Composites embrace mass production.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The focus this year at the international JEC Composites Show in Paris was not so much on brand-new processes as on adapting existing processes and materials for mass production, especially of large parts with critical structural demands. Attracting the most attention was wind energy, where composite material composite material or composite, any material made from at least two discrete substances, such as concrete. Many materials are produced as composites, such as the fiberglass-reinforced plastics used for automobile bodies and boat hulls, but the usage is growing more than 17%/yr, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Gurit (formerly SP Systems), a Swiss-based global prepreg supplier with U.S. operations. Another focus at the show was applications in small passenger jets and truck trailers, both being demanding markets for more efficient production technologies. The goal isn't just shorter cycles, but also lower labor and material cost. Improved techniques to address these demands were presented in Paris for spray up, resin infusion Resin infusion is an advanced laminating technique that greatly improves the quality and strength of fibreglass parts versus conventional hand lay up. The technique allows for strength and weight improvements in the final parts. , RTM (1) (RealTime Model) Refers to a system or architecture that performs operations in real time. See real time. (2) (Release/Released To M , and prepreg laminating. These improved techniques were first introduced as prototypes over the last five years and are now emerging in full-scale production. Examples are automated plants using robots to mold composite swimming pools and bathtubs. Others are methods that eliminate production steps and labor with simpler, "one-shot" methods to place unidirectional The transfer or transmission of data in a channel in one direction only. glass in thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. or thermoset A polymer-based liquid or powder that becomes solid when heated, placed under pressure, treated with a chemical or via radiation. The curing process creates a chemical bond that, unlike a thermoplastic, prevents the material from being remelted. See thermoplastic. composites. Still other new techniques are being used commercially in small, simple parts, while testing goes on for larger, more complex applications. ROBOTS GALORE Matrasur Composites in France, which has been integrating robots and automation for composite molding for the past three years (see Learn More box), featured its first complete commercial plants at J EC. Discrete robotic work cells have been used in composites for specific tasks like spraying, trimming, and bonding, but the new plants combine multiple robots with other automation in an integrated process. Matrasur's first installation of this sort, in the south of France South of France south n the South of France → le Sud de la France, le Midi , uses a large carousel, two robots, and four operators to spray up six swimming pools (10 x 4 meters) in 8 hr. or 5.33 man-hr per pool. The same plant before automation used to take 26 man-hr/ pool. Even more labor savings are expected for Matrasur's second fully robotic lights-out plant, also in France, for a large manufacturer of sanitary ware. Due to start up in September, it has two parallel production lines, where seven robots/mostly 6-axis) and one operator make over 200 bathtubs and shower trays in 24 hr. In this plant, a thermoforming station first forms acrylic sheet into a tub shape. Then a robot moves the shell to a conveyor, which takes it to the spraying station. There, other robots spray it with chopped glass and polyester resin Polyester Resin - Unsaturated Polyester Resin. The term generally used for unsaturated (means containing chemical double bonds) resins formed by the reaction of dibasic organic acids and polyhydric alcohols, basic component of SMC/BMC. . After it cures at room temperature on the conveyor, a robot brings the part to the trim station, where another robot trims and drills holes. Last, a robot puts the part on a conveyor for packing. The manufacturer had planned to move its French production offshore to save labor, but robotic automation keeps the plant competitive. Matrasur has also developed a robot system for lay-up of dry carbon-fiber prepreg. An unusual five-axis robot head, called Torque 5, was introduced to plastics processors for the first time at JEC by CMS (1) See content management system and color management system. (2) (Conversational Monitor System) Software that provides interactive communications for IBM's VM operating system. SpA in Italy (U.S. office in Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, city (1990 pop. 189,126), seat of Kent co., SW central Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1850. The second largest city in the state, it is a distribution, wholesale, and industrial center for an area that yields fruit, dairy products, farm produce, , Mich.), a manufacturer of machine tools for thermoforming and trimming composites. CMS believes Torque 5 is the first robotic head with direct-drive servomotors. The servo motors, built by Fanuc, replace the usual servo motors with gear boxes. The advantages are said to be higher speeds and righter position control. The spindle for the cutting head is capable of speeds up to 24.000 rpm. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Addressing growing use of urethane urethane (yoor´ithān´), n ethyl carbamate used as an anesthetic agent for laboratory animals, formerly used as a hypnotic in humans. composites. Sirtek srl of Italy introduced robot PUR spray cabins, developed in partnership with Italian urethane equipment specialist Cannon SpA and CMA CMA - Concert Multithread Architecture from DEC. Robotics SpA in Italy, which supplies 6- and 7-axis "self-teaching" robots for spraying. The system uses low-VOC PUR resins. which Sirtek also produces. Sirtek says it has sold 45 of its robotic spray booths for low-emission resins in the past four years, though none so far in the U.S. ONE-SHOT PROCESSES AIM BIG Several companies brought new, faster approaches to forming very large composite parts, like wind-energy nacelles and blades, which are traditionally made with epoxy prepregs and a 24-hr molding process. Advanced Composites Group in the U.K. (U.S. office in Tulsa, Okla.) introduced its Deformable Composite System (DForm) at JEC. DForm is a multi-ply prepreg of unidirectional tapes that are selectively slit crosswise, so cut fibers can slide past each other. Each slit allows only small movement, hut the combination lets the long-fiber prepreg be deformed under pressure to fit very complex shapes. The strips are assembled into a single large "tile" the size of the mold and then placed on the tool. The strength of the resulting part "approaches that of a woven-fiber reinforcement," the company says, but avoids the print-through problems of woven reinforcements. DForm reportedly is suitable for stiff, lightweight automotive body panels with Class-A surface. Advanced Composites is an independent sister company of Aerovac in the U.K. and Richmond Aircraft Products, Norwalk, Calif. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aeroform Ltd., a U.K. builder of autoclaves, has developed a new carbonfiber/epoxy prepreg for large parts that competes with RTM. The process uses continuous hot-drape forming technology, which Aeroform acquired in 2004 when it bought Hampshire Laminating. The drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. process incorporates directional carbon-fiber reinforcements into a stack, heats the stack with moving lamps, then preforms and partially cures the stack. Heat lamps normally operate at 176 to 212 F to preheat and vacuum form a prepreg, but Aeroform's HDF (Hierarchical Data Format) A file format for scientific data that is developed and maintained by NCSA. Governments and research organizations around the world use HDF for archiving and distributing collected data. HDF - Hierarchical Data Format (Hampshire Drape Forming) lamps can be designed for up to 356 F, hot enough to precure the epoxy and shorten the subsequent autoclave autoclave Vessel, usually of steel, able to withstand high temperatures and pressures. The chemical industry uses various types of autoclaves in manufacturing dyes and in other chemical reactions requiring high pressures. cycle. Both Boeing and Airbus use the HDF process to shape composite wing components up to 16 meters long for passenger jets. Even larger drape-forming machines are under discussion for wing stringer and frame parts up to 32 m long. Drape forming is also being tested for lightweight automotive parts. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Also being tested for large parts with tailored fiber reinforcement is the bladder-molding process introduced in 2001 by Quickstep quick·step n. A march for accompanying quick time. quickstep Noun 1. a modern ballroom dance in rapid quadruple time 2. music for this dance Noun 1. Technologies in Australia (U.S. office in Brighton, Mich.). Quickstep's liquid-filled bladder mold first targeted large, thin-wall thermoset and thermoplastic composite parts like skiffs and kayaks (see Learn More). Now Quickstep's demonstration site in Dayton, Ohio, is testing the process with vacuum bagging to mold and cure very thick (up to 2 in.) epoxy prepregs. The bladder is filled with polyalkylene glycol glycol (glī`kōl), dihydric alcohol in which the two hydroxyl groups are bonded to different carbon atoms; the general formula for a glycol is (CH2)n(OH)2. , which can be heated to about 400 F. The rate of composite heat-up is said to be 66% faster than in a standard autoclave. Hot fluid in the bladder is then exchanged rapidly for fluid at room temperature for fast cool-down and removal of exothermic exothermic /exo·ther·mic/ (-ther´mik) marked or accompanied by evolution of heat; liberating heat or energy. ex·o·ther·mic or ex·o·ther·mal adj. 1. heat as the part cures. The total cycle is only about 8 hr vs. the usual 24 hr in the autoclave. Quickstep aims to replace traditional autoclaves for mass-produced aircraft parts. It expects regulatory approval this year for helicopter floors and frames in Europe and Australia. Nidaplast Composites in France (represented here by Nida-Core Corp.) showed a new concept for infusion molding of large structural sandwich panels. Called Rovipan, it combines fiberglass reinforcement with a flow medium and Nidaplast's 8RI (8-mm resin infusion) PP honeycomb honeycomb a mosaic of closely packed units with depressed centers giving a honeycomb appearance. honeycomb ringworm see favus. honeycomb stomach reticulum. core material, designed not to allow resin to fill the cells. The first commercial application of the Rovipan sandwich for vacuum infusion was in early 2007 for truck floors. Rovipan is in trials for wind-turbine nacelles. Gurit introduced two new prepregs in its Sprint line that have functional layers to reduce material cost and cycle time. Sprint-IPT (integrated primer technology) has a built-in primer layer, which saves the separate application and cure of an in-mold gel coat. SparPreg is a heavyweight, ultra-dense material (1000 to 1800 g/[m.sup.2]) designed for structural spar caps in wind blades. It reportedly produces laminates with very low void content--only 1% to 2%, vs. 6% to 10% for a standard wind-energy spar material--and can be formed in standard vacuum forming processes without debulking. Its breathability is reportedly so good that it requires no dry fabric to help remove air, saving labor and material cost. Trelleborg Emerson & Cuming makes hollow glass microballoons called Eccospheres (20 to 50 micron diam.), which can be used to reduce weight in composites. Trelleborg is working with Bentley Motors Ltd., Crewe, U.K., on applications of Bentley's process for making metal-coated composite parts. The Bentley process creates a strongly bonded, 200-micron coating of such metals as aluminum, stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. , titanium, copper, or nickel on prepreg parts. The aim of Bentley's process is to prevent print-through of fiber reinforcements in auto exterior panels and to produce a part that "paints like metal." These goals were met through a sprayed-metal coating (0.2 to 0.3 mm) that is applied to the Class-A surface of a tool, followed by a thermoplastic bonding layer and then the thermoset carbon-fiber prepreg. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES Several recently commercialized thermoplastic composite parts featured at JEC also demonstrate more efficient methods of placing unidirectional reinforcements. The winner of the JEC automotive innovation award was the 30% glass-filled PP tailgate A conversion layer that lets IDE devices connect to the IEEE 1394 Firewire interface. for the "smart fortwo" car, made by the E-LFT (endless and long-fiber thermoplastic) process, developed by Esoro AG in Switzerland for Weber Fibertech, an automotive molder in Markdorf, Germany, which owns the process. First presented at JEC in 2004 (see Learn More), E-LFT combines unidirectional glass and PP in the form of pultruded rods with the DLFT long-glass/PP compression molding process from Dieffenbacher GmbH in Germany. The first E-LFT parts went into production in January 2007 at a new plant in Markdorf, which now produces about 130,000 parts/yr. Rieter Automotive in Switzerland developed a new variant of Dieffenbacher's DLFT process using natural fibers. The key feature is continuous feed-in and wet-out of abaca fibers (from banana leaves) with molten PP. The hot mix is immediately compression molded into an underbody cover for the Mercedes A-Class--the first such use for a natural-fiber composite in automotive. Fiberforge Corp. in Glenwood Springs, Colo., has commercialized the first application of its unidirectional-fiber, thermoplastic blank process, introduced at JEC 2007. The application, which went into production at Fiberforge in February, is a military backpack frame made of TPU TPU - Text Processing Utility composite tape Composite tape See: Tape composite tape A security price reporting service that includes all transactions in a security on each of the exchanges and in the over-the-counter market. . Another application will be airline seat backs, made by Fiberforge licensee Cutting Dynamics in Avon, Ohio (see Learn More) for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Fiberforge also won a contract to use its process to develop a helicopter flooring system for defense contractor DRS Technologies in Parsippany, N.J., and Sikorsky Helicopter in Stratford, Conn. Fiberforge uses a patented Relay Station to lay up unidirectional thermoplastic blanks (U.S. Pat. 7235149, 2007). The Relay Station feeds composite tape through a track over a 3-axis moving table. Tape lengths are fed out, cut, and placed on the table. As the tape is placed, ultrasonic welding tips tack the tape to the ply beneath. The table then indexes to accept the next blank. IQ Group in Lenningen, Germany, a maker of thermoformable structural panels, launched a new one-step sandwich for thermoforming lightweight insulated panels for truck trailers. The sandwich is made of woven glass impregnated im·preg·nate tr.v. im·preg·nat·ed, im·preg·nat·ing, im·preg·nates 1. To make pregnant; inseminate. 2. To fertilize (an ovum, for example). 3. with CBT (Computer-Based Training) Using the computer for training and instruction. CBT programs are called "courseware" and provide interactive training sessions for all disciplines. resin from Cyclics Corp. This is a low-molecular-weight reactive oligomer oligomer /ol·i·go·mer/ (ol´i-go-mer) a polymer formed by the combination of relatively few monomers. oligomer ( with water-like viscosity that allows it to easily impregnate im·preg·nate v. 1. To make pregnant; to cause to conceive; inseminate. 2. To fertilize an ovum. 3. To fill throughout; saturate. reinforcements. On curing with heat, it becomes a standard PBT PBT Provider Backbone Transport (networking technology adding determinism to ethernet) PBT Polybutylene Terephthalate PBT Profit Before Tax PBT Paper Based Test (education) engineering thermoplastic. The panel has functionalized, sticky EVA Eva to marry winner of singing contest. [Ger. Opera: Wagner, Meistersinger, Westerman, 225–228] See : Prize 1. Eva - A toy ALGOL-like language used in "Formal Specification of Programming Languages: A Panoramic Primer", F.G. membranes on both sides, which allow the composite to attach to PUR foam or to a thermoplastic sheet before thermoforming. The sticky membrane, called Jeko, is made by Struktura in Milan, Italy, and was reformulated specifically for CBT composites. Bond-Laminates GmbH in Brilon, Germany, which makes Tepex thermoplastic prepregs of woven fiberglass and nylon 6, is commercializing its all-plastic hybrid technology, which combines thermoforming with injection molding. Unlike hybrids in which a stamped metal sheet is partly overmolded with plastic, Bond-Laminates' approach is to form a thermoplastic prepreg and then overmold it with more of the same thermoplastic in an injection press. The process was introduced at NPE NPE NullPointerException (Java) NPE Network Processing Engine NPE National Policy on Education NPE National Plastics Exposition NPE Natural Penis Enlargement NPE Nutrition Program for the Elderly 2006, and the first volume production will start next year for a European automotive application. Meanwhile, GDP GDP (guanosine diphosphate): see guanine. (General de Puhrusion) SA in Montendre, France, began commercial use of thermoplastic pultrusion Pultrusion is a continuous process of manufacturing of composite materials with constant cross-section whereby reinforcing fibers are pulled through a resin, possibly followed by a separate preforming system, and into a heated die, where the resin undergoes polymerization. last year. GDP pultrudes profiles of glass and PET or nylon to replace metal supports for automotive sunroofs for a major French auto company. The advantage is much lower thermal expansion than metal. Fulcrum fulcrum: see lever. Composites Inc., Midland, Mich., a thermoplastic puhruder spun off by Dow Chemical four years ago, has developed threaded rods made by injection overmolding threads onto pultruded rods made of Dow's Isoplast rigid TPU. Fulcrum overmolds rods pultruded by Top Glass SpA in Osnago, Italy. The rods are used as connections, U-bolts, and pipe hangers in corrosive environments like chemical and desalination desalination or desalting Removal of dissolved salts from seawater and from the salty waters of inland seas, highly mineralized groundwaters, and municipal wastewaters. plants. MACHINERY & TOOLING NEWS Aeroform has developed a new lower cost, standardized range of autoclaves, built with shorter lead time. A new sectional door design, for example, replaces a large, costly, one-piece forging. Heating and cooling efficiency is said to be improved by a new airflow design and fiber-optic temperature controls, replacing large numbers of thermocouples. MAG Cincinnati Automation (also know as Cincinnati Machine) introduced the Charger Small Flat Tape Layer (SFTL SFTL Standards for Technological Literacy (education) ) in two models for laminates up to 47 or 100 in. wide. They automate lay-up of long, narrow, flat parts like aircraft stringers and beams, as well as drape-formed skins. Cyclics has found a new application for its CBT material (see above) in machinable tooling blocks for RTM or vacuum bagging. The low-viscosity CBT oligomer is mixed with up to 67% alumina or calcium carbonate calcium carbonate, CaCO3, white chemical compound that is the most common nonsiliceous mineral. It occurs in two crystal forms: calcite, which is hexagonal, and aragonite, which is rhombohedral. to reduce the CLTE CLTE Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (plastics property) CLTE Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence CLTE Cost and Lead Time Estimate and raise the HDT HDT Heat Deflection Temperature (plastics) HDT High Dose Therapy HDT Heatpipe Direct Touch (Xigmatek) HDT Heat Distortion Temperature (plastics) HDT Henry David Thoreau . The relatively inexpensive blocks (1000 x 500 x 100 mm standard) can be machined six times faster than aluminum, Cyclics says. Molds can be used at up to 419 F vs. 338 F for epoxy molds and 248 F for PUR. CONTACT SUPPLIERS For more information about these companies and their products, visit ptonline.com/suppliers Advanced Composites Group, Tulsa, OK (918) 252-3922 * www.advanced-composites.com Aeroform Ltd., Dorset, U.K. +44 (120) 262-7671 * www.aeroform.co.uk Bond-Laminates GmbH, Brilon, Germany +49 (2961) 96 62 80 * www.bond-lamihates.com Cannon U.S.A., Cranberry Twp., PA (724) 772-5600 * www.cannonusa.com CMA Robotics SpA, Udine, Italy +39 (0432) 640 172 * www.cmarobot.it CMS Group (UK) Ltd., Nottingham, U.K. +44 (115) 977 0055 * www.cmsukltd.co.uk Cyclics Corp., Schenectady, NY (518) 881-1440 * www.cyclics.com Dieffenbacher N. America, Windsor, ON (519) 979-6937 * www.dieffenbacher.com Esoro AG, Faellenden, Switzerland +41 (44) 782-0440 * www.esoro.ch Fiberforge, Glenwood Springs, CO (970) 945-9377 * wwwfiberforge.com Fulcrum Composites Inc., Midland, MI (989) 636-1025 * www.fulcrumcomposites.com GDP SA, Montendre, France +33 (546) 70 31 46 * www.gdp.-sa.fr Gurit USA Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL (954) 423-9630 * www.gurit.com IQ Group, Lenningen, Germany +49 (711) 7070 9090 * www.iq-group.biz MAG Cincinnati Automation, Hebron, KY (859) 534-4609 * www.mag-ias.com Matrasur Composites, Marcoussis, France +33 (169) 80 18 01 * www.matrasurcom-posites.com Nida-Core Corp., Port St. Lucie, FL (772) 343-7300 * www.nida-core.com Quickstep Technologies Pty. Ltd. Brighton, MI (810) 220-2572 * www.quickstep.com.au Sirtek srl, Recoaro Terme, Italy +39 (0445) 78 09 13 * www.sirtek.net Trelleborg Emerson & Cuming Inc., Mansfield, MA (714) 671-3886 * www.trelleborg.com LEARN MORE ONLINE Visit www.ptonline.com/articles/200807fa2 html for links to these related articles: Composites Getting Faster & More Automated, June '07 Composites: Lightweight Materials Take on Bullets & Bombs, Sept '06 Engineering Thermoplastic Processes Like a Thermoset, Jan. '05 Composites--Getting Faster and More Automated, July '04 By Jan H. Schut, Senior Editor |
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