear tonneau. Crafted from carbon fibre, the curving single-piece panel is operated manually and secured with soft-close latches. It further reduces weight at one of the highest points of the McLaren Elva. The compartment under the tonneau has space for helmets and also houses the porthole-like panels that showcase the two visible air filters – a fine example of the McLaren design principle of exposing functional engineering.

Alternatively, customers can select a Gloss Visual Carbon Fibre Body, which exposes not only the carbon fibre body panels, but also the aligned twill of the composite material. This can be further enhanced with a range of color tints. McLaren Special Operations can also develop a bespoke tint for the exterior or interior carbon fibre.

The core of the McLaren Elva is – as with every McLaren road or race car since 1981 – a carbon fibre monocoque. This state-of-the-art ‘tub’ is incredibly strong and stiff, and its inherent properties mean an open-top roadster does not require any additional strengthening as would be the case with a vehicle built from aluminum or steel. Conversely, despite its rigidity, carbon fibre is also incredibly light, helping to reduce the overall vehicle weight.

To that effect carbon fibre has also been used extensively throughout the McLaren Elva. The entire body is carbon, and McLaren has pushed the limits of the material to not only create incredible sculpted forms, but to also reduce weight. The front clamshell, for instance, is just 1.2mm thick and meets all of McLaren’s structural integrity targets – yet it forms a one-piece panel that wraps around the entire nose of the vehicle and provides a clean, uninterrupted vision without any panel joins. The body side panels, which are each over ten feet long and stretch from the front wheels, past the side intakes, around the rear tonneau cover and all the way until the active rear spoiler.

Each door is constructed entirely of carbon fibre and features a single-hinge design, mounting to the vehicle just behind the front clamshell. The doors operate in a Dihedral function, a McLaren trademark. The floor within the McLaren Elva is exposed carbon fibre, once again highlighting the weight saving throughout. Practicality is enhanced with the use of non-slip material at selective points, or bespoke floor mats if preferred.

Carbon, too, forms the core of the braking system which is the most advanced ever fitted to a McLaren road car. Each sintered carbon ceramic disc measures 390mm and takes longer to produce than a conventional carbon ceramic disc, but the resultant material is stronger and has improved thermal conductivity. This allows the front brake discs in particular to be reduced in size, benefitting unsprung mass while still maintaining performance. Cooling requirements are lessened, reducing the brake ducting needed, which further reduces weight and improves aerodynamic efficiency. The braking system was first introduced on the McLaren Senna but is enhanced for the Elva with the addition of titanium caliper pistons which save a total of 1kg across the vehicle.

The standard 40mm melt core has a maximum output of between 190 and 210 pounds per hour, depending on the polymer being printed, which translates to 40 – 50 feet of standard bead (0.83”x0.20”) per minute.

The new 60mm melt core has been tested with different polymers and has achieved print rates from 480 to 570 pounds per hour, which translates to well over 100 feet of bead per minute.

This higher output capability means you can print layers with 250 feet or more bead length with most polymers, opening important new possibilities for the print process.

With Thermwood’s room temperature “Continuous Cooling” print process, the cycle time for each layer is determined solely by how long it takes a particular printed polymer to cool to the proper temperature to accept the next layer.

Only by printing when the previously printed layer is within the proper temperature range can you achieve a completely solid, void free printed structure that maintains vacuum in an autoclave without a secondary coating. This is as fast as you can print a layer.

The print head output then determines how much material can be printed during the time it takes for the layer to cool. Bigger print heads mean bigger parts not faster layer to layer print time.

“This new development opens a new world of additive manufacturing possibilities” says Thermwood’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, Ken Susnjara. “This is one of the most exciting advances we have achieved to date and now we can do things we couldn’t even consider before”.

For example, Thermwood recently announced Vertical Layer Printing which allows parts to be printed that are as long as the machine table. In this process, however, the layer stack direction is along the length of the part. This works well for room temperature or low temperature patterns, fixtures and molds, however, for high temperature molds, for use in an autoclave for example, the thermal expansion (CTE) along the stack direction is as much as 20 times greater than along the bead direction. Therefore, it is desirable to print long tools with the bead oriented in the long direction, however, print heads, even Thermwood’s 200 pound per hour head, currently the largest in the industry, have been too slow for this…until now.

The high print rate of the new melt core, even when processing high temperature materials, allows the print bead to be oriented along the length of the tool, even for tools that are as long as the machine table itself.

In addition to a maximum speed, each melt core has a minimum speed at which it can continuously print. Parts with bead lengths smaller than this minimum, require the print head to move to a “Hot Hold” area where it runs at a slow maintenance speed, spilling material at a slow rate until the required cooling time has been achieved. This wastes material and means the larger melt core may not be desirable for all applications. Many tools and molds are just be too small for efficient printing with the larger core.

If a user needs both small and large parts on the same machine, the melt cores can be switched in less than a shift.

Thermwood believes the next step in this development is to address the challenge of really long autoclave capable tooling. Work in this area has already begun.

Despite a slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, progress continues toward final assembly of the demonstrator inside Boom’s Centennial Airport facility in Denver.

CEO Blake Scholl said:

“The first upper skin is going onto the fuselage, and we are in the process of closing that out. The vertical tail is in structural testing, and the landing gear is getting drop-tested. So we’re basically testing every single component as it goes onto the aircraft and then doing integrated testing as well. Sometime around the end of the year, possibly early next year, we’ll be taking it down to Mojave, California. And we are still looking to be in the air next year. For safety, we have to have a long and wide runway and be based close to test airspace, so it makes a lot more sense to do flight tests in Mojave.”

Once complete, the aircraft will be officially unveiled later this summer before being prepared for system checks and ground tests—including initial slow-speed taxi trials—at Centennial. Testing will be undertaken with Mojave-based Flight Research Inc. (FRI) a training, service and support company with which Boom announced a strategic partnership in January. FRI’s supersonic T-38 will provide pilot proficiency training and will also be used for chase support during XB-1 flight tests.

Under the agreement with FRI, Boom is also subleasing part of the company’s flight line facility for an XB-1 simulator, a flight-test control room and hangar space for maintenance and support of the demonstrator.

Scholl adds:

“The XB-1 is very much informing the design of the Overture. The goal is mainstream supersonic flight for as many people as possible in as many places as possible. So we started out with a sketch of what the Overture looked like and then said, ‘OK, let’s put that on the backburner; let’s go shrink it down about one-third scale, and then go through the design, build, fly and learn cycle.’ We did this knowing that when we went through that process, we’d shift our attention back to the Overture to take everything we’ve learned from the XB-1 and use it to update and improve a richer design. So that’s exactly what’s going on.”

With a wingspan of 21 ft. and overall length of 61.5 ft., the XB-1’s proportions are similar to the slightly shorter Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and the longer Douglas X-3 Stiletto supersonic research aircraft of the 1950s. The aircraft’s slender, low-drag delta wing is designed for supercruise performance and at lower speeds will generate vortex lift to allow an acceptable angle of attack for landing and takeoff.

With its small wing and complete absence of lift-augmentation devices, Boom estimates the XB-1 will have a sporty final approach/reference landing speed of around 185 kt. To handle high runway speeds, the nose landing gear is strengthened to withstand descent velocities in excess of 13 ft./sec., while the titanium main landing gear bulkheads are built to withstand impact forces of 112,000 lb. Loads will be transmitted into the composite fuselage structure, the largest part of which is a 47-ft.-long fuselage skin section.

Two-dimensional, fixed-geometry supersonic inlets are mounted close to the fuselage beneath the wing and, together with the center inlet, transition flow through subsonic diffuser duct sections to the three closely grouped General Electric J85 engines in the tail. The center inlet, which is mounted on a prominent boundary layer diverter above the aft fuselage, feeds air through a longer S-duct.

For the Overture design, which will be firmed up within 24 months, the engines will have variable–geometry inlets and be mounted farther outboard while, according to current renditions, the tail engine will feature a divided inlet with openings on either side of the aft fuselage.

The three XB-1 engines, which collectively generate 12,300 lb. thrust in afterburner, are housed in an aft-fuselage assembly made completely from heat-resistant titanium. Small movable horizontal tails are attached to the lower aft engine nacelles to provide pitch control. Boom confirms that the horizontal tail will not feature on the Overture, which will be designed with a chine and a larger, conventionally mounted delta wing. An elongated conical tail cone extends aft of the vertical fin to reduce afterbody drag, particularly during transonic flight.

Even though the XB-1 is still months from completion, Boom says the experience of designing, wind-tunnel testing and building the demonstrator has already helped guide design refinements to the Overture.

Scholl said:

“There’s a tremendous amount we have learned about aerodynamic optimization. In particular, how you balance low-speed and high-speed performance, how you trade your high-lift devices into the wing and how you balance high-speed efficiency with the ability to meet noise rules for takeoff and landing. We have better ideas on that now than we had a few years ago. [With the design of the XB-1 finished and assembly underway] the engineering center of gravity at Boom is shifting from the XB-1 to the Overture, which is due to begin flight tests in the mid-2020s. And with that we’re taking a second pass with the overall vehicle design with the Overture. There’s just a lot you can do to make the Overture better, but it will be a little while before we’re ready to unveil what’s to come. We will not be completely finalized with the Overture until we have flown the XB-1, and the calibration data we get from that deletes a lot of uncertainty. It is an enormous benefit to have flown a similar configuration demonstrator aircraft: You’ve learned where your assumptions are right and where they are wrong, and you’ve got data that you can carry forward to make sure you develop Overture the first time around.”

Brian Durrence, senior vice president of Overture development, said:

“The XB-1 is a critical step toward mainstream supersonic travel. It’s going to provide, and is providing, key technologies to help us move to safe, efficient and sustainable supersonic travel. There’s really nothing like flying hardware to take designs and working knowledge to the next level. For example, the design tools that we utilize for the XB-1 are the same tools we’re planning on utilizing for the Overture. For critical parts of the aircraft, such as the inlet, it will be great to be able to get advanced information on that and get a direct match of that performance. Then maybe we will know if we need to adjust our tools and methodology slightly in order to maximize the efficiency. It is a very important piece of the puzzle to make sure that we have the strongest tools and methodologies available and that these are backed and verified with test data. Every piece, not just the design part, of the XB-1 program is a valuable learning experience for Boom.”

Unlike NASA’s X-59 low-boom experimental aircraft, under assembly by Lockheed Martin, or the AS2 supersonic business jet in development by Aerion—which aims to use an atmospheric phenomenon known as Mach cutoff for boomless overland flight—the Overture remains point-designed for unrestricted operations over water.

Scholl concedes that low-boom technology has a future.

“[But it will be] a long time before anyone knows how quiet is quiet enough. The last thing you want to do is make a big investment in it, and then miss it by a decibel and then all is for naught. You also give up efficiency for quiet. So we are still more convinced than ever that there’s a meaningful market for transoceanic [travel] where the most important thing is efficiency and low-boom doesn’t really help you.”

Instead, as part of its drive for environmental sustainability, Boom’s noise aspiration is to meet International Civil Aviation Organization Chapter 14/FAA Stage 5 landing and takeoff noise standards with margin, which it believes will also meet the FAA’s proposed standards for new supersonic aircraft. As proposed for initial designs with a maximum takeoff weight no greater than 150,000 lb. and a maximum cruise speed up to Mach 1.8, the standards—known as Supersonic Level 1 (SSL1)—do not cover the larger and faster Overture. However, Boom expects to work with the FAA using the SSL1 standards as a starting point for establishing an individual certification basis for the Overture.

Scholl says:

“Overture will be the first new commercial aircraft to have been built with environmental and economic sustainability in mind from Day 1. [That includes] everything from the engines being designed to accept a wide variety of alternative fuels through looking at how to design the aircraft for recycling.”

Boom’s plans to work with California-based Prometheus Fuels on a carbon-neutral fuel received a boost in June when the startup received an investment from the venture-capital arm of carmaker BMW. Boom partnered with Prometheus in 2019 for the supply of fuel for the XB-1, which will be produced using a process in which CO2 is captured from the air and converted into a liquid fuel using renewable electricity.

However, hurdles still face Boom’s fuel plan.

“The biggest challenge we have with respect to sustainable fuel is that we just can’t get enough. There are a lot of promising concepts out there, but nothing that reaches industrial scale. We’ve narrowed things down a little bit, but we’re still looking at a couple [of] options”.

Although no details have been released, Boom is discussing medium-bypass, nonafterburning engines based on derivatives of current turbofans. Earlier, the company disclosed it was studying two promising candidates, one based on a military core and the other a commercial one.

Despite the debilitating impact of the coronavirus pandemic and economic slowdown, Boom remains “in a great cash position”.

Scholl continues:

“That’s allowed us to continue and, in many cases, even accelerate what we are doing. As Boeing and Airbus have retrenched, it’s created a good hunger in the supply base, and there’s more room for new entrants to actually speed up what they’re doing.”

This includes recruiting additional personnel as it shifts gears toward the Overture Part 25 certification design, as well as to open talks with more suppliers.

The superior manufacturing output is made possible by the introduction of a tuck under motor which creates a smaller footprint for both Super-G HighSPEED models which are used for the processing of polypropylene (PP) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) for the packaging market.

“Our high-speed extruder technology sets a new industry standard in terms of output per unit area thanks to the tuck under option,” said Matt Banach, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for PTi. “Our Super-G technology has set the standard for high-density manufacturing, now delivering unprecedented output per square foot.”

PTi’s Super-G SGHS3000-36D model features a vertical U-configuration and tuck under motor which reduces the machine’s footprint by more than 33% to 12-ft 8-in, compared to 17-ft 7-in for the original model. The Super-G SGHS3000-42D model is also offered with the tuck under option and offers a comparable footprint reduction and similar output gains.

The Super-G HighSPEED tuck under option is commercially available and several machines have already been installed in the U.S.

In 2017, PTi entered the high-speed extruder segment with the launch of its Super-G High-Speed Extruders which deliver significant performance advantages and overcome the limitations of competitive products. PTi’s high-speed solution delivers improved melt quality as a result of its Super-G Lobe screw technology and is offered integrated with all of its advanced G-Series Configurable roll stand configurations.

The Super-G SGHS3000-36D is equipped with a 500 hp motor and runs at a maximum speed of 1000 rpm while the Super-G SGHS3000-42D has a 600 hp motor and runs at a maximum speed of 1200 rpm. For processing of PP, the Super-G SGHS3000-36D has a production output of approximately 3,000 lb/hr.

In addition to delivering excellent melt quality, PTi’s high-speed extruders feature carbide-lined barrels and Colmonoy hard-faced feed screws versus case-hardened screws as featured on competitive models.

The Super-G high-speed extruders boast an oversized feed section which promotes higher regrind feed rates (up to +70%) along with a streamlined feed hopper with support, delivery chute, and tramp metal protection. Other key features include feed screw removal out-the-back of the unit, an easy-cleanout vent chamber, and linear bearing barrel glide support (patent pending). Special air-cooled heater and blower assemblies limit the exterior heater temperature for safety and efficiency purposes (< 110°F) versus competitive models which can be as high as 500° F.

The Super-G High-Speed Extruders are manufactured in the U.S. at PTi headquarters in Aurora, Ill.

“This Innovate UK grant will really enable us to fast track Mouldbox development, allowing the benefits to quickly feed back into any and every sector of the industry. Our objective now is smooth service execution and, as the system continues to learn, we can focus the time saved on providing our clients with exceptional service.” Mouldbox CEO, Martin Oughton

“With high performance, time critical situations and excellent quality at the heart of everything KWSP are involved in, being involved with Mouldbox is solving a big problem with fast turnaround, high quality and competitive composite tooling prices. Mouldbox has already disrupted our traditional supply chain and the potential benefit to the industry at large is huge. We’re thrilled to have been on board from the beginning.” Stuart Banyard, KWSP

“The Mouldbox concept strongly aligns with the NCC key objectives and Industry 4.0 developments. It’s great to see such creative problem-solving within the industry and we’re very pleased to be supporting them.” Garry Scott, NCC

Using their proprietary automation technology, Mouldbox are specialists in the design and manufacture of tooling for composite parts. Their unique online interface, mouldbox.com, uses the latest in deep learning to offer instant quotes for a wide variety of part designs.

Economical alternative to classic high-pressure processes
In 2013, KraussMaffei marketed the wetmolding process for the manufacture of fiber-reinforced plastic components, which it has subsequently continued to develop further. In the wetmolding process, a matrix material is applied in continuous strips to a flat-lying semi-finished fiber product and then pressed into shape in a mold. In comparison with known high-pressure processes (high-pressure resin transfer molding), the wetmolding process offers numerous advantages.

“The cycle time is shorter because wetting takes place outside of the mold, no preforming is necessary, and, in addition, recycled fibers can be used,” explains Sebastian Schmidhuber, Head of Reaction Process Machinery Development at KraussMaffei. 

Automation of the individual processes offers further potential reduction of cycle times. At the Competence Forum, KraussMaffei will for the first time present a fully automated solution in live production.

“Thanks to the high degree of automation, the cycle times can again be considerably reduced. At the same time, process reliability increases,” Schmidhuber continues.

The wetmolding system in the KraussMaffei TechCenter will produce a basalt-fiber test sheet for the Competence Forum. A robot equipped with needle grippers picks up the fiber mats and feeds them to the application table, where a handling robot applies the polyurethane matrix using a mixing head (MK 10-2K-RTM) and flat sheet die. The gripping robot places the mats into the mold where the molding and curing process begins. The implemented MX mold carrier with a clamping force of 8,000 kN has corresponding interfaces for metering machines, with the option to process epoxy, polyurethane or polyamide. A RimStar 8/4 RTM metering machine with polyurethane matrix is also used.

ZSK has improved the TFP method through a number of patented innovations that speed up the deposition of fibres, increase versatility and streamline the design process. Process improvements include: fast fibre laying which reduces stitching time; the fibre supply unit which doubles the deposition rate and allows simultaneous deposition of different fibres; automatic switching between different materials; the ZSK pneumatic cutting system for automated cutting of wires and fibres; and advanced design code that ensures perfect repetition of results, even controlling zig-zag stitching automatically.

“The demand for lightweight materials, to improve CO2 emissions and product performance as vehicles become heavier and more complex, has never been greater but the cost of composite manufacture has remained unaffordable in all but the most specialist niche applications,” explained Melanie Hoerr, Manager for Technical Embroidery at ZSK. “Our approach using TFP breaks through that barrier by eliminating most of the manual processing and waste of conventional composite manufacture, while increasing design freedom and improving quality control.”

TFP allows the composite pre-form to be conveniently produced with a mix of fibres, such as optical or metallic materials to provide specific properties such as electrical continuity or impedance. Naked antenna wires and isolated feed wires have already been combined by this method to make up RFID components.

In addition to optical and wire components, TFP can incorporate polymers commingled with carbon fibre to be melted later during moulding to form the matrix, avoiding the need for a resin filler, accelerating the production of complex parts and improving the resin-to-fibre distribution, especially in the extremities of the mould. Current difficulties with end-of-life recycling of composites could be largely overcome by choosing appropriate polymers for re-melting to simplify separation during end of life recycling.

ZSK can either provide expertise to help automotive suppliers develop prototypes and establish new TFP facilities, or can recommend one of their network of specialist manufacturers to co-develop TFP parts. ZSK also provides ongoing manufacturing support, with both Cloud-based and off-line solutions for quality control and an Industry 4.0 solution (MY.ZSK) to connect sensors and evaluate important data from the manufacturing process.

Carbon and graphite products are used whenever other materials such as steel, aluminum, copper or plastic fail due to their limited material properties like for example temperature and corrosion resistance. In addition to the CFC structured packing that has already been marketed under the Sulzer brand name MellaCarbon, the existing CFC column internals portfolio – mainly support systems – is now completed with liquid distributors, collectors and feed pipes made of Sigrabond.

“The new column internals, introduced under the brand name MellaCarbon, are as corrosion-resistant as graphite liquid distributors used to date, but are at the same time lighter, stronger, stiffer, more rigid and more temperature resistant than plastics and have lower cost than special metals. An innovative connection system enables the realization of larger diameters and allows cost efficient production,” explains Ralph Spuller, SGL project manager for the cooperation project.

In recent months, more than 30 new CFC liquid distributors have been designed, manufactured and commissioned for industrial applications – often with the associated MellaCarbon packings, support grids and feed tubes. This is the first time that a complete family of CFC based column internals has been made available to customers of the cooperation partners worldwide. The often-difficult combination of materials, especially for corrosive applications, is no longer necessary.

McLaren pursuit of the possible started with an extensive research process into the needs and wants of the sport’s most important stakeholders – the fans – and called upon McLaren experts in powertrain, aerodynamics, design, materials technology, data science and human performance to create a blueprint for grand prix racing.

Fast, predatory and instinctive
As with most research projects, they needed a model to work with. The car is not an end unto itself – but it does inform everything around it.
 

The predatory looks of the future

So, does it fly?
No.

Staying true to the sport’s mission to be road relevant, they don’t expect race cars to fly by 2050. Flying road cars equals more aerial congestion, more noise pollution and probably more accidents. If you think drone sightings at airports cause widescale disruption, well… you know the rest. With the emergence of high-speed underground transportation portals, such as Virgin Hyperloop One, building underground networks that shift large volumes of traffic in less time is more probable.

This is in keeping with the desires of the fans they spoke to, who believe flying race cars are the antithesis of grand prix racing. 

500 km/h superintelligent racing machines

Excitement is of greater importance to fans than engineering complexity. Thus, they expect the grand prix car of the future to still have four open wheels, drive to the rear and a human in the cockpit.

But that’s where the similarities end.

A battle of shapeshifting machines
With the exception of the drag reduction system (DRS), today’s technical regulations ban active aerodynamics – but they expect this to change. The demand for greater efficiency will see the car designed to have the capability to alter its shape to maximise its velocity.

Although this has not been on the Formula 1 agenda for several decades, current thinking suggests it will have to make a comeback in the future if the sport is to retain high-performance and the extreme speeds that fans crave, while using less energy.

“Give teams the opportunity to really push the boundaries of active aero as part of their natural car development, and suddenly you have the adoption of a technology that has the possibility to dynamically alter the outcome of a race in an authentic way as drivers battle it out,” says Rodi Basso, Motorsport Director at McLaren Applied Technologies.

Taking inspiration from nature, the MCLE features sidepods that expand and contract like the gills of a great white shark. They turn it into a 500 km/h bullet on the straights, but expand as the car enters braking zones and corners to provide stability and control.

There’s also less aerodynamic paraphernalia attached to the upper bodywork of McLaren 2050 concept car, with more downforce generated by an intricately sculpted floor and diffuser, which pulls the car in tight to the ground.

Unlocking the power of artificial intelligence
The race to build powerful AI will intensify. Breakthroughs in the understanding of the human brain could lead to the development of truly intelligent machines. Supercomputers may evolve from completing computational tasks, to successfully performing tasks like a human. Where once computers had greater raw processing power than the human brain, but lacked its emotional intelligence and overall complexity, engineers could teach computers how to think and behave like humans through neurological links.

So, what might this mean for grand prix racing?
Racing could become an incubator for the development of AI, just as it has for simulation, big data and material science. The driver of the future will receive less information from the pitwall, and rely instead on an AI co-pilot. Engineering an evermore powerful and intuitive AI will be a significant performance differentiator in grand prix racing by 2050.

The ultimate fusion of human and technology

Drivers may be connected to AI via a symbiotic link in the helmet and sensors within the race suit. The AI learns and predicts the driver’s preferences and state-of-mind. It provides real-time race strategy and key information via a holographic head-up display – but more than that – it understands the driver’s mood and emotional state, tailoring advice based on the physiological and psychological feedback it receives.

“In the future we could get to the point where human ingenuity is replaced with an AI algorithm,” explains Karl Surmacz, Head of Modelling and Decision Science at McLaren Applied Technologies. “Machine learning would see human preferences and decisions, as well as our domain expertise and instinct, captured. Take enough examples of our creative processes and outcomes, and this could be codified into an algorithm which would enable AI to make creative decisions consistent with those of a human counterpart.”

Many forecasts of the rise of truly intelligent machines paint a dystopian picture for civilisation – think I, Robot – but they believe humans and AI will co-exist and improve their existence, in the right hands of course…

MCLE features a high density battery with inductive charging capability

The big electric elephant
Speaking to Mc Laren Formula 1 fan research groups, they understood the reality that governments around the world are driving for widespread adoption of zero-emission vehicles. In the UK for example, there are plans to ensure all new cars will be ‘effectively zero-emission’ by 2040.

Therefore, they believe it’s fair to say that by 2050 grand prix racing will be all-electric.

Electric vehicles are currently winning the long-raging battle against hydrogen-powered cars, and they envisage a car with a small electric motor married to a flexible battery, with the potential to be moulded into the aerodynamic form of the bodywork. Charging technology may even become a DRS-replacement: within a defined window, the car may be able to steal energy from the one ahead, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

In the future, complexity will lie in storing the energy, as opposed to turning the energy into motion which is currently the case. This is because when you go electric everything flips around. The motor becomes far more simple and the energy storage is where the complexity resides. Based on their research which comes on the back of McLaren Applied Technologies supplying the powertrain to the entire Formula E grid in the series’ inaugural season and supplying the battery for its Gen2 car in Season 5, they predict a proliferation of energy storage mechanisms as many development paths are explored.

They expect cumbersome plug-in power to be a short-term solution, with the cars of the future charging wirelessly, as they see with MCLE absorbing power from the ground via inductive resonant coupling. Motorsport is the perfect proving ground to prepare this technology for road use.

“Whether it will be possible in 2050 to fully charge the battery of a grand prix car from flat in less time than it takes a current Formula 1 car to complete a flying lap around the streets of Monaco is difficult to say at this stage,” posits Stephen Lambert, Head of Automotive Electrification at McLaren Applied Technologies. “But charging about 10 to 50% of the battery in around 10 to 30 seconds is conceivable.

“Charging wirelessly sees electromagnetic induction used to transfer energy through an air gap from one magnetic coil buried under the track to a second magnetic coil fitted to the car,” Lambert explains.

“When the car is sufficiently positioned for the coils to be aligned, it will induce a current in the car’s coil which feeds into the battery.”

Bodywork, wheels, cockpit
Building upon the access and proximity that fans crave from the teams in present day Formula 1, they’re revealing more driver action and emotion through the skin of the MCLE. The cockpit will be transparent, showing the driver gripping the wheel and their frenetic footwork. The driver’s emotions will be dynamically projected onto the bodywork and tyres of the car. Tyres may be also made of a self-repairing composite with built-in inductive charging coils.

Get to the heart of the action with a transparent cockpit.

Circuits will never be the same
A consistent demand from fans is for a return to longer, wider race tracks… with banking. The higher speeds of 2050 will allow that banking to be steeper and far more aggressive than anything seen before – think Monza or Fuji, only taller and more sinuous – but the enhanced aerodynamics of MCLE will also allow much tighter radii, allowing circuits to occupy a smaller footprint.

This presents an opportunity. Street races are growing in popularity, bringing grand prix racing into convenient range of the biggest urban populations – but the cars struggle to show their full potential wherever track designers are forced to build low-speed 90° corners to follow the city street plan. Adding banking to a street circuit can solve that problem – while also ratcheting up the drama as cars hammer around a 90° bend at 400 km/h.

Thrilling circuits, fierce banking and non-stop action

The corollary is that a faster lap makes space for a longer lap.

“Smart cities will give us the chance to put the track action on people’s doorsteps,” says Basso. “We’re going to see more racing take place where the fans are, as part of a continued effort to bring the show to them – and because the cars will travel at even more ferocious pace than is currently the case, it raises the possibility for race tracks to span far greater distances.

“Why confine the grand prix cars of tomorrow to the tracks of today? The Italian Grand Prix of 2050 would still run through the heart of one of the largest historical parks in Europe, but go on to scythe its way through the streets of Milan city centre, before making its way back to Monza’s leafy park.”

Charging on the go
Pit-stops are a thrilling part of Formula 1 – but with self-repairing tyres and no petrochemical fuel to replenish, there’s a risk of the pitlane becoming redundant. That’s where the E-pitlane feeds the drama. It provides the inductive charging track, on which the cars use inductive resonant coupling to give them an energy top up – and drivers must gamble on strategy. The slower they drive through the pitlane, the better the connectivity and recharge rate. Is one slow tour better than two fast passes? How precisely can they judge their speed to receive just enough charge to make the flag?

Reinventing the grandstand experience
Fans want to be immersed in the action. That’s why they imagine sections of track will be glass-walled, or even glass-roofed, allowing spectators to stand atop the track, feeling the toughened barrier shudder beneath them as fierce racing machines flash past, flat-out and mere metres away.

Black out zones
Since the days of gentlemen drivers and ride-along mechanics, sporting rules have demanded the driver drive ‘alone and unaided’. In 2050, sometimes ‘alone and unaided’ will mean precisely that.

There will be periods in the race where the driver loses AI support and comms with the team. It’s a feature, not a glitch, when the race can change in an instant and spectators get to see how good their favourites are when they’re stripped of everything but their own innate talent and ingenuity.

Gladiators of the future
Grand prix racing will remain a challenge of skill and dedication – a gladiatorial contest that produces heroes –  but the science of human performance will increasingly come to the fore.

Tyres may be also made of a self-repairing composite with built-in inductive charging coils.

Future grand prix racing will be faster. Higher speeds on the straights of course, but of greater significance, increased g-loading under braking and when cornering. This will require drivers to be even fitter than they are now and, as has been the case throughout the sport’s history, would provoke a transformation in build.

“They would need to be trained differently,” muses Michael Collier, Head of Human Performance at McLaren Applied Technologies. “Currently there is a lot of focus on speed, agility, and endurance, but not on out-and-out strength. In 2050, a driver’s training programme would be flipped on its head so that they end up getting to know the bench press and dumbbells even better. We would see a new breed of racing driver physique.”

The physique of drivers has always changed with the times, but it’s clothes that maketh the man or woman. The race overalls of the future will go from the current fireproof suit to a g-suit construction similar to that worn by aerobatic or fighter pilots, to prevent blood rushing to the extremities. Suit materials will include ortho-fabric, aluminized mylar, neoprene-coated nylon, dacron, urethane-coated nylon, tricot, nylon/spandex, stainless steel, and high strength composite materials.

“When you start talking about speeds of 500 km/h, it means drivers will have to withstand considerably more than the maximum g-force they experience now – which is in the region of 5 g,” continues Collier. “This would put them in the same bracket as fighter pilots.

“To combat this, the race suit of 2050 will adopt similar technology to that found in g-suits. It will inflate and compress a driver’s lower limbs to prevent blood from pooling in their feet and legs, ensuring the heart still has enough of the red stuff to pump around the body – especially to the brain to maintain consciousness.”

The on-board AI will interface via the helmet. It will require training, and this will depend on both the intelligence and the cognitive skills of the driver – because the AI won’t be able to learn from an erratic performer. Clarity of thought has always been a factor in grand prix racing; more so in the future.

Sentiment projection
Grand prix racing has a massive global audience and they anticipate this growing across multiple platforms. Their core research has shown an overriding desire from the fans for new technology that allows spectators and viewers to get closer to the action, with a level of interactivity that sounds like science-fiction – but in reality – relies on bio-feedback sensor technology which is on the cusp of release within the automotive market.

Fans have expressed a desire to have greater communication with the driver – going both ways. Sentiment projection is a method of achieving this, without interfering in the historic values of the sport by being too intrusive or distracting.

“We must provide a platform which rewards driver skill, but also showcases their personality and their emotions: a honed athlete hidden behind a corporate fascia just won’t cut it in 2050. We want to see gladiators,” argues Basso.

A predator stalks its prey as fans project their emotions

The translucent bodywork on the car will be keyed to the driver’s bio-feedback. When the AI senses the driver is frustrated or angry, the car will glow red. Calmness, joy and other emotions will likewise be displayed with different hues and at various levels of intensity.

“Emotion is the biggest variable that affects driver performance,” adds Collier. “In the grand scheme of things, if a driver doesn’t do any training for a week it’s not going to impact their health and fitness significantly – but from one day to the next, their emotions can change markedly and that can have a massive influence on their performance.”

Sentiment projection can, however, work both ways if fans in the grandstands are monitored by AI embedded in their HTC digital assistants as well. The hopes and fears of spectators supporting a particular driver will be reflected by the inside of the cockpit glowing a corresponding colour. Anxious that your favourite driver is being caught? Overjoyed that they’ve made a brave overtaking move? They’ll be able to feel it with you.

The esports integration
Mc Laren vision of the future imagines a stronger link between the real and the virtual, with esports drivers becoming integral to the performance of a team. The McLaren Shadow Project roster will be fully integrated into the race team. They will work as pathfinders for the race drivers, competing at the circuits ahead of the grand prix, acting as reconnaissance scouts and relaying information back to the race drivers, while feeding their virtual race data into the team’s AI to optimise strategy.

Immersive experience
The viewing environment at home will evolve as the experience becomes more immersive. More camera angles and enhanced graphical processing will offer greater choice to the fans, using technology to place the viewer on any corner or directly into the cockpit for a driver’s eye view.

The inside line on their vision for 2050
By bringing this concept to life via their unique approach to insight-led design, the McLaren Applied Technologies Design Group has exemplified their single-minded drive for technological excellence and commitment to a journey of relentless improvement that challenges convention.

It has listened to fans, sought the knowledge of the experts throughout McLaren Applied Technologies and delved into the market forces and trends of today, as well as those likely to be pertinent in the future. Through collaboration with the next generation of mobility designers, and material futures students, it has helped to devise a credible blueprint for one of the most popular sports in the world.

While it is not possible to foresee every development that will shape future innovation between now and 2050, Mc Laren vision of future grand prix racing harnesses emerging technologies with fan passion at the core of their thinking. The ultimate fusion of human and technology.

“Paper honeycomb” process for lightweight and stable components
The customer is a supplier of China Railway, a state-owned Chinese railway company, and also delivers products to companies from the aviation and commercial vehicle industries. They plan to use the extended system for producing lightweight interior cladding on the basis of the “paper honeycomb” process. In the process, two glass-fiber mats sprayed on with PUR are pressed against an intermediate paper honeycomb layer and then cured in the presence of heat. The finished component is characterized by a low weight and a high level of stability and bending stiffness.

The composite press, which, as all other BBG systems, was entirely produced at the company’s headquarters in the Unterallgäu region in the South of Germany, comes with two mold mounting plates, which are 2,000 mm in width and 1,400 mm in depth and can be swiveled at the same time. The swing angle of the upper and lower plates is 40 degrees each at a parallel stroke of 500 mm. The drying cycle takes ≤ 38 s. You may use molds with a total weight of up to 11,000 kg, the press and locking force amounts to 4,000 kN.

The hydraulic unit with a capacity of 2,500 l is mounted on a platform above the press in order to save space. Since the rear side of the press affords easy access, a robot can be used to feed material into the press mold from the rear. The finished component is subsequently removed from the front. 

Van Dam Custom Boats
In 2017, Van Dam Custom Boats celebrated 40 years of craftsmanship. This family business was founded in Michigan by married couple Steve and Jean Van Dam. Trained as a wooden boat builder in the early 1970’s, Steve is one of those on board early in the use of epoxy as a part of wooden boatbuilding in North America. The company is still using the finest materials and the latest in technology when designing and manufacturing its hand-crafted boats. A vessel from Van Dam Custom Boats is always the only one of its kind.

Classic design with superior engineering
When classic wooden boat designs are incorporated with highly evolved engineering, the finished product is strong and beautiful. A naval architect in his own right and son of founders Steve and Jean, Ben notes that the company has never intended to build a production model and looks past the fact that there are cheaper, faster and less structurally sound methods of building boats. 

High-performance core materials 
The cold molded process used at Van Dam Custom Boats affords owners a strong, lightweight vessel that is watertight and impervious to rot or cracking from swelling. Van Dam boats are built so that the raw wood never has to interact with, or react to, the element of water.

“We build a variety of sizes and types of cold molded wooden boats and have had a relationship with Diab for over 10 years”, says Steve Van Dam. “When we have had an application requiring a structural core, our go-to product has been Diab’s Divinycell core material. We have used this product between wooden skins, and also with carbon fiber or glass fiber in certain applications.”

Sunray – a motor yacht made of mahogany and core material
The construction of the stunning 50′ Motor Yacht Sunray, designed by Michel Berryer of Van Dam Custom Boats, began during the fall of 2015. Classically styled with a nod to vintage 1960’s watercraft, Sunray sports a beam of 13′ 6″. The boat will be built from mahogany with a displacement of 35,000 lbs. A core material is used in key areas such as the cabin and wheel house, allowing for a lighter boat that still has a beautiful wooden finish.

“For Sunray, we will be using the HM80”, says Ben Van Dam, “primarily for insulation in the Florida sun but also as a structural component between wood skins in the cabin sides and top.”

A 450 gallon fuel tank feeds two Cummins 8.3 L-600 HP diesel engines that give Sunray a speed of more than 35 knots. Sunray is full of custom details such as inlaid with SS Mahogany trim and a double wide helm seat. It is also equipped with a complete Garmin navigation package, including two big screen displays and autopilot, a Seakeeper 6 gyro stabilizer, a full galley with state-of-the-art appliances. It features plenty of fresh water tankage for a hot shower in the beautifully detailed head compartment and underwater lighting for that night time swim off her teak swim platform.

In the 17th century, several 100,000 hectares of hemp were cultivated in Europe. In competition with cheaper cotton and the decline of sailing shipping in the 19th century, the area under cultivation decreased continuously, but even in 1850 130,000 ha were still cultivated in France and 140,000 ha in Italy. When the synthetic fibres came up in the 20th century, hemp no longer played a role in the post-war reconstruction and many countries banned cultivation due to its proximity to the sister plant marijuana. As a result of these developments, European hemp cultivation collapsed on about 5,000 hectares in France in 1990.

The reintroduction of industrial hemp took place in Great Britain in 1990, a few years later in the Netherlands and Germany and finally throughout Europe. After a short hype on 20,000 ha, the area under cultivation fell again to about 8,000 ha in 2011. But then it really started. After 26,000 ha in 2015, 33,000 ha in 2016, the area under cultivation increased to about 43,000 ha last year. The growing areas are mainly driven by demand in the food sector. Healthy hemp seeds have arrived in the mainstream and can be found today in almost all European supermarkets pure, in muesli, in chocolate and many other products. Hemp seeds can be processed into drinks and yoghurts like soy. There is no end in sight to the rising demand.

Further momentum came with the launch of the non-psychotropic cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), which has mild calming and focusing effects. It is obtained from the leaves and flowers of hemp. Here, too, demand is high, but cannot be met sufficiently due to a patchwork of national regulations. While discounters in Switzerland successfully sell CBD cigarettes, concentrated CBD is a prescription drug in other EU countries.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is approved as a medicine in virtually all European countries and is produced by the pharmaceutical industry in greenhouses. Here, too, has been strong growth.

Hemp fibres are used in large quantities for lightweight construction in the automotive industry, in insulating materials and for thin, tear-resistant papers (cigarettes and bible papers). The shives, the woody part of the stem, are used as building material and animal litter.

However, it is not only in Europe that industrial hemp enjoys considerable demand. Even before Europe, a dynamic hemp food industry with steady growth developed in Canada. In 2016, 34,000 ha of hemp were cultivated in Canada and in 2017 even the new record of 56,000 ha was achieved. This year the cultivation of industrial hemp will start in the USA, where an additional 50,000 hectares are expected in the next ten years.

And also in China, the mother country of industrial hemp, hemp is being reintroduced, especially for the textile industry, in order to relieve cotton production and perhaps even replace it later. In the northeast of China, there are large programs to introduce enzymatically treated hemp fibres into the textile industry. The Chinese automotive industry also uses hemp fibres for lightweight construction. The total area under cultivation has increased from 40,000 ha (2016) to 47,000 ha (2017).

After hemp had almost completely disappeared after the Second World War and with the worldwide cannabis prohibition as a cultivated plant, today in Canada, China and the European Union about 150,000 hectares are cultivated again – within a few decades the limit of millions can be reached!

The worldwide growing hemp industry meets every year in Cologne (Germany) for the “International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association”, this year on 12 and 13 June already for the 15th time. As last year, about 350 participants from 40 countries are expected. The conference will present and discuss the latest developments from all areas of the hemp industry – from seeds to the end product, and 20 exhibitors present their technologies and products. The conference is sponsored by the gold sponsors Canah (Romania), HempFlax (The Netherlands), Hempro Int. (Germany) and MH medical hemp (Germany). Further sponsors are REAKIRO (USA) (silver sponsor) and CBDepot.eu (Czech Republic) (bronze sponsor).

And another highlight awaits the participants of the conference: For the first time ever, an innovation award will be presented for the “Hemp Product of the Year”. Three products each from the areas of food, cosmetics and biocomposites are available (see collage). Participants select the winners per category based on a short introduction of the products. The award winners will then be ceremoniously announced at the evening dinner buffet. The innovation award is presented by the nova-Institute, sponsored this year by the company HempConsult from Düsseldorf.

The worldwide meeting place of the hemp industry is organised by the German nova-Institut in close cooperation with the European Hemp Association “European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA)”. The day before the conference, EIHA will host expert workshops for members, meet representatives from Canada, USA and China and hold its Assembly in the evening.

Discover all nominees of the Innovation Award “Hemp Product of the Year 2018” here.

The newly developed rebar system is suited for manufacturing fiberglass-reinforced rebar for concrete elements in the construction industry. Together with the first pultrusion system of the TechCenter – an iPul system for flat sections – KraussMaffei now offers its customers a research environment to develop and test new processes and applications in pultrusion.

Growth market in pultrusion

“Pultrusion is a simple way to produce cost-effective profiles, there are hardly any turnkey offers and it is a growth technology. In addition, we are knowledgeable about fibers, metering technology and associated process technology,” as Sebastian Schmidhuber, Head of Development for Reaction Process Machinery at KraussMaffei, states, explaining the motivation of KraussMaffei to enter the pultrusion market a year ago.

The result of the most recent development work is the iPul system that was launched in 2017, which opened up new applications in pultrusion with significantly higher production speeds than the usual conventional tub or pull-through processes. Therefore KraussMaffei is now expanding its TechCenter to include a second pultrusion system, a rebar system to manufacture pultruded rebar.

“Together with the first iPul system, a flat profile system, we offer our customers a comprehensive and globally unmatched range of research and development opportunities in the field of pultrusion,” Schmidhuber said.

Major potential in construction industry
Pultruded rebar based on epoxy and reinforced with glass or (conceivably) with carbon fiber offers an enormous potential in the construction industry.

“They are corrosion-resistant compared to classical steel reinforcements. Therefore, the overlaying concrete layers can be considerably thinner,” Schmidhuber explains.

Further advantages include the low weight and consequently cheaper transport, the easier handling at the construction site and the fact that the fiber-reinforced rebar can be produced endlessly and wound onto drums at the end of the pultrusion system. Typical application areas are in infrastructure, for example, in bridges or in road construction or in environments susceptible to corrosion in functional buildings.

To date, finding a means of efficient production has been point of failure of an implementation suitable for series production.

“The classic production speeds for rebar in the conventional tub or pull-through processes are still at relatively low haul-off speeds, in some cases under 0.5 m/min. With the new iPul system, we are aiming at up to six times faster speeds in our TechCenter and therefore offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional steel reinforcements,” Schmidhuber said.

KraussMaffei works closely with Evonik, which has specifically developed an ideally suited epoxy resin for this application. Additional partners are Thomas Technology (radius pultrusion) and Alpex (mold technology).

Flat section systems for window construction and wind power
The development of solutions for the rebar application again meets industrial competency, orientation toward efficiency, and worldwide marketing. This concept has proved itself with the first pultrusion system in the TechCenter at KraussMaffei, an iPul system to produce flat sections. Here KraussMaffei collaborates intensely with companies such as Covestro in the field of new window profiles that are polyurethane-based. With the new iPul system and the significantly higher production speeds, the process is already getting closer in efficiency to established technologies, which opens entirely new markets for this technology. An additional research partner for this system is Huntsman. Here both companies work on the development of pultruded reinforcement elements for particularly large-format robot blades in wind turbines. 

One-of-a-kind combination
In pultrusion, continuous fibers, usually of glass, carbon or aramide, are infiltrated with a reactive plastic matrix and formed to the desired profile in a heated mold. Grippers pull the cured profile continuously and feed it to a sawing unit. The new iPul system by KraussMaffei encompasses, together with the technology partners, the entire sequence. It revolutionizes the technology – which has been common for a long time – in two respects. It encapsulates the soaking of the fibers, which so far mostly takes place in open tubs, in an injection box, which permits the use of fast-reacting systems (epoxy, polyurethane). It also increases the production speed from the usual 0.5 to 1.5 m/min to approximately 3 m/min

“Vericut 8.1 includes new modules and enhancements that simplify simulating a CNC machine,” said CGTech Ltd. Managing Director Tony Shrewsbury. “This release is all about various tools that can increase NC programmer efficiency, reduce production time, and detect costly errors before going to the shop floor.”

Teamcenter interface module
Vericut Tool Manager imports 3D cutting tools from Siemens Teamcenter Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. Vericut connects directly to Teamcenter to reference files, avoiding the need to create external uncontrolled copies of models on a local or network drive. In the NX CAM project, all cutting tools used in a given project are listed.  In one step, all 3D cutting tools for a job are imported at once.

Grinder-dressing module
Vericut enhances support for grinding and dressing operations. Users can simulate dressing where a secondary tool is applied to a grinding wheel to freshen the grinding surface, or to change the grinding wheel cutting shape. Vericut simulates the dynamic compensation needed while the dresser is used, even while the grinder is engaged with the part.

Force optimisation
Vericut’s Force module is a physics-based NC program optimisation method that maximises chip thickness. Force creates more constant cutting forces resulting in significant machining time savings. Graphs and charts are displayed in real-time, revealing cutting conditions and forces as they are encountered by cutting tools. The data helps NC programmers identify undesirable cutting conditions represented as spikes in the graphs. Spikes display forces, chip loads, tool deflection, and material removal rates above the recommended parameters.

With one click on the chart, the exact location in the NC program is marked. Simultaneously, the actual cut in the graphics window is displayed. By optimising toolpath feed rates, Force reduces machining time, prolongs tool life, and produces a higher quality finished product.

Enhanced sectioning
Vericut’s new section window is easier and faster to see inside a part during simulation. This allows the user to check proper fit, and identify interference between the workpiece and machine components. Sectioning abilities in machine view help with complicated machines where visibility is challenged. Enhancements allow the simulation to be continued while sectioned, and zoomed to achieve unobstructed viewing to pinpoint highlighted errors.

X-Caliper dimensions
The X-Caliper measuring tool creates a measurement label on the part, and label placement is customisable for optimal viewing. Multiple dimensions can be displayed on the part to quickly document key measurements, create setup diagrams, or inspection aids. Images with dimensions are easily referenced in Vericut reports.

Improved report template
Vericut’s report template editor makes creating a custom report easier. Adding content directly to the report editor is simplified using standard word processing capabilities. The enhancements allow the use of standard HTML objects, and the template editor displays what the report will look like as the template is designed, which also shortens the design process.

Vericut 8.1 also includes a new additive module, which simulates both additive and traditional CNC machining capabilities applied in any order.

Between 1993 and 1996, the cultivation of industrial hemp was legalised in most EU member states, others followed later. In 2011, the cultivation area decreased to its lowest value since 1994 (ca. 8,000 ha), but increased continuously in the years 2012 to 2016, to finally reach more than 33,000 ha in 2016. Today, the cultivation area for industrial hemp covers the largest area since the second world war.

The European Industrial Hemp Association expects almost constant or moderately growing cultivation areas in the next years. The main cultivation areas are in France, the Netherlands, the Baltic Countries and in Romania. In recent years, many new European countries started or expanded their hemp cultivation, mainly to produce more hemp seeds for the health food market. In the last years, hemp food products have entered the mass consumer markets via supermarkets in Austria, Germany, The Netherlands and more countries.

But also the hemp fibre sector is expanding, covering the increasing demand of the automotive industry. European hemp fibres are the only natural fibre worldwide with an established sustainability certification.

Investments and market growth are especially high in non-psychotropic hemp extracts and for the Cannabinoid CBD, which is used in pharmaceutical applications as well as in the food supplement industry. Here, a patchwork of regulations in Europe is a barrier for faster market growth.

Conducting in-depth interviews across the world with more than 160 respondents, including automotive suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and engineers, the research identifies future industry trends and ensures Huntsman’s new product development and innovation programmes are tailored to meet its customers’ needs.

The results show that CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency regulations are key drivers for the use of lighter weight materials, but affordability and the long-term availability of carbon fibre are stopping more manufacturers from using composites in mass production.

According to respondents, fibre-reinforced composites will become more widely adopted by the premium and sports automotive sector over the next ten years and will likely reach mainstream car segments in the longer term. The development of electronic cars will also influence the use of composites, as manufacturers look to develop lightweight and more energy-efficient models.

“Carrying out this survey was a key investment into understanding the dynamics of the automotive industry, and allowed us to gain valuable insights that can channel our innovation funnel towards technical solutions needed by the industry. Thanks to the detailed responses of our customers, we can better understand the drivers and challenges that they face in using composites. For example, according to the results, a lack of understanding around how best to design with composites is an important factor in fibre-reinforced plastic composites not reaching mass production scale,” comments Nastassja Kelley, marketing director EMEAI, at Huntsman Advanced Materials.

“By gaining a deeper knowledge of what the sector is looking for, we can look at shaping our new prproduct development strategy and the guidance we’re able to offer, to ultimately feed our innovation pipeline.”

So, first of all, what have you been up to since the Dakar Rally in 2013?
I’ve been working on a project called Races to Places. After Dakar 2013 I built a motorcycle capable of travelling around the world and race in rally races. My plan was to ride around the world and race on every continent.
So far, I have ridden just under 150,000km; I am in my 50th country and fifth continent. I’ve raced in five rallies over the first four continents and to share my experiences from all over the world, I have self-filmed the entire thing and released a free Travel Documentary on You Tube called ‘Races to Places’.
It was fun to make and became quite popular, so I kept doing it.

Why the Dakar Rally again?
I planned to be in South America at the time of the rally and quite simply it is the toughest rally in the world, so why not?
I will be the first rider to ride to the start of the race, prepare my bike and race in the rally. It’s a personal challenge.

In 2013 you took your Dad as mechanic and a support crew. Will he do it again this time?
No. This time I wanted to race the rally like the real heroes of the 70s and 80s, the guys who did all the work on their bikes themselves at night, slept in a tent and raced all day up to 1,000km off-road – and then repeat it all again the next day.
It sounds crazy, and it probably will be!
Oh, and did I mention that I’ve also agreed with the race organization to self-film my experience and make a movie at the end of it? I’ll find a few minutes here and there for that, I hope, as there is so little video footage from the event for people to really understand what it is like.

You will race a new bike for Dakar 2017. How is it different from your 2013 bike, and How has Attwater helped prepare the bike?
As with all motorsports these days, more power and less weight is the target. The power came from a factory spec KTM motor bolted into a lighter but more stable chassis.
The engine is a 450cc single cylinder 6-speed and is up around 15% focusing specifically on torque. I will use fuel injection this time for the first time to battle the symptoms of altitude change much better.
A lot of the brackets and components for the navigation tower that sits up front and other parts on the bike that were previously aluminium have been changed to carbon
fibre this year to put the bike on a diet. In my new suspension systems, even some of the internal spacer tubes are now carbon fibre.

Attwater helped supply some of the composite parts as well as a number of parts for use in the service areas to help keep my evening work easier and cleaner. Their experience in this field was a massive help and the total weight of the bike is down 10% from 2013 which improved handling and reduced rider fatigue.

From all at Attwater, we’d like to wish you a successful arrival and preparation – and of course a successful race. We look forward to catching up with you after the event!

Thank you for support and help towards this massive challenge. I could not do it without the help of my many sponsors, including Attwater.
I hope some of you can enjoy following my daily feed from the race and would love to come back in the New Year with a great story and pictures of Attwater Group on the finishers Podium!
With the help of some of Lyndon’s other sponsors, Lyndon will be releasing daily news feeds from the event in South America so be sure to stay tuned to his media if you are interested to find out more.

The print head is a critical element in Thermwood’s additive manufacturing process which functions differently than other FDM thermoplastic 3D printers. Most thermoplastic additive manufacturing systems print with a relatively small print bead onto a heated table in a heated environment. The heated environment is needed to keep newly printed layers from getting too cool to properly fuse with subsequent layers.

In Thermwood’s approach the only heat source is the print head itself. A heated environment isn’t required. The process prints a large bead at such high output rates that the printed layer must be cooled rather than heated to achieve the proper layer to layer fusing temperature. The entire process is essentially an exercise in controlled cooling and produces large size, high quality, virtually void free printed structures.

Each layer is printed at a rate that allows it to cool to the ideal temperature before the next layer is applied. If the layer becomes too hot, print speed is reduced to allow more cooling time. If it becomes too cool, print speed is increased to reduce cooling time. A built-in thermographic imaging system displays a real time thermal image on the CNC control screen which aides the operator in achieving and maintaining the ideal print temperature during the print process.

The LSAM Universal Print Head can process material at temperatures up to 450°C. It uses a Siemens temperature control module integrated within the print gantry CNC control. This allows full integration of temperature and pressure control with exclusive features of Thermwood’s print gantry CNC, better supporting processes unique to 3D printing.

Thermwood offers three melt cores for its print head, each with a different maximum print rate. The maximum print rate determines the longest bead that can be printed during the available cooling time between layers. This cooling time varies depending on material, amount of fan cooling and geometric shape of the layer, but the faster the print rate the more material that can be laid down within the cooling time between layers, so faster print heads allow larger parts to be printed, but don’t really print parts faster.

Even the standard 40mm LSAM melt core is generally so fast that it must be slowed on most parts to keep from printing a layer so fast that it doesn’t have sufficient time to cool properly between layers. In this case, often multiple parts can be printed in the same time it takes to print just one.

The LSAM machine is equipped with a standard 40mm melt core which includes a patented 40mm high speed extrusion screw coupled to a corresponding melt pump and deposition head. This standard configuration processes over 150 pounds of material an hour and is suitable for parts that have a print layer lap length of up to 175 feet while printing a standard bead that is .200 inch thick and .830 inch wide. This configuration has proven more than adequate for virtually all large parts today.

If even longer layer bead lengths are required, higher output Melt Cores are available. A 60mm Melt Core can process 50% more and a 70mm melt core has operated at rates of over 500 pounds per hour.

The fastest speed at which a part can be printed is determined by the cooling time required to reach the proper bonding temperature between layers and not by the output of the print head. Larger print head outputs simply allow larger parts to be printed within the required cooling time between layers.

High output melt cores do, however, have a minimum operating speed so may not be suitable for smaller parts. If both small and really large parts are required on the same machine, the melt core can be changed from one size to another in less than a shift.

Thermwood has installed a universal print head on its current 10’ x 10’ LSAM development machine with a 40mm melt core and has printed 20% carbon fiber reinforced ABS plus 40% and 50% carbon fiber reinforced PPS in operational tests. This print head will be installed on a new 10’ x 20’ demonstration machine currently under construction. Thermwood plans to have all three melt cores available for this demonstration machine. Production machines come standard with the 40mm melt core. 60mm and 70mm cores are available as options.

Thermwood’s LSAM machines both print and trim on the same machine using separate gantries. The new approach to print head design adds even more flexibility.

Versatile technology for high quality LFT compounds

ProTec’s LFT technology is suitable for producing a wide range of materials comprising variable fibre reinforcement in a defined pellet length and using different polymers as the matrix. The lines are capable of producing LFT pellets with fibre contents of up to 65 wt.% at throughputs of up to 1,000 kg/h. Any conventional thermoplastics or even biopolymers such as PLA (polylactic acid) can be used as the matrix, while glass, steel, carbon or aramid fibres can be used as the reinforcing fibres.

In practice, LFT materials with fibre lengths of 7 mm to 25 mm are conventional. When injection moulded, LFT compounds with fibre reinforcement along the length of the pellets result in components which combine high strength and light weight with very good surface quality, as is most particularly required in the automotive industry. LFT pellets with a fibre length of approx. 12 mm are particularly adapted.

A high-performance twin-screw compounding extruder is the keystone of the line, permitting highly flexible production of a broad range of individual polymer matrix formulations directly in the process. Recycled material and additional fillers may likewise be included in the material formulation. The LFT line’s impregnation die, where the fibre strands are spread apart and coated with polymer melt, is designed in such a way that, even at recycled material contents of up to 10% in the melt, consistently high quality impregnation of the fibre filaments is achieved. The various different creel racks required for unwinding glass and carbon fibres in the pultrusion line are also available. The turntables with the bobbins of fibres rotate automatically in accordance with the bobbin diameter, so preventing fibre twisting during unwinding.

The system control centrally controls ProTec’s LFT line and all its modules, with line speed, extruder throughput and pellet chopping length all being variably adjustable. Additional functions, located upstream or downstream depending on application, may also be integrated into the controller. These include drying, conveying, dosing and mixing of the feed components.

Audi consistently applies new material technologies and designs that directly benefit the customer – and not only in terms of weight. The upcoming flagship’s torsional rigidity – the critical parameter for precise handling and pleasing acoustics – surpasses the values of its predecessor by a factor of about one fourth.

Innovative production process – the carbon rear panel in the new Audi A8
In terms of its overall dimensions, an ultra-high-strength, torsionally rigid rear panel made of CFRP is the largest component in the occupant cell of the new Audi A8, and it contributes 33 percent to the torsional rigidity of the total vehicle. To optimally absorb longitudinal and transverse loads as well as shearing force, between six and 19 fiber layers are placed one on top of the other, ensuring a load-optimized layout. These individual fiber layers consist of tapes 50 millimeters (2.0 in) wide and can be placed individually in a finished layered package, with any desired fiber angle and minimal trimming of the fibers. The innovative direct-fiber layering process specially developed for this purpose makes it possible to entirely dispense with the normally needed intermediary step of manufacturing entire sheets. Using another newly developed process, the layered package is wetted with epoxide resin and sets within minutes. 

A high-strength combination of hot-formed steel components make up the occupant cell, which comprises the lower section of the front bulkhead, the side sills, the B-pillars and the front section of the roof line. Some of these sheet metal blanks are produced in varying thicknesses using tailoring technologies – meaning they are customized – and others also undergo partial heat treatment. That reduces weight and increases the strength, especially in areas of the vehicle that are particularly critical for safety.

The aluminum components make up 58 percent of the new Audi A8 body, the largest share in the mix of materials. Cast nodes, extruded profiles and sheets are the elements characteristic of the ASF design. And here too the competition of materials has been driving progress. New heat-treated, ultra-high-strength cast alloys attain a tensile strength of over 230 MPa (megapascals). The corresponding yield strength in the tensile test is over 180 MPa, and for the profile alloys it is higher than 280, i.e. 320 MPa – higher values than seen previously.

Rounding out the intelligent mix of materials is the magnesium strut brace. A comparison with the predecessor model shows that it contributes a 28-percent weight savings. Aluminum bolts secure the connection to the strut tower domes, making them a guarantor of the body’s high torsional rigidity. In the event of a frontal collision, the forces generated are distributed to three impact buffers in the front end.

Benefits for customers and the environment
In addition to the complete redevelopment of the Audi Space Frame for the next generation A8, the production halls at the Neckarsulm location were specially built for the upcoming flagship. A total of 14,400 metric tons of steel were needed just for construction of the new, 41-meter-high body shop, twice as much steel as was used for the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The highly complex yet energy-efficient production operation uses 14 different joining processes, including roller hemming at the front and rear door cutouts. This mechanical, “cold” technology is used to join the aluminum side wall frame to the hot-formed, ultra-strong steel sheets at the B-pillar, roof line and sills. The engineers thus realized improvements of up to 36 millimeters (1.4 in) at the door cutouts compared to the predecessor model. That in turn makes getting in and out of the car even more comfortable and widens the driver’s field of vision around the A-pillar, an area that is key to safe driving.

As for the “warm” joining processes, Audi stands alone among the premium automakers by virtue of its development of remote laser welding for use with aluminum. Exact positioning of the laser beam in relation to the welding edge considerably reduces the risk of hot cracking during the production process. The new process makes it possible to precisely control the penetration depth of the laser by means of the heat input. In this way, process control can immediately determine the gap width between parts being joined, and this can effectively be closed using regulating controls. The laser beam’s high feed rate and low energy use reduce the CO2 emissions of this production step by about one fourth.

This new process also results in a 95 percent savings on recurring costs in series production because it eliminates the need for costly process controls required with conventional laser welding. The remote laser welding technology perfectly symbolizes the entire production of the new Audi A8.

In 1994 it was the first generation of this luxury sedan, with its aluminum unitary body, that made the Audi Space Frame an established presence in the automotive world. Since then the company has built more than one million production cars in accordance with this design principle, and it has been continually building upon its know-how in the use of materials and joining techniques.

FRP Institute (India) and JEC Group (France) decided to further widen the scope of the program with special emphasis on India. This program has been created to achieve the following:

• Discover, promote, and reward the most innovative composite products and solutions made in India,
• Encourage and enhance the visibility of Indian composites companies and their partners involved in innovative composites developments
• Contribute to composite industry advancement.

BIOCOMPOSITES: Jute/coir biodegradable pultruded “green composite” – Hindoostan Composite Solutions part of Hindoostan Mills

Hindoostan Mills has developed a new composite product using natural fibers like jute and coir. The development of natural fibers composites is emerging as long term sustainable growth. The recycling properties, bio-degradability and natural availability are advantageous for being environment friendly nature.

Based on high performance requirements, two types of prepregs were designed for defense
1. Jute Pultruded Composite: This is specially developed composite in continuous Unidirectional fibers/epoxy composite form as well as balanced, woven fabric/epoxy composite form.
2. Coir Pultruded Composite: This is specially developed composite in continuous Uni directional fibers/epoxy composite form. 

More information: www.hindoostantech.com

INTERMEDIATE PRODUCTS: High performance prepregs based on quartz reinforcements and solventless cyanate ester matrix resins and cyanate ester base resin film adhesive  – Hindoostan Composite Solutions part of Hindoostan Mills

Hindoostan Composite Solutions has developed cyanate ester formulations and processing of the solvent less formulated resin with quartz fabric for prepreg, also in the form of adhesive film to manufacture indigenous composite parts. The materials offered to Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) for testing and composite part fabrication. Hindoostan Innovation Centre has developed a technology known to very few companies in the world and often their products are not available in India due to end use licensing denials by respective Governments of foreign establishments. This innovation helps country to have strategic material for aerospace and defense application. 

ADE evaluated thermal, mechanical and electrical characterization of cyanate ester resin film as well as cyanate ester/ quarts prepregs developed by Hindoostan Mills. ADE has intention to indigenize strategic aerospace grade composite intermediates using their composite development and characterization expertise. 

A prepreg is a fiber reinforcement that is pre-impregnated with a resin matrix Hindoostan Mills has developed an advanced cyanate ester/quartz prepreg and cyanate ester resin adhesive film for defense. The development includes identification of process parameters and their resultant parameters such as cure cycle, b-staging, resin flow during cure, tackiness, material properties and storage life.

Based on the performance requirements and application two products were designed for ADE:

1. Hinpreg HQS286-CEA0020-38 : 
A high performance cyanate ester prepreg with quartz fabric of balanced woven quartz fabric of 290 gm per sqm areal weight and 28% of wt of resin matrix. It is an advanced cyanate-ester prepreg developed to enable economic manufacturing of various high performance composite applications. It has a versatile curing cycle, from 100°C to as high as 180°C It is been specially formulated to achieve excellent through-cure and mechanical performance. 

2. Hinfilm TCEGF 200160 : 
It a specially designed advanced Cyanate Ester resin system film adhesive developed for bonding high performance composite materials, the substrates like honeycomb, foams, metals, and ceramic are can be bonded with excellent adhesion. It is been specially formulated to achieve goodthrough-cure, and enhanced for adhesive bonding applications. It has high fracture toughness and high shear strength. The material can preferred to produce a wide range of composites from small components to large structures of excellent quality and performance.

More information: www.hindoostantech.com

EQUIPMENT: Pultrusion machine with 4 grippers – Ashirvad Industries​

Machine characteristics:

• 10, 12 & 16 ton pulling capacity
• 4 individual gripper in each reciprocating hydraulic pullers, with extended puller width to 1200 & 1400MM
• allows using machine for 4 different profiles, with different width, height and configuration, with same machine installation space, power requirement and men power engagement
• selective operation [on/off] for all 4 grippers during production by easy action at operating panel buttons
• single operator will able to handle all profiles under pulling process
• reduced installation space, power demand, men power engagement and initial project cost by avoiding investment in multiple machines
• flexibility if producing different size of profiles at very low auxiliary requirement, and minimum product change over time during production, saves downtime cost as well as increase productivity.

If a beginner customer have this machine, he can capture and handle orders of different profile size without clamping adjustments complexity. There is no need to stop entire production of other profiles, if any one profile required to be changed or attained due to any production interruption, resulting increased ultimate productivity. Benefit of single larger profile is also covered, by simultaneous actuation of all 4 gripers in case of requirement.

More information: www.ashirvadind.com

MEDICAL: Carbon fiber sheets, plate and components with high radio transparency – Adorn Engineers

Manufacturing carbon fiber sheets and various carbon composite custom parts. The company standard product range are made from carbon fiber (3k to 48K) with high performance resin system to meet customer’s demand.  

In medical field by using carbon fiber plate / sheet / components it gives accurate result and treatment due to its radiology higher transparency, as well as its very easy to operate. 
Adorn Engineer developed carbon fiber sheet within 2 year and now they are manufacturing and supplying their products across India since 1 year with exponential growth.

More information: www.santok.in

MARINE: Hull & deck single shot resin infusion process with stiffeners – Diab and Aquarius Shipyard

The companies developed a single shot infusion process with stiffeners for the first boat completely infused in India. 
Benefits of this process are:

• all type of boats is infused using core infusion process
• customer is getting a lot of government orders by using core infusion process
• production of larger components
• ultra-low VOC emissions
• faster mold cycle times
• high fiber fractions
• weight savings
• consistent & repeatable components
• good skin/core bonding

More information: www.diabgroup.com – www.aquariusgoa.com

AEROSPACE: Reflector antennas made with aluminum lined carbon fiber composite for satellite applications – Space Applications Centre ISRO

Space Applications Centre is responsible for the delivery of various payloads that fit in to the satellites. In order to have better structural efficiency, CFRP as a structure material usage is envisaged for the payloads hardware. 

Spacecraft programme of ISRO is based on a 3 axis body stabilized geostationary satellite based on ISRO’s I-3K structure which will provide communication services. GSAT-19 spacecraft will be located at 48⁰E. For the transmission and reception of Ku-band uplink and downlink signals, two numbers of high gain transmit/receive deployable reflector antennas of 2.0m diameter, shall be used with four feeds per reflector. Each reflector shall cater to four beams. 

Considering the advantages of high specific strength, high specific stiffness & low CTE carbon fibers and advancements in fabrication technology for realization of thinner metallic liners, a development programme has been undertaken by the Mechanical Engineering Systems Area (MESA) of Space Applications Centre to realize state-of-the-art Aluminum Lined Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Plastic (CFRP) feeds as well as CFRP chopped fibers filters for Satellite applications. The design approach and qualification aspects are described in this paper. 

The use of composite materials in this application allows weight savings by at least 30 percent and increases in-mission life.

More information: www.sac.gov.in

ENERGY:

This project was developed for Anakata of Oxford, UK. Their objective for this product was to develop a micro turbine for use near residential areas. The blade design concentrating therefore on noise reduction as well as improved efficiencies for a wind turbine system of this size.

Process: hand laminated carbon and glass fibre epoxy / prepreg. A mix of unidirectional carbon, lightweight carbon fabric (120 gsm) standard carbon fabric (200 gsm) and mid weight glass fabric. Made in two halves and bonded together in a jig.

Anakata developed the blade profile in CAD and some use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). Initial prototypes for testing at their in-house wind tunnel facility made from 3D printed and resin models. Not really representative but helped to indicate development was in the right direction. The blade has a curved end for improved efficiency and noise reduction and very fine trailing edge details. The trailing edge being “wavy” and only 0.5mm thickness. On the outboard leading edge is a very fine detail, a raised zig zag, whose purpose is to “trip” the air again for efficiency and noise reduction. 

Production has now reached into 3 figures and are installed in many sites. Particularly in South Korea from where the enquiry had come from to Anakata.

More information: www.moldexcomposites.com

INDUSTRIAL: A composite material made by selective prepregging & compressed molding process for cryogenic applications – Permali Wallace

Permaglass PG-22 CPG grade composite material has been produced for cryogenic applications by selective prepregging & compressed molding process. The raw materials used are suitable for the said application at a temperature gradient of -196°C to +155°C. The special features of this product are that the composite is easily machine able to the desired composite design from small to large parts used for critical applications by few customers. The material is having high mechanical strength with combination of electrical Insulation properties. The product is additionally fire retardant having low thermal insulation & low conductivity. 

It is a light weight material capable of replacing a very heavy part providing for both the thermal insulation as well as mechanical requirements as well as catering to high operating range thus can cover applications both for low temperatures applications as well as in high temperature. 

The company currently supplied parts made of the same material to a German customer in 2 pcs. with each part weighing approximately 420 Kgs. – total weight of almost 840 Kgs. The same part in any other material would have weighed much more. 

The laminates for these have already been developed and have been accepted by the customer. The sheets can be made in varying thickness and customized to specific design of the customer. 

More information: www.permaliwallace.com

DEFENSE: A sonar dome made with glass fiber composite by VARTM process – Kineco

India’s first indigenous developed bow mounted sonar dome flagged off by defence minister during DefExpo 2016 at Goa.

Manufacturing of sonar dome involves state of art technology for realization. The first challenge was manufacturing precise and accurate FRP tooling suitable for the process of VARTM. The sonar dome has been developed using high end glass reinforcements & resin systems by VARTM process, assisted by advanced process control technology. State of art equipments specially designed for manufacturing large and complicated composite parts have been used to produce sonar dome of 10.5 meters length, 3.5 meters height, and 3.0 meters width as a single component without any joinery.

Design & analysis, involves critical acoustic and structural 2017 considerations to meet the acoustic transparency and very high rough sea state conditions and hydrodynamic forces.

Sonar dome has been proven for its structural strength by FE analysis and tested to full size for acoustic transparency for the first time in India. The Sonar dome is finally supplied with drilled flanges suitable for mounting to ship hull along with specially engineered installation fixtures.

More information: www.kinecogroup.com

E-MOBILITY: An electric trycycle with whole body in composites – Triovision

Indian Market has seen tremendous growth in renewable energy over the past few years as everyone is trying to move into green energy but not much focus was considered in the automotive segment. Electric vehicles are becoming popular these days because of the advantages in fuel costs and increase in pollution especially in city traffic where the vehicle stopped continuously. To address these, a tricycle electric vehicle car is designed and the body is made in composites with the advantages of light weight, class A finish, weather resistance, fire and smoke retardancy and better strength. It is one of the first electric vehicle tricycle to be soon introduced into Indian Market made out of composites. 

The car is a 3 seater vehicle which comes under L2E segment. It is fully automatic and totally enclosed to cater to the city pollution and traffic issues. The body is in composites to be produced in Resin Transfer Molding. The car can reach upto a peak speed of 45 kmph. The car also can maneuver easily and can be parked at ease. One charge of 2.5 hours can get a ride upto 120 km. It has also got some unique features which are to be revealed on the launch date. 

More information: www.triovision.in – www.windstrip.com

“There’s an abundance of coal and we would like to find an alternative use for it. It is a huge natural resource in the U.S., and we have a whole coal-mining community that is desperate for a new direction,” said University of Utah chemical engineering professor Eric Eddings, who leads the research team. “If we can find an economical way to use coal to produce carbon fibers and have enough useful products so there can be a market for it, then they have that new direction. And it’s more carbon-friendly than just burning coal in a power plant.”

Engineers from the University of Utah, led by chemical engineering professor Eric Eddings, are launching a $1.6 million project to research cost-effective, carbon-friendly methods of turning coal-derived pitch into carbon-fiber composite material, as well as analyze its market potential and whether it can help revitalize coal communities threatened by a decline in production.

Converting pitch
Typically, when coal is heated it produces hydrocarbon materials that are burned as fuel in the presence of oxygen. But if it is heated in the absence of oxygen—as in the cooking process smelters use to produce iron—those hydrocarbons can be captured, modified and turned into an asphalt-like material known as pitch.

The pitch can then be spun into carbon fibers used to produce a composite material that is strong and light. Most carbon-fiber composite material is made from a derivative of petroleum known as polyacrylonitrile, but that process is expensive.

While burning coal for power generation produces carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released into the atmosphere, processing coal for carbon fiber produces “substantially” less CO2, Eddings says.

“We’re taking the carbon and turning it into carbon fiber, so that’s effectively isolating it from going into the environment,” he says.

New research
With the new Utah grant, Eddings and his team will analyze the makeup of Utah coal—which has its own unique properties from coal in other regions—to determine how well it can be used for pitch-based carbon-fiber material.

Researchers will produce different variants of pitch and then deliver them to Matthew Weisenberger and his team at the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research, who are subcontractors in the project and experts at spinning pitch into carbon fibers. Engineers will research the best ways of producing pitch with as little CO2 as possible.

The research team is also working with the Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI), a consortium of materials companies, research institutions and state agencies, to examine the market potential for producing this composite material from Utah coal, and if other coal communities can benefit from this technology.

The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative is an EDA program that puts federal economic and workforce development resources into communities and regions negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy. This newest round of grants announced Wednesday by Williams totals $8.4 million and funds 15 research projects across America. The EDA is a bureau in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“I commend the University of Utah for its forward-thinking approach and determination to create and retain jobs in Utah’s coal affected counties and on earning the state’s first POWER grant award,” said Assistant Secretary Williams.

In Utah, six coal operators produced 17.9 million tons of coal valued at $600 million from one surface and seven underground mines in 2014, according to the latest statistics from the Utah Geological Survey. Today, there are six active Utah mines—not counting sites that produce coal from old waste piles—operating in Carbon, Emery, Sevier and Kane counties, according to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.

If researchers prove successful in their work turning Utah coal into carbon fiber, the result could have a tremendous impact on the state’s declining coal production as well as feed new material into the local hub of advanced materials manufacturers.

Utah is a hotspot for advanced materials manufacturing, with more than 30 companies that manufacture or use carbon-fiber composites in their products, including for aerospace and defense applications, outdoor recreational equipment such as skis and bicycle rims, and lower-limb prosthetics. The advanced materials manufacturing industry in Utah employs more than 12,000 workers, according to the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. Part of the Utah team’s research will be to determine if these same products can use carbon fiber composites made from coal-derived pitch.

Dr. Sue Halliwell, Operations Manager at Composites UK said, “The team, alongside our Board of Directors, have been working hard to ensure that we’re fully engaged with industry, providing an open communication channel which feeds back and influences our membership services.

“In the past year we have continued to develop our Composites Assured Practitioner scheme and have inputted into the new Trailblazer Apprenticeship programme; launched the Hub Database – a directory and UK market analysis tool for which all UK companies in the composite supply chain can have a free listing; initiated our Construction Sector Group in response to the need of a discussion forum to ensure best practice use of composite materials in this area; and just recently, along with UK Trade and Investment and the National Composites Centre, housed 14 UK companies at the JEC World Show on the UK Pavilion, giving them a level of exposure larger than that they may have received by taking their own, small stand.”

Liam Kelly, Managing Director at new member company IG Elements, commented on why they recently joined the association; “Composites UK is fantastic foundation for learning about best practice and changes moving forward in the industry. IG Elements are proud to be a glass-reinforced fibre composites manufacturer and it is vital that there is a hub that we can feel confident of in the sector. We aim to grow and participate in the increasingly competitive world of global composite production and strongly believe that Composites UK will aid us in achieving this.”

Tufcot Engineering is another new member and is looking forward to being involved with Composites UK events. Greg Majchrzak, Tufcot’s Managing Director said; “We are very pleased with the services Composites UK has provided so far. Membership allows us to keep in touch with the composites industry whilst effectively displaying our capabilities in the manufacture & engineering of composite materials via the Hub. Members are also rewarded with favourable discounts on industry advertising and trade shows. Moving forward we have already committed to take part in the Rail Sector Showcase on 12th May organised by Composites UK.”

More inforation:www.compositesuk.co.uk

TeXtreme has over ten years of experience manufacturing and testing applications of spread tow reinforcement technology. This knowledge combined with flexible production capabilities plus access to a large global capacity of spread tow fabrics means rapid delivery of tailor-made fabrics to customers, and reduced time-to-market for their products.

Damage assessments of composites in the aerospace industry are more demanding than ever, and simulation of impact damage and damage growth has become increasingly important given the high cost of testing manufactured parts. Thus, the use of reliable simulation models is essential considering the expense of the materials used in this industry.

Due in part to its interest in TeXtreme spread tow reinforcements’ outstanding performance using ultra-thin plies, the European Air TN DAMTEX project developed analytical and FE models to predict impact damage and damage propagation in thin woven composites. Extensive testing has been performed to feed and validate the material models through characterization of fiber failure, delamination and residual strength following an impact event in a drop tower test.

As a result of further testing on these novel materials, a TeXtreme variant with improved damage performance was developed. Test results from this new material demonstrate improved interlaminar strength, limited damage and good CAI results that outperform the current standards in carbon fiber reinforcements.

More information: www.textreme.com

Pushing the boundaries of composite technology
The decision to join was due to a combination of factors including an ambition to play a more active role in shaping the future of composite materials, both within the UK industry and on a global platform.

Paul McMullan, Composite Director states that “as a company committed to innovation and pushing the boundaries of composite technology we felt it important to be connected to the UK trade association for composites in order to have a positive input into the strategic direction of research and government support to UK SME’s within the composite sector.”

Growing the composite business within the textile company
Chief Executive John Lupton explains that the employee owned company fully backed the decision to become a member due to the success and growth of the composite POD within the business.

“Over the past five years we have seen steady growth in the Composite POD within our business and with exciting new products and partners, we are forecasting a continuance of this growth. Joining Composites UK is a logical development for Scott & Fyfe as we aim to strengthen ties within the critical sectors of Automotive, Mass Transit, Construction, Marine, Oil & Gas and Renewable Energy.

As John explains, the move coincides with the ambitious plans of Scott & Fyfe to develop the composite side of their technical textile business. This growth is expected to be supported through the addition of new products such as the Polyform range containing multiaxial glass reinforcement materials such as Biaxial, Triaxial and Quadaxial non crimp fabrics (NCF) and Polyform CSM, a range of emulsion and powder bonded Chopped Strand Mats (CSM).

Working collaboratively
The move to join Composites UK also provides an ideal opportunity to network, engage and work in partnership with like-minded and ambitious UK companies. With an innovation led strategy at the core of the business collaborative working is paramount for Scott & Fyfe and occurs regularly between employees, customers, suppliers and anyone else who wants to approach the company with a problem! This innovation culture has seen the company carry out problem solving workshops with various blue chip companies since the launch of the Innovation Space in 2013.

Using design to promote innovation
This desire to work collaboratively is embedded in the culture at Scott & Fyfe, from the Innovation Space and POD structure to the way that employees work together. The company operates under a flattened hierarchy with teams of people working together in an effective and collaborative manner. This is in no way typical of a 150 year old technical textile business but is the everyday reality for Scott & Fyfe as a result of the Culture of Innovation which was developed over 5 years ago.

This culture of innovation came to fruition as a result of a project with the Glasgow School of Art and has resulted in the team using design-thinking tools such as POINT, the Double Diamond Model, dotocracy and mind mapping to carry out market research, new product development and problem solving on a daily basis. As a direct result, the company has significantly improved the timescales required to develop completely new products and get samples into the hands of its customers. Paul McMullan highlights that in 2014 the company produced over 150 rapid prototypes in collaboration with customers.

Many of the prototypes developed were for the Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) market, also known as Trenchless Technology or No Dig, which resulted in business being gained in a new market area within the Pipe Fabric Technology POD. The work put into creating these prototypes has resulted in the development of the new Alphashield range which is to be launched this year. This range has already had a strong impact on the market and comprises of seamless tubular knitted glass liners suitable for the rehabilitation of pipe systems in a variety of diameters and weights. 

Scott & Fyfe technical textiles
Alongside Composites, Scott & Fyfe also manufacture technical textile products for 3 other distinct market areas including: Abrasives, Flooring and Pipe Fabric Technology. Each of these PODS market and supply their own technical textile materials. All of the products produced by the company rely on the experience and capabilities the company has in extrusion, coating, weaving, knitting and stitch bonding.

Within the Abrasive POD, Scott & Fyfe have been supplying a range of technical loop attachment products for over 20 years and recently launched the Polyfast range. These technical loop fabrics grab onto the hook system creating a strong and reliable attachment.  The range also offers excellent lamination characteristics and can be applied using both hot melt and water based adhesive systems.

The Flooring POD is an important part of the history of the company and maintains a key role today. The main product range here is Textron which consists of stitch bonded and crepe paper and non-woven materials. These are used for carpet underlay and have dominated the underlay market for over 40 years.

The Pipe Fabric Technology POD is one of the newest PODS within Scott & Fyfe as none of the products produced here were made 5 years ago. Pipe Fabric Technology supplies to markets including irrigation and infrastructure repair and the innovations supplied into these markets include new flexible pipes for use in drip feed irrigation systems and unique seamless glass textile liners for the fast assistance of pipe rehabilitation systems.

More information:www.scott-fyfe.com

Pushing the boundaries of composite technology
The decision to join was due to a combination of factors including an ambition to play a more active role in shaping the future of composite materials, both within the UK industry and on a global platform.

Paul McMullan, Composite Director states that “as a company committed to innovation and pushing the boundaries of composite technology we felt it important to be connected to the UK trade association for composites in order to have a positive input into the strategic direction of research and government support to UK SME’s within the composite sector.”

Growing the composite business within the textile company
Chief Executive John Lupton explains that the employee owned company fully backed the decision to become a member due to the success and growth of the composite POD within the business.

“Over the past five years we have seen steady growth in the Composite POD within our business and with exciting new products and partners, we are forecasting a continuance of this growth. Joining Composites UK is a logical development for Scott & Fyfe as we aim to strengthen ties within the critical sectors of Automotive, Mass Transit, Construction, Marine, Oil & Gas and Renewable Energy. 

As John explains, the move coincides with the ambitious plans of Scott & Fyfe to develop the composite side of their technical textile business. This growth is expected to be supported through the addition of new products such as the Polyform range containing multiaxial glass reinforcement materials such as Biaxial, Triaxial and Quadaxial non crimp fabrics (NCF) and Polyform CSM, a range of emulsion and powder bonded Chopped Strand Mats (CSM). 

Working collaboratively
The move to join Composites UK also provides an ideal opportunity to network, engage and work in partnership with like-minded and ambitious UK companies. With an innovation led strategy at the core of the business collaborative working is paramount for Scott & Fyfe and occurs regularly between employees, customers, suppliers and anyone else who wants to approach the company with a problem! This innovation culture has seen the company carry out problem solving workshops with various blue chip companies since the launch of the Innovation Space in 2013.

Using design to promote innovation
This desire to work collaboratively is embedded in the culture at Scott & Fyfe, from the Innovation Space and POD structure to the way that employees work together. The company operates under a flattened hierarchy with teams of people working together in an effective and collaborative manner. This is in no way typical of a 150 year old technical textile business but is the everyday reality for Scott & Fyfe as a result of the Culture of Innovation which was developed over 5 years ago.

This culture of innovation came to fruition as a result of a project with the Glasgow School of Art and has resulted in the team using design-thinking tools such as POINT, the Double Diamond Model, dotocracy and mind mapping to carry out market research, new product development and problem solving on a daily basis. As a direct result, the company has significantly improved the timescales required to develop completely new products and get samples into the hands of its customers. Paul McMullan highlights that in 2014 the company produced over 150 rapid prototypes in collaboration with customers.

Many of the prototypes developed were for the Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) market, also known as Trenchless Technology or No Dig, which resulted in business being gained in a new market area within the Pipe Fabric Technology POD. The work put into creating these prototypes has resulted in the development of the new Alphashield range which is to be launched this year. This range has already had a strong impact on the market and comprises of seamless tubular knitted glass liners suitable for the rehabilitation of pipe systems in a variety of diameters and weights.  

Scott & Fyfe technical textiles
Alongside Composites, Scott & Fyfe also manufacture technical textile products for 3 other distinct market areas including: Abrasives, Flooring and Pipe Fabric Technology. Each of these PODS market and supply their own technical textile materials. All of the products produced by the company rely on the experience and capabilities the company has in extrusion, coating, weaving, knitting and stitch bonding.

Within the Abrasive POD, Scott & Fyfe have been supplying a range of technical loop attachment products for over 20 years and recently launched the Polyfast range. These technical loop fabrics grab onto the hook system creating a strong and reliable attachment.  The range also offers excellent lamination characteristics and can be applied using both hot melt and water based adhesive systems.

The Flooring POD is an important part of the history of the company and maintains a key role today. The main product range here is Textron which consists of stitch bonded and crepe paper and non-woven materials. These are used for carpet underlay and have dominated the underlay market for over 40 years.

The Pipe Fabric Technology POD is one of the newest PODS within Scott & Fyfe as none of the products produced here were made 5 years ago. Pipe Fabric Technology supplies to markets including irrigation and infrastructure repair and the innovations supplied into these markets include new flexible pipes for use in drip feed irrigation systems and unique seamless glass textile liners for the fast assistance of pipe rehabilitation systems. 

More information: www.scott-fyfe.com

There is a growing urgency to develop novel products of natural origin and other innovative technologies that could help to reduce the widespread dependence on fossil fuels. Environmentally-friendly biocomposites made up of biofibres and bioplastics are new materials in the 21st century with a huge potential to solve environmental problems and the uncertainty in the supply of crude oil.

Thanks to their chemical and multifunctional properties, legumes provide society with various services such as: a source of products to feed humans and animals, fibres, biomass, biofuels and chemical products.

Leguval is setting out to valorise the co- and by-products of legumes by extracting their proteins and fibre so that they can be used as a raw material in developing packaging materials and bioplastics for agricultural use, and the remaining biomass as a source of biogas. The recovery of high-value compounds is a profitable way of making use of the byproducts as most plant waste contains considerable quantities of potentially interesting compounds. Right now, coatings using pea proteins with very interesting barrier properties and composites with legume fibres have been obtained and which are due to be tested in real agricultural and packaging applications. Their application on an industrial scale will be taking place shortly. Furthermore, the remaining biomass has been found to be an excellent source of biogas, and that way the cycle for the use of the by-products would be fully completed.

The films/composites and coatings based on legume proteins would allow the packaging to be disposed of in composting plants or used to produce biogas. Similarly, in agricultural applications the plastics produced from proteins will be able to remain in the soil as a source of biodegradable nitrogen. This project will be opening up various lines of research in the sphere of plant protein. In fact, the oxygen permeability properties of plastic films made of coated proteins have shown that the protein-based coating solutions display excellent barrier properties against oxygen and against relatively low or mid-range humidity on a par with the oxygen barrier properties of some synthetic plastic materials.

The co- and by-products of the processing industry for legumes such as peas, broad beans, lentils, etc. are being used as a raw material to develop plastic materials for packaging and agricultural applications. This strategy will provide the crops with added value through a novel use of the by-products which right now are only used as animal feed or fertilizers.

This aim is being achieved through the extracting of proteins to produce edible/biodegradable films. What is more, the biomass left behind in the extraction process is used as a filling in polymer composites to improve their mechanical properties, or as a power supply for producing biogas.

The ultimate aim is to make the materials developed competitive in the mid-term with respect to crude oil-based alternatives, above all bearing in mind the high price of some of the polymers produced from this raw material and the fall in the price of biodegradable polymers due to the increase in production in emerging countries such as India and China.

More information: www.tecnalia.com – www.cordis.europa.eu

The Blade Runner feed line helps achieve better part quality with excellent surface quality, especially in the area where the resin feed line is placed. When setting up the vacuum infusion process, one or more resin feed lines are placed on the part. A normal spiral tube is often used to this end. Now, this tube can be simply substituted with the Blade Runner resin feed line.

Due to its construction and materials, the new feed line is more stable than a normal spiral tube. Thereby, it is easier to place and fix at the desired place. This also makes the setup for the vacuum infusion process faster. With Blade Runner, the spiral tube is kept at a distance from the part surface. Therefore, it does not leave any print on the surface and it minimizes air impacts under the feed line.

This new product saves working hours (and costs) when setting up the process and working on the surface after the infusion step. It can be used with all parts produced by vacuum infusion, although it is especially suitable for large and long parts like boats or wind turbine rotor blades.

DD-Compound presents the new resin feed line at the JEC Europe 2015 in Paris (Booth No. E5, Hall 7.3.), together with the MTI hose, the MTI valve and the Squeezee tube clip.

More information:www.dd-compound.com
Booth: E5

The 420 LXF is the product of nearly three years of in-house research and development aimed at blending the performance of a fishing boat with the aesthetics and design of a high-end, centre-console cruiser. Contributing to the innovative new design is the boat’s sleek, mirror-finish black hull, where Huntsman’s Araldite LY 1568 / Aradur 3492 not only provided a stronger bond, it reduced the overall weight of the boat, resulting in greater hull speed and reduced fuel consumption.

Background
When Scout Boats Inc. began considering the infusion process for the new hull, it decided on the process of building a vacuum-tight, flanged tool and infusing resins in a closed mold. As a result of this decision, a test programme was established for infusing a dark-coloured hard-top for a small boat using PE, VE as well as epoxy resin supplied by Huntsman Advanced Materials. The goal:  to compare the handling and cured performance of each material.

One of the major tasks to be met during production was creating the black hull. It was acknowledged that this would be a challenge, as imperfections on this colour would be easy to notice. Fabrication with polyester resins often requires the addition of print blockers and barrier plies to prevent surface distortions and blemishes. Furthermore, completed hulls typically need time-consuming secondary rework and refinishing. The black 420 LXF epoxy-infused hull required little, if any, secondary finishing after demolding which radically reduced labour time and improved the overall production speed. 

The hard-tops built for the test programme confirmed the drawbacks of using PE and VE resins on dark-coloured parts. By contrast, the epoxy resin, which has a cured shrinkage of less than 2%, compared to 7-10% for PE and VE, yielded blemish-free parts direct from the mold.

The benefits of using epoxy went well beyond the surface. Epoxy resin is 20-30% stronger than PE and VE materials with a higher elongation, tensile strength and modulus/stiffness properties. As a result, Scout was able to decrease the number of laminate layers without affecting strength and performance. Overall weight was reduced by 15% as well, providing for greater hull speed and reduced fuel consumption. The structurally sound, epoxy-infused hull would also resist osmotic weight gain from water absorption over time.

Production of the 420 LXF Hull
Scout built a vacuum-tight mold for the new hull using VE/fibreglass/core sandwich construction. To fabricate the hull, production began with a polyester gel coat backed by a fibre-filled vinylester skin coat. After sanding the skin coat, multiple plies of dry fibreglass, pre-cut according to a computer-designed laminate orientation schedule, lightweight, rigid foam core was then sandwiched between the fibreglass laminate layers. Next, a tackifier adhesive was sprayed over all plies to secure them in place until the epoxy is infused. To optimise the infusion process, a layer peel ply backed with external flow media was then put down.

To prepare for infusion, a disposable vacuum bag was installed, securing it tightly to mold flanges to eliminate air leaks. A series of resin infusion lines was then added with each line number-coded according to which area of the hull they will feed. 

Araldite LY 1568 / Aradur 3492 resin and hardener was mixed and infused using a high-feed MVP Patriot Pump. The high-performance resin system, specially formulated for use on large parts, has a water-like viscosity that accommodates controlled resin flow throughout the laminate. This ensures complete wet-out of reinforcing fabrics without resin-starved areas even in the notched sections of the stepped hull.  After infusion, the epoxy cures at room temperature and is then post-cured under a tarp with a heat blanket that maintains a temperature of 160˚F for eight hours.

Matthew Pogue, Commercial Representative at Huntsman Corporation elaborated, “Our new, advanced epoxy resins post-cure at lower temperatures than previously possible. Light-coloured parts can be cured at room temperature and yet still achieve high-quality results. As a result, energy costs are minimised while process control is maximised.” 

As a further consequence of this, it was possible to reduce the number of infusion lines required and decrease injection time from 1.5 hours to 45 minutes. It was also noted that closed, infusion molding is faster than the previously used open-molding process.  Scout is now able to produce each hull in less than a week and a completed boat every 3 to 3.5 weeks.

Conclusion
Based on the outstanding performance of Araldite LY 1568 / Aradur 3492 in Scout’s new 420 LXF hull, the company is already planning to build new 35-foot and 32-foot luxury fishing boats via infusion.  Historically, the epoxy infusion process has widely been used by boat builders, for single hull projects, but now Scout is leading the way for use of infusion for continuous production of boats by the marine industry.

More information:www.huntsman.com

Vericut CNC machine simulation, verification and optimisation software simulates all types of CNC machining, including drilling and trimming of composite parts, water jet, riveting, robots, mill/turn and parallel kinematic/hexapods. It operates independently, but can also be integrated with cam systems.

More information: www.machiningcloud.com – www.cgtech.co.uk – www.iscar.com

In combination with Gabo’s broad range of sample holders and accessories, their instruments are perfectly tailored to the needs of the rapidly growing composites market. Furthermore, the company’s high-temperature DMA (up to 1500°C) is unique worldwide. Gabo DMA systems are used daily in the world’s largest and most prestigious companies, academic institutions, and governmental laboratories.

Ronald Gaddum, Managing Director of Gabo Qualimeter Testanlagen GmbH, is clearly satisfied: “The global presence of the Netzsch Group with its outstanding Sales and Service locations in our main markets, together with Gabo’s product spectrum, build a solid foundation for mutually growing the business and taking the lead in the market. Gabo’s high-force DMA/DMTA instruments and fully automatic DMAs with automatic sample feed will be making an important contribution in this regard. Through synergistic effects in development, applications and sales, we expect this union to create a market leader offering complete solutions in dynamic mechanical materials testing and thermal analysis.

Our team is excited to collaborate with a globally active company that understands not only our position but also the possibilities ahead.”

Netzsch offers a wide range of instruments for polymer characterization, including DSC, TGA and EGA instruments. In the composites field, Netzsch analytical instruments cover the entire production process, including cure monitoring with DEA. Furthermore, Netzsch is the technological leader for high-temperature applications in thermal analysis thanks to techniques like STA and DIL.

This acquisition will allow both Netzsch and Gabo customers to benefit from additional product lines, top-level technology in dynamic mechanical testing and a world-wide support structure.

Dr. Thomas Denner, Head of the Netzsch Analyzing & Testing Business Unit, and Dr. Jürgen Blumm, Managing Director of Marketing & Sales, commented on the acquisition: “We are very excited about the union of Netzsch and Gabo – both are family-owned companies with long traditions and have product lines in leading positions worldwide. This undertaking will enable us to offer an even broader product range to many sectors, especially rubber & tire, composites and high-temperature materials – and all from a single source.”

More information:www.netzsch-thermal-analysis.com

Commissioned by the Mozambique Government, the Ocean Eagle 43 is an innovation in maritime surveillance. The 3 trimaran vessels will conduct multiple missions throughout the Indian Ocean including anti-piracy operations and the safeguarding of fisheries, oil, gas and other maritime resources.

Sicomin played an integral part in this challenging project and supplied a range of advanced resin systems during the build programme that was secured by renowned French shipbuilder, CMN. The trimaran shells were produced at Chantier Naval H2X’s facility in La Ciotat, France.

All parties worked closely to achieve a truly outstanding result and the project has now received the accolade of the largest ever infusion of an epoxy hull in a single shot.

The Trimaran Design
In order to undertake its patrol duties effectively, The Ocean Eagle 43 must be able to cruise for many hours and then accelerate quickly and pursue. Legendary naval architect Nigel Irens was enlisted to produce a sleek and fast design.

“It’s taken many years for the world to warm up to this design for an efficient surveillance vessel,” notes Irens, “but it is a perfect application for a trimaran.”  The long, slender main hull and diminutive outer hulls (called amas) provide exceptional stability, yet are lightweight and experience a reduced amount of drag than other hull forms of comparable displacement, including twin hulled catamarans.

The laminate design mainly consists of a glass fibre and epoxy sandwich construction – a well proven composite structure according to Pierre Lallemand, Head of Composites at H2X. “Everything is cored and infused, except for the monolithic areas near the bottom of the hull at the front of the boat. Carbon fibre was used in the high load areas such as the stringer caps and the arms that connect the amas to the main hull.”

The challenge of Dark Hulls
Destined for naval duty, the Ocean Eagle 43’s hulls must be painted grey to reduce visibility on the horizon but unfortunately this means the hulls will also absorb significant heat from sunlight. This made the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin a key concern for H2X. To achieve a sound solution to this potential problem, they drew on their 20 year relationship with Sicomin to identify an appropriate matrix.

Sicomin has extensive experience with other multiple dark coloured, epoxy infused boat projects. Marc Denjean, Sicomin’s Export Manager comments, “The original Tg specified for the Ocean Eagle 43 was 120°C to140°C, a carry-over from the initial design that called for prepreg. However that would of doubled the cost of the resin and also increased the cost of tooling and post-cure requirements.”

Fortunately, the H2X design and build teams converted to a more economical resin infusion process and this allowed Sicomin to specify a system with a lower Tg of 90°C.

“Infusion epoxies with a Tg of 80°C are available but in our experience this is too low for dark hulls, risking not only print-through but a loss of mechanical properties over time that could result in laminate or structural failure”, states Denjean.

To support this evidence, Sicomin gathered scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test data.

With time, the Tg will decrease a little (as the laminate is exposed to high temperatures and humidity levels) and this is referred to as the ‘wet Tg’ – however, it must remain above 80°C. Sicomin requested H2X make small samples, for every batch of mixed resin, during the actual infusion which was then cured with the same history as the boat.  These samples were subsequently tested using DSC and DMA to verify the Tg and ensure the mix ratio was respected. This process also provided complete traceability for the moulding process.

Preparing to Infuse
Remarkably, despite the main hull’s size, H2X did not conduct any flow modelling of the structure. However, to ensure the infusion process was as efficient and successful as possible, Sicomin assisted with a series of infusion tests completed on a large glass table to ensure all the cored laminates would infuse completely without issue. “The glass table allowed us to see the outside skin wet out and how the resin moved as well as the flow speed. This is a vital part of the resin mixing and feed-line arrangements calculations”, comments Denjean.

These laminate schedule tests provided invaluable results. With the designer and naval architect’s approval, Sicomin and H2X subsequently made numerous changes to maximise the infusion process such as altering the laminate plan and switching the direction of the fibre to achieve the best flow and wet out possible.

Sicomin also developed 150mm and 300mm wide unidirectional tape for the infusion of the critical arm structures. Stitching was designed to leave open paths to encourage resin flow but was balanced to achieve sufficient fibre volume for the required mechanical parts. H2X used 10 layers of these tapes in the arms.

SR8100 specified for Large Scale Infusions
Sicomin recommended SR8100, a two- component epoxy system, for the Ocean Eagle’s hull infusions. This product has been specifically formulated for large scale resin infusion projects and offered H2X a robust and cost effective solution. The product delivers reduced viscosity at ambient temperatures and is compatible with a selection of hardeners making it versatile and easy to work with.

With Sicomin’s support, H2X ran numerous tests to ensure they had the precise viscosity levels and gel times to ensure the SR8100 resin flowed through the reinforcements quickly without leaving dry spots. “ You don’t want a gel time so long that there is too much time between completion of wet out and beginning of gel”, Pierre Lallemand of H2X remarks. “This wastes time and money and increases risk.”

To achieve full mechanical properties, the epoxy infused structures also had to be post- cured. Based on the testing procedures previously conducted, a post-cure of 60°C was selected as the most effective.

Throughout these crucial trials, the French classification society, Bureau Veritas (BV) visited H2X on a weekly basis to inspect the construction quality of the laminates and the work being undertaken.

Infusing in One Shot
To keep construction time to a minimum, the hull, amas, arms and deck parts were laid and up and infused in parallel. This was a technical and logistical challenge but one that H2X and Sicomin were fully prepared for.

The main hull took 5 hours in total to infuse and a vacuum was maintained for a further 4 until gel was completed. This was followed by a 16 hour post-cure in a 43 m long oven at 60°C. The 11 metre amas were infused in two halves and then joined along the centreline. The additional large structures included the main deck, the 6m x 9m helicopter deck, the pilothouse and the 5m wide x 15m long arms that connect the amas.

Assembling the Lightweight Superstructure
Following the infusion and cure of the first boat, the assembly of the Ocean Eagle’s 106 parts could commence. It took several weeks to build the structure inside the main hull; this included the stringers, bulk heads, floors and decks. Parts were joined by conventional wet lay up tabbing, using glass reinforcements supplied by Sicomin and the SR8500 hand laminating resin for tabbing and Sicomin’s Isobond SR1170 was used for enhanced bonding strength in high stress areas.

The first fully assembled boat took 3 months in total to complete and Sicomin and H2X’s overall attention to process control and material selection paid dividends. “The weights of the first and second boats’ main hulls differed by less than 5kg – impressive for such a large structure,” comments Lallemand of H2X.

CMN is so pleased with the design concept of the Ocean Eagle 43 that the company is developing a mine-hunter version. Sicomin continues to work collaboratively with H2X on the remaining 2 boats.

More information:www.sicomin.com

Exova Houston is one of the few laboratories in the world to provide Direct Current Potential Drop (DCPD) in Single Edge Notch Tension (SENT) testing, which monitors the ductile crack extension during fracture mechanics tests, allowing detailed strain analyses of the pipeline to be performed.

Bobby Archibald, Exova’s Vice President of Oil & Gas and Industrials sector in the Americas, comments: “The ASAP project could bridge the potential gas shortage in Alaska in the next five to 10 years, and is a major development in the oil & gas industry. Exova’s expertise in this field, particularly in SENT testing using DCPD, means we are well-placed to offer the most technically demanding services on this vital project.”

More information: www.exova.com

The aggressive geometry generates a minimal amount of cutting forces. Thereby the condition of the special ground surface reduces adhesion. This leads to an increased tool life of the FIBER CUT compared to competitive tools. In combination with the high feed rates that can be realized these features enable a significant boost in productivity for the machining of CFRP and GFRP.

So far Neuhäuser was focusing on tools for the machining of honeycombs, panels and foams. For particular applications there are always special solutions in development. With the FIBER CUT Neuhäuser now offers standard tools for the machining of CFRP and GFRP in the catalog

More information:www.neuhaeuser-controx.com
Booth: R63

The newly developed D-LFT System integrates a variety of hardware innovations – a dedicated screw, automatic resin and glass fiber feed mechanisms, etc. – with proprietary innovations in software, including technology that controls the glass fiber feed according to the amount of melted resin and a new control system that disperses the glass fibers into the melted resin with outstanding uniformity. Together these innovations enable injection molding in which resin and glass fibers are introduced into the system in their material state, resulting in LFT molded products of superlative strength and rigidity.

Compared to injection molding that requires the purchase of compound material, the D-LFT System can be expected to trim material costs by roughly 25%. Simultaneously, the integration of the kneading and injection molding processes translates to a more compact production line. User support will be enhanced through the introduction of a new service whereby users will be provided with material mixing recipes for use with glass fibers manufactured by Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd., a company that cooperated in developing the D-LFT System.

Today, as the automotive industry actively pursues lighter vehicle chassis in a quest for higher fuel performance, demand is expanding for plastic parts to replace conventional metal components. However, because outstanding strength and rigidity are necessary particularly in the case of large parts and exterior components, interest is rising toward technology that enables the creation of large LFT molded items featuring fibers of the maximum possible length.

For the foregoing reasons development of the D-LFT System at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Plastic Technology was accorded highest priority in a quest for ability to manufacture LFT products molded from glass and PP at low cost – products for which demand is most clearly in evidence. Going forward the new system will be proactively marketed not only to the automotive and related industries but also to such manufacturing industries as makers of large home appliances and of building interior and exterior materials. In addition to pursuing new applications and developing new application technologies, efforts will focus on expanding the application range of the D-LFT System to areas such as glass-reinforced polyamide resin (nylon) molded products and carbon fiber reinforced plastics.

More information:www.mhi.co.jp

With the new OptiMill-SPM high-performance milling tools, MAPAL presents a highly efficient tool solution for roughing aluminium structural parts. An important feature is the cutting edge length, which is approximately 60% of the diameter and thus allows a maximum contact depth for the milling of aluminium to be exploited. The optimally embedded PCD blades ensure high stability. The cutting forces of the PCD milling cutters are reduced by up to 15%. The conical design prevents tool bending during the machining process and scratching of the part wall by chips.

The new OptiMill-SPM tools are very successfully used in practice. A 32-mm-diameter milling cutter with three cutting edges can machine a frame element from AlZnMgCu 1.5 at a spindle speed of 28,000 rpm. The tool delivers optimum results at feed speeds of 16,800 mm/min and a cutting depth of 12 mm. The machining parameters were increased even further in a high-pressure test conducted at MAPAL’s testing centre. The tool showed optimum performance even at a feed speed of 22,000 mm/min, with a material removal rate that exceeded 8 l/min.

More information:www.mapal.com
Booth: S61

These milling cutters offer long tool life and predictable wear patterns, which are vital when machining composite parts in order to avoid downtime and rework/scrap. Available in a diameter range of 6-16 mm and based on a high-performance PCD grade optimized for CFRP, the endmills offer internal coolant and 5° ramping capability. Sandvik Coromant has developed the PCD grade to offer the longest possible tool life. However, the end mills can also be reconditioned as and when required.

In terms of technical recommendations, for best results it is advisable to ensure the end of the cutter is 1 mm under the composite material, while conventional (up) milling gives less vibration and is preferable. The recommended maximum thickness of the material is 2 mm less than the length of the PCD section of the tool tip. Typical 2D surface machining applications permit a cutting speed in the region of 200-400 m/min, in combination with feed rates of 0.03-0.06 mm/rev for roughing, or 0.02-0.04 mm/rev for finishing.

The new cutters are a complement to the Sandvik Coromant drilling offer in CFRP.

More information: www.sandvik.coromant.com
Booth: Q42

Evonik intends to make tangible improvements to its innovative power, as innovations are to make key contributions to revenues and earnings in the future. The company plans to expand its innovation pipeline to keep up a steady flow of new products and solutions. Ulrich Küsthardt, who was appointed Chief Innovation Officer at Evonik earlier this year, presented a three-point plan for this purpose. “We must become more focused in our projects, more international in our research, and more open in our exchange of knowledge,” said Küsthardt. The goal is to bring innovations to consumers with even greater speed and efficiency.

Greater focus of R&D project portfolio
The Evonik R&D pipeline is well-filled with some 500 projects, with even greater focus to come from strategic innovation management. Promising innovation areas for Evonik include ingredients for the cosmetics industry, membranes, specialty materials for medical technology, food supplements and animal feed additives as well as composite materials.

More international research
Küsthardt also plans to push for the expansion of international competence centers. The aim is to strengthen the competitiveness of customers, particularly in attractive growth regions, with research and applied technology that focuses on local needs. Evonik already supports customers with tailored solutions in laboratories and pilot centers around the world. Thus, an R&D center for coating additives with locations in Singapore and Shanghai develops products for coatings and paint manufacturers in Asia. The company also maintains a technology center in Taiwan to advise customers from the Asian display industry, and its Medical Devices Project House in the U.S. is working on innovations in medical technology.

Intensified external exchange of knowledge
Evonik is deliberately opening up to external partners and cooperating with scientists and start-ups (“Open Innovation”), an effort Küsthardt plans to intensify further. This also includes corporate venture capital activities, for which a budget of some €100 million has been set aside. Such investments and shareholdings give Evonik insights into innovative technologies and businesses in the early development phases. The company’s latest acquisition is Nanocomp, a Finnish company that develops nano-optical structures for applications in 3D gesture recognition, medical technology, and displays.

Sustainability as a key driver of innovation
Evonik’s innovation strategy is guided by the needs of a growing population—nutrition, health, access to new technologies, and conservative use of existing resources. Resource efficiency and climate protection are the basis for numerous energy-efficient and environmentally sound products made by Evonik. The specialty chemicals company has multiple solutions on hand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient mobility. The silica/silane system for “green tires” helps to reduce fuel consumption by up to 8 percent compared to conventional products while innovative additives for high-performance lubricants help to lower it by up to 4 percent. Furthermore, Evonik products for lightweight design such as composite materials hold the promise of further fuel savings.

R&D in figures
The close connection between innovative power and proximity to customers is reflected in the breakdown of R&D spending. Some 80 percent goes to activities within the operative businesses, which are specifically aligned with their respective core technologies and markets. Another ten percent is used by the operative units to research and develop new business. The remaining ten percent goes to the strategic research of Evonik’s innovation unit, Creavis, for establishing new high-tech activities outside of the existing Group portfolio.

The large number of first-time patent applications filed by Evonik places the company at the forefront of the specialty chemicals sector. The company held over 25,000 patents and patent applications in 2014. Some 250 new patents were filed last year—the equivalent of almost one invention per business day. With some 2,600 Evonik employees working in research at 35 sites, the company has continuously increased the value of its patent portfolio over the past years.

More information: www.evonik.com

ECS, which prides itself on its innovation, accuracy and swift turnaround times, was established only two years ago by pattern, mould and composite tooling experts, Andy Collins and David Damsell.  Such is the company’s success that this year ECS has doubled its production space and invested heavily in new machinery.

Andy Collins, ECS director, explained, “The new Haas machine for aluminium and composite manufacture, along with the installation of a second 5 axis machine, with the purchase of a  brand new Sahos Dynamic CNC 5 axis this summer, are part of our planned growth strategy.

“We are committed to investing in plant and premises in order to fulfil existing clients’ growing requirements and to meet increasing demands from new customers. Although we have a strong reputation in F1, clients from other industry sectors are now also seeking out our expertise and services. The new machines and expanded workspace allow 24/7 operations in composite, aluminium and other materials manufacturing.”

ECS director Dave Damsell added, “Our experienced engineers are highly skilled at providing fast, accurate and inventive solutions for any industry needing our services. ECS is a well-resourced yet compact company.  We are small enough to provide flexible services tailored to individual clients’ needs yet large enough to deliver high quality work on time and at highly competitive prices.

More information:www.haasgroupintl.com