JEC Composites 2006 Product Showcase
The buzz at the annual trade event in Paris? Business is good!
By Staff | June 2006
Lectra (Marietta, Ga.) exhibited its ProSpinTechTexST, a plotter-based, single-ply cutting machine, designed for prototyping and low-quantity production. Also presented on the stand was DesignConcept TechTex, a software program that ensures extremely accurate 3-D and 2-D model flattening, regardless of model complexity. This provides designers with a realistic simulation of the final rendering and enables them to analyze technical and economic feasibility before the critical prototype development phase. Cost estimates can be calculated early in development, easing the decision-making process. lectra.gocomp.biz/7
Leybold Vacuum France SA (Les Ulis, Cedex, France) promoted its SOGEVAC Central Vacuum Systems for RTM applications. Since RTM processes sometimes require two vacuum pressure levels, one for closing the mold and an adjustable pressure level for resin injection, this system combines two independent pressure adjustment and delivery units that are powered by a single vacuum pump. The system is available in four configurations: two portable units with casters, each with two 60-liter pressure vessels, and two fixed-position units, each with two 150-liter vessels. leybold.gocomp.biz/1
Noveon Division, Lubrizol Ltd. (Blackley, Manchester, U.K.) added to its additives line the new SOLPLUS D150 dispersing agent, designed for wetting/ dispersion of fillers (e.g., ATH, calcium carbonate), pigments (e.g., carbon black, titanium dioxide and/or silica in epoxy resins), while reducing the resin's viscosity. The company also revealed that it expects to release a family of SOLPLUS de-aerating agents/defoamers/styrene suppressants for polyester and epoxy resins. noveon.gocomp.biz/2
Oxeon AB (Frolunda, Sweden) introduced TeXero unidirectional prepreg tapes, available in carbon, aramid and/or glass fibers as well as more brittle fibers, such as boron. (These are the same tapes used to make the company's TeXtreme tape-woven reinforcement fabrics.) Tapes are available in widths ranging from 20 mm to 50 mm (0.79 inches to 1.97 inches) with areal weights corresponding to the degree of spreading and type of fiber. The tape-making process permits very lightweight tapes to be produced from heavier tow (12K, 24K and 48K). oxeon.gocomp.biz/5
Polystrand Inc. (Montrose, Colo.), at the show for the first time, announced that it is now able to produce laminated structural panels that incorporate its continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic prepreg. The panels are intended to be used as skins over polypropylene honeycomb, foam, wood or other core materials, in applications such as load-bearing floors, truck and trailer side panels and cargo containers. Glass fibers, in 0°/90° orientation, form 60 to 70 percent of the panels, with polypropylene resin comprising the remainder. The company also exhibited its ThermoBallistic-H armor panel, made with a combination of E- and S-glass fiber tapes, which the company claims meets National Institute of Justice (NIJ) threat level 3A at a 40 percent savings in material costs. Polystrand reinforcement products are distributed by Composites One (Arlington Hts., Ill.). compositesone.gocomp.biz/23, polystrand.gocomp.biz/3
Porcher Industries (Badinières, France) exhibited its line of PiPreg thermoplastic composites, which feature unidirectional or woven E- and S2-glass, carbon, or aramid fibers impregnated with high-performance thermoplastic resins, such as PEEK, PPS, PEI, TPU and polyamide 12. The reinforcement, resin, fiber orientation and fiber/resin ratio can be tailored to the end-use. PiPreg is available in preconsolidated thermoformable and weldable sheet stock, which can be stored at ambient temperature with no shelf-life limitations. Benefits include an increase in manufacturing speed and the possibility of making prototypes in low quantities. porcher-ind.gocomp.biz/3
Propex Fabrics (Gronau, Germany and Austell, Ga.) highlighted Curv, its self-reinforced polypropylene (PP) thermo- formable composite material. The company produces PP tapes that are assembled into a fabric in a custom machine. The fabric is selectively melted at about 170°C/338°F to create a thermoformable sheet or panel for molding. Ballistics, automotive, sport and leisure and truck panels are the company's major markets, and Samsonite X'Lite hardside luggage is a significant new application, says the company. fabricsandfibers.gocomp.biz/3
Quickstep Technologies Pty. Ltd. (Canning Vale, Western Australia) showcased the company's proprietary mold technology, in which a semi-flexible mold face is supported by a heat transfer fluid. The system enables application of both heat and pressure, eliminating autoclave processing and facilitating rapid molding of high-performance parts. In addition to its centers of excellence at the the University of Manchester's Northwest Composites Centre and at Deakin University (Geelong, Victoria, Australia), the company just signed a letter of intent with the National Composites Center (NCC, Kettering, Ohio) for a wide-ranging collaboration. quickstep.gocomp.biz/3
Reliant Machinery Ltd. (Luton, Bedfordshire, U.K.) launched its new Powerbond HCL Laminating Machine, a laminating and compression system for production of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic panels. The HCL is modular, permitting the company to customize the system at minimal cost, using a variety of standard modules to build heating, compression and cooling zones in a variety of widths, ranging from 600 mm to 3,000 mm (23.6 inches to 118.1 inches). The machines can be tailored to incorporate aramid, carbon and glass fabric or mat, sheet-fed or roll-fed. reliant.gocomp.biz/2
Röchling Engineering Plastics KG (Haren, Germany) exhibited its wide range of thermoset and thermoplastic composite rods, sheets, tubes, profiles, cones and other shapes, made via pultrusion, filament winding, extrusion and compression molding. With 11 manufacturing sites worldwide, the company supplies the transportation, infrastructure, construction, electrical, chemical, signage. roechling-haren.gocomp.biz/1
RocTool (Le Bourget du Lac, France) announced the filing of five new patents on its Cage System tooling and a new collaboration with molding machinery manufacturer Krauss-Maffei (Munich, Germany). The latter will combine Krauss-Maffei's patented LFI (long-fiber injection) process for glass-fiber reinforced polyurethane parts and the Cage System. RocTool and Krauss-Maffei will present the results of the collaboration in mid-2006 with a full-scale demonstration. roctool.gocomp.biz/4
Rohm GmbH & Co. KG's (Darmstadt, Germany) displayed a wealth of products cored with its ROHACELL high-performance PMI foam, including cross-country skis, which Norwegian ski manufacturer Madshus supplied to competitors at the recent Torino Winter Olympics, resulting in 10 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze medals, and a new super-lightweight carbon/epoxy printing press roller. A project in the works, headed by research consortium Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF (Darmstadt, Germany), is a structural health monitoring system that enables acoustic detection of impact delaminations in foam-cored aircraft structures - Rohm is a partner in the project. In light of demand for the product, the company confirmed "firm plans" to increase ROHACELL manufacturing capacity in the near future. rohacell.gocomp.biz/25
Saint-Gobain Vetrotex (Chambery, Cedex, France) launched Uniconform, a 100 percent continuous, mechanically bonded (not stitched, binder-free) glass mat, designed for optimum flexibility and conformability for RTM and injection molding processes. The seamless mat reportedly yields a good surface finish when used under gel coat. Also new: ARcoteX pultruded rebar for concrete reinforcement, and glass veils for anticorrosion applications. Veils include ARcotex-based AR glass veils for acidic and alkaline environments, basalt veil for chemical resistance and C-glass veil for filament winding applications. sgva.gocomp.biz/22
Sovitec (Florange, France) added to its glass microbead offerings with a new bead product the company has dubbed Nanoperl. The very fine glass beads (less than 10 microns diameter) are used to enhance scratch/abrasion resistance and enhance properties such as antitack in gel coats and other coatings. sovitec.gocomp.biz/1
Symbion (Zonhoven, Belgium) was formed to commercialize Vubonite, a two-part, room-temperature-cure, chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC). The product consists of a powder and liquid that, when mixed, produce an inorganic, nonakaline, acid-rain resistant, fire-resistant IPC (inorganic phosphate cement) resin system. Said to be "absolutely incombustible," the resin maintains its properties to 1000°C/1832°F. It can be used in place of polyester resin systems, reinforced with glass fiber and used to make lightweight structures, such as architectural ornamentation. vubonite.gocomp.biz/1
Tajima GmbH (Winterlingen-Benzingen, Germany), at the JEC for the first time, demonstrated a new preforming process. Essentially combining fiber placement technology with stitching, the company's process centers on a new machine that lays down a single, dry carbon tow (or other fiber) onto a flat table with a computer controlled head; the head then stitches the tows with any type of thread to hold the preform shape together on an underlayment of paper, film, foil or other material. Multiple plies are possible, in any orientation, to form a flat multiaxial preform of any shape with virtually no waste, since the preform shape can be reproduced exactly with the CNC-controlled head. tajima.gocomp.biz/1
Technobasalt (Kiev, Ukraine), in its first appearance at the JEC show, distributed samples of its chopped and continuous basalt fiber, together with literature that compares basalt fiber performance to that of conventional glass. The company's test results show that basalt fiber outperforms glass fiber in maximum, sustained and minimum operating temperatures as well as chemical resistance. technobasalt.gocomp.biz/1
VISTAGY Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) featured the Renault Formula1 race car at its stand. Alan Duerden, CAD support engineer for the Renault team, gave several presentations explaining how VISTAGY's FiberSIM software has assisted his team in developing composite parts for the vehicle, speeding ply layup time by 62 percent. The latest version of the software, FiberSIM 5.1 was released just before the JEC show. vistagy.gocomp.biz/11
