New composites application for furniture and interiors

Renolit with EconCore have been exploring the various issues of lightweighting, modular design, easily formable and rigidity for the automotive and other markets.
Renolit was also seeking to improve properties of, chemical, thermal, water-resistance and rot-resistance.
It was quickly concluded that the EconCore honeycomb technology was the solution, while EconCore could see that Renolit would be able to innovate and find new uses for the product, and so EconCore granted Renolit a license for the continuous production of honeycomb panels.
Renolit’s R&D team got to work exploring the issues and saw that EconCore’s honeycomb would produce a very high level of rigidity offering weight savings at the same time. Both companies quickly saw the potential for other applications, such as furniture, using various thermoplastic materials.
Using a composite skin and PP honeycomb core, the required material properties can be achieved. Renolit deployed the honeycomb in its Gorcell range of products. Though starting in the automotive sector, it is now also used in a wide range of applications, for example flight cases, outdoor kitchens, truck superstructures, and bakery panels.
More recently Renolit is selling through a subsidiary for the first time into the B2C market with products for gardens, balconies and terraces, such as tissue boxes, plant & high beets and fences. The honeycomb is enabling a systems solution for the area around the house and garden so that garden furniture, storage options and privacy screen fit together beautifully in design.
Having developed the technology over a number of years to meet the desired specification of the market, EconCore’s honeycomb has enabled Renolit Gorcell to overcome several technical challenges, such as panel planarity, reduced golf ball effect, and smooth, scratch free surfaces.

#composites #honeycomb

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Resin shortages continue to affect composites supply chain

Power outages caused by mid-February’s U.S. winter storms led to immediate shortages from Gulf Coast petrochemical companies. Fabricators continue to report shortages.

A supply shortage of epoxy, polyester and vinyl ester resins, caused by U.S. winter storms and a variety of factors, continue to make headlines and affect the composites industry.

As reported by Gardner Intelligence chief economist Michael Guckes in his latest Composites Fabricating Index column, supply chain difficulties continue to restrict production, “which, in the face of strong demand, has caused a meteoric rise in backlog activity.”

In response to this data and other industry reports, CW, with Gardner Intelligence, recently surveyed 144 composites fabricators to learn more about what the industry is experiencing.

Of the respondents, 69% reported experiencing or hearing of supply shortages over the past few months; 66% reported experiencing issues with lead times; 50% reported workforce or labor shortages; 21% reported wage rate escalation.
Winter storm impacts lead to continued resin shortages.

From those surveyed, 62% of respondents reported that resins were a little or a lot more difficult than usual to acquire over the past three months. Polyester and vinyl ester ranked as the types most difficult to acquire, followed by epoxy.
Global supply chain shortages for many products have been impacting industries since the start of the pandemic in 2020, caused by pandemic-related and economic issues in transportation, rising demand and labor shortages.

#composites #ResinShortages

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A video report on the last exhibition "Composite-Expo 2021" has been posted on the official YouTube channel of the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-x9ff4Yyxw

Econcore’s new honeycomb cores made with SABIC resin

EconCore has developed new honeycomb cores for laminated sandwich panels made with SABIC’s NORYL GTX resin, a polyphenylene ether (PPE) blend, and EconCore’s proprietary technology.

The new honeycomb core presents higher heat performance, better dimensional stability and lower water absorption compared to honeycomb structures made with traditional thermoplastics. These properties enable the new core material to be used in demanding applications such as certain automotive, e-mobility and photovoltaic components. Furthermore, combining this new honeycomb core with thermoplastic composite skins to produce an all-thermoplastic sandwich panel can facilitate recycling. These desirable performance attributes and enhanced sustainability can open new market and application opportunities for EconCore honeycombs made with NORYL GTX resin.

“We turned to SABIC for expert assistance in enhancing our honeycomb cores with high-performance thermoplastics to expand our product’s use in a range of applications and overcome the limitations of incumbent materials,” said Tomasz Czarnecki, chief operations officer, EconCore. “Our many years of collaboration with SABIC and the company’s broad materials portfolio gave us high confidence in the success of this initiative. We have been very impressed with NORYL GTX resin’s ease of use in conversion and appreciated the fact that it works well in our existing equipment. We believe its well-balanced properties will allow honeycomb cores to be used more widely in transportation, clean energy and e-mobility applications.”

Thermoplastic honeycomb structures deliver a high performance-to-weight ratio and efficient energy absorption under impact. The rigidity of honeycomb sandwich panels is known to exceed that of monolithic materials, including solid composites. Also, sandwich structures are an effective means of reducing mass in a wide range of weight-sensitive applications. Combined with an effective, in-line integrated sandwich panel production technology, this weight reduction has positive implications for overall production cost savings and environmental responsibility.

In addition to reducing raw material use, the honeycombs support recyclability. Combining the PPE-based core structures with thermoplastic composites skins, such as those based on nylon, can result in a recyclable and sustainable solution.

Furthermore, sandwich panels made exclusively with thermoplastics can be efficiently processed into finished parts with complex geometries using compression molding processes, which can help reduce cycle times.

According to EconCore, its new honeycomb structures deliver higher heat performance, greater dimensional stability and lower water absorption than alternative materials such as nylon. Due to this high performance, the cores may also demonstrate good compatibility with thermoset composite skins. Because the honeycomb exhibits high load-bearing capacity even at temperatures up to 180°C, it may be a good candidate for lamination with thermoset prepregs in processing environments where high curing temperatures are typically applied. The honeycomb can also potentially be used for applications where sandwich panels must deliver high performance at elevated temperatures.

#composites #honeycomb

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Teijin produces new thermoplastic PPS-Tape

Teijin Carbon Europe has introduced a new carbon fibre thermoplastic unidirectional pre-impregnated tape (TPUD) based on PPS.

The new Tenax TPUD with PPS matrix allows entry in new cost-sensitive markets while offering the typical TPUD advantages like high resistance to chemicals and solvents, low flammability, storage or shipping at room temperature and recyclability.

Due to its flame retardant properties and low smoke emission, it can be used in interior applications of aircraft or rail vehicles, among others. The maximum continuous operating temperature is up to 220°C. Very low water absorption, excellent creep resistance even at elevated temperatures and high dimensional stability round off the property portfolio of this new TPUD. It is therefore also suitable for demanding applications in the aerospace, oil & gas, sporting goods or industrial sectors, while remaining cost-effective.

These properties make the product perfect for highly automated processing routes such as ATL or AFP in combination with overmoulding for complex geometries. Production start for the Tenax TPUD with PPS matrix is the first quarter in 2021.

For almost 10 years, unidirectional tapes (TPUD) have been manufactured from carbon fibres and thermoplastics in Heinsberg, Germany. The semi-finished products have so far been offered with PEEK or PAEK – and PPS is now added to the list of available matrixes. PPS allows a lower process temperature compared to PEEK or PAEK. For the industrial market in particular, increasing the production rate to make processes more cost-efficient is a milestone.

In order to meet the demand of a wide range of application areas, Teijin’s carbon fibre business offers various types of Tenax TPUD. These differ not only in the matrix, but also in the Tenax carbon fibres used with varying tensile strengths and moduli. This makes it possible to find the optimum product even for high technical requirements. Depending on the Tenax TPUD type, they are available in a variety of fibre basis weights between 100 and 190 g/m² on roll lengths up to 2000 metres and in widths up to 24″.

Typical applications include aerospace, medical, automotive and oil and gas. They are suitable for a wide range of processing applications. Rapid processing cycle times of a few minutes can be realised without any problems.

#composites #TeijinCarbonEurope #PPS

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KraussMaffei: Lightweight construction solutions for the building and automotive industries at JEC Connect

KraussMaffei has welcomed visitors with a comprehensive information package on lightweight technologies at JEC Connect, which this year has been organized as an online event on 1-2 June 2021. The focus was on innovations in all aspects of pultrusion and FiberForm technology. Particular attention was laid on sustainable processes and efficient CO2-avoiding system solutions.

KraussMaffei’s Global Application Owner RPM & Automotive Philipp Strasser said that both composite processes - pultrusion and FiberForm technology - provide answers to the current demands for sustainable products and processes. In pultrusion technology, the KraussMaffei subsidiary Pultrex, with its comprehensive offer of process solutions and production aggregates, is a world market leader with over 300 machines installed. In addition, innovations for greater production output and optimized workplace protection, which have been developed at the KraussMaffei parent company, will be available to customers.

In the current sustainability debate, FiberForm is gaining increased attention in the composites sector for the production of structural components. "Here KraussMaffei scores with its comprehensive, long-term competence and with system solutions that combine injection molding machinery, preheating of organo sheets, and the automation, control and documentation of the complete process," said Michael Fuchs, Global Application Owner Surface & Lightweight. Also the CO2 footprint of overall solutions is becoming increasingly important. Fuchs said: "We minimize the CO2 footprint, for example by means of energy-saving KraussMaffei technologies such as the targeted preheating of performs. Equally important are optimally coordinated process components as the basis for sustainably manufactured products."

#FiberForm #composites

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Lockheed Martin, General Motors team up to further lunar exploration with autonomous moon rover design

The composite lunar rover concept will be well-equipped to travel farther distances for extended exploration and research capabilities.

With only 5% of the moon’s surface explored, Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, M.D., U.S.) and General Motors (GM, Detroit, Mich., U.S.) have teamed up to design the next generation of lunar rovers, capable of transporting astronauts across farther distances on the lunar surface. Unlike the Apollo days when the rovers only traveled four miles from the landing site, both companies note that NASA’s Artemis astronauts will go farther and explore more of the moon’s surface than ever before to conduct critical scientific research — to do this, they’re going to need some serious wheels.

Not only will these vehicles be well-equipped to go the distance, partners say, they will also be driver optional. Autonomous, self-driving systems would enable the vehicle to operate with or without humans onboard, and pave the way for future human missions, commercial payload services and enhanced scientific utility. Further, while vehicle design is still in its early stages, Lockheed Martin says, it’s reasonable to assume that the rovers will incorporate composite materials in some of its structures.

“These next-generation rover concepts will dramatically extend the exploration range of astronauts as they perform high-priority science investigation on the moon that will ultimately impact humanity’s understanding of our place in the solar system,” says Rick Ambrose, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Space.

A Lockheed Martin-GM rover would be able to preposition itself autonomously near a landing site prior to the astronauts’ arrival, and astronauts would have the ability to task the rover from the Human Landing System (HLS) or the orbiting lunar Gateway to conduct science operations without a driver. This enables NASA to fit more science into a smaller amount of time, and will enable the world to uncover the critical information that the other 95% of the lunar surface may hold.

#space #composites #lockheedmartin

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Optimal route to lighter, stronger carbon fiber composites

Carbon forms the basis of all organic molecules, which, in turn, form the basis of all living things. Recently, however, carbon has also found use in disciplines such as aerospace and civil engineering, through the development of carbon fibers that are stronger, stiffer and lighter than steel. Consequently, carbon fibers have taken over steel in high-performance products like aircrafts, racing cars and sports equipment.
Carbon fibers are usually combined with other materials to form a composite. One such composite material is carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which is well-known for its tensile strength, rigidity and high strength-to-weight ratio. Nevertheless, researchers are still working to improve the strength of CFRPs, and one popular approach is known as 'fiber-steered design', which aims to enhance strength by optimizing the orientation of the fibers.

However, the fiber-steered design approach is not without its drawbacks. "Fiber-steered design only optimizes orientation and keeps the thickness of the fibers fixed, preventing full utilization of the mechanical properties of CFRP," explains Ryosuke Matsuzaki from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) in Japan, who researches composite materials. "A weight reduction approach, which allows optimization of fiber thickness as well, has been rarely considered."

Against this backdrop, Matsuzaki and his colleagues have proposed a new design method for simultaneously optimizing the orientation and thickness of the fibers, depending on their location in the composite structure. This has allowed them to reduce the weight of CFRP, compared to a constant thickness linear lamination model, without compromising strength. They report their findings in a paper in Composite Structures.

Their method consists of three separate processes: preparatory, iterative and modification. In the preparatory process, an initial analysis is performed using the finite element method (FEM) to determine the number of layers. This allows the researchers to conduct a qualitative weight evaluation with a linear lamination model and a fiber-steered design with a thickness variation model.

The iterative process is used to determine the fiber orientation by the principal stress direction and iteratively calculate the thickness using 'maximum stress theory'. Finally, the modification process makes modifications by first creating a reference 'base fiber bundle' in a region requiring strength improvement. The next step in this process is to determine the final orientation and thickness by arranging the fiber bundles such that they spread on both sides of the reference bundle.

This method of simultaneous optimization led to a weight reduction greater than 5%, while allowing a higher load transfer efficiency than could be achieved with fiber orientation alone.

The researchers are excited by these results and look forward to the future implementation of their method for further weight reduction of conventional CFRP parts. "Our design method goes beyond the conventional wisdom of composite design, making for lighter aircraft and automobiles, which can contribute to energy conservation and reduction of CO2 emissions," says Matsuzaki.

#CarbonFiberComposites #composites #TokyoUniversityofScience

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Diab acquires SABIC’s ULTEM foam production line

The recyclable PEI thermoplastic foam will be incorporated into Diab’s portfolio under Divinycell U to be produced, sold and further developed.

Diab (Laholm, Sweden) has agreed to acquire the ULTEM foam production line from SABIC (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Diab reports that it will incorporate the ULTEM resin-based foam into its current portfolio under the name Divinycell U, and will further the development of the resin-based foam with support from SABIC.

“We are excited to broaden our portfolio with the acquisition of the ULTEM foam production line and develop the technology further,” says Diab CEO Tobias Hahn. “This will strengthen our position in the market, enabling us to offer even more fit for purpose core material.”

Divinycell U is a recyclable polyetherimide (PEI) thermoplastic foam targeted for use in aerospace applications. With intermediate densities positioned between Diab’s current F50 and F90, the company says it will now be able to provide 60 and 80 kilogram per cubic meter (kg/m3) densities, which enables potential significant weight-saving opportunities.

“Diab already has an excellent product for FST [fire, smoke and toxicity] applications in Divinycell F,” says Hahn. “With Divinycell U, we can broaden our offering to the aerospace market with a product that has even better fire properties.”

“Diab is a well-recognized company offering advanced capabilities in the lightweight material space with broad access to aerospace and industrial markets and customers,” says Scott Fisher, business director, ULTEM Products and Additives, SABIC. “SABIC looks forward to collaborating with Diab to continue advancing the adoption and growth of the ULTEM resin-based Divinycell U foam.”

DIAB reports that it will relocate the acquired production line equipment to its manufacturing site in DeSoto, Texas, U.S. Beginning Q3 2021, Diab will produce and market the Divinycell U portfolio to existing and new ULTEM resin-based foam users.

#Diab #composites #SABIC

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Roth Composites Machinery delivers customized filament winding system

Three-spindle system for the manufacture of hydrogen tanks boasts a flexible impregnation station and enhanced automation with a 40% increase in performance.

Roth Composite Machinery GmbH (Steffenburg, Germany) has recently delivered a customized filament winding system for the manufacture of hydrogen tanks with three spindles.

“A high-performance drive concept combined with a new machine frame structure enable performance improvements of about 40% compared to the international state of the art,” says Dr. Andreas Reimann, general manager of Roth Composite Machinery,

The machine concept comprises five interpolating axes and five additional CNC programmable axes. Roth Composite Machinery says the machine’s setup is suitable for series production as well as for development applications (R&D) using the traditional wet winding process.

A movable impregnation station, suitable for carbon and glass fiber processing, enables the use of individual, single spindles in order to avoid unnecessary resin consumption. An NC-controlled doctor blade allows a precise and reproducible adjustment of the resin gap. Decreased wrap angles reportedly reduce roving load, and by means of double cylinder control and the fiber storage device, the company says even very low fiber tensions can be adjusted in line with the process. Consistent fiber delivery speeds of up to 4.5 meters per second are possible.
Further, the production line is said to be prepared for a quick and easy change to towpreg winding, and through the use of the ROTH RCA (automatic roving cutting and applying device), the automation level of the machine has been increased.
Emphasizing the filament winding line’s capabilities, Roth Composites Machinery gives the example of winding of pressure vessels. The machine is equipped with an automatic pressurization and pressure measuring system which is able to create and regulate the necessary inner pressure of the liner during the winding process, the company says. Exceptional machine stiffness further minimizes mechanic impact on the manufacturing process and ensures high precision during the filament winding process.

#FilamentWindinSystem #composites #RothCompositesMachinery

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NCC research proving recycled composites can be used in new applications

Ground-breaking research being conducted by the National Composites Centre (NCC) is proving that composites can be recycled at end-of-life for use in new industry applications, providing solutions for the challenge of composite waste and reducing the environmental impact of advanced materials.
The innovative project is being conducted by the NCC in collaboration with a cross-sector group of industry-leading organisations, including Network Rail, Airbus, Shell and Gen 2 Carbon as part of the NCC’s Core Research Programme.
The UK’s world-leading research centre for composite materials, and part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the NCC’s research aims to demonstrate the recycling of end-of-life composites, and increase industry confidence in the subsequent use of the non-virgin materials in second-life applications.
The project has successfully extracted carbon fibre from two Airbus A320 vertical tail planes that had reached the end of their service lives, using a pyrolysis process. The reclaimed fibres will now be processed and configured into a fabric format that can be used with liquid resin composite manufacturing processes. The new material combination will be assessed and characterised for its mechanical performance, before being used to manufacture a wheelchair ramp against design criteria from the rail sector.

The demonstrator will show the cross-sector application possibilities for end-of-life composites, with the learnings from this case study being taken forward and transferred to other products in sectors such as construction, rail, automotive and more.

Dr Enrique Garcia, chief technology officer at the NCC, said: “The NCC is at the forefront of the use of advanced composites, working with industry to anticipate the future needs and applications across the sectors. The diverse consortia involved in this project highlights the near-term challenges being faced across a number of industries, and the importance of our work to find sustainable solutions for end-of-life composites.

“This initiative is successfully developing the technologies required to overcome these challenges, paving the way for a new supply chain of recycled composites, allowing more industries to make use of their unique, beneficial properties at a lower cost.”

The Core Research programme is a cross-sector initiative involving the NCC’s Member organizations that identifies the biggest challenges currently being faced by industry and solves them through collaborative research and development.

In partnership with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the NCC also leads the Sustainable Composites initiative. Through this programme, the NCC works with companies of all sizes to create a more sustainable future utilising the benefits of composite materials and applications.

#NationalCompositesCentre #composites

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