Last year we had an absolute BLAST being a part of the JEC World! This year, as you can imagine, couldn’t be different… We are thrilled to announce that we will be attending the leading international composites show once again!

Held in Paris, and organized by JEC Group, the JEC World is the “place to be” for composites with hundreds of product launches, awards ceremonies, startup competitions, conferences, live demonstrations, and MUCH MORE!

Just so you can understand the scope of what we are talking about, this year, the JEC Group is expecting 1300 exhibitors and 27 pavilions this year with many newcomers and new countries represented!

For us composites enthusiasts, being part of this amazing event, where the entire composite universe gets together, is by far the best opportunity to understand the scope of the community we are creating! Our team is looking forward to getting to know you in person and having insightful conversations about what we love the most!

Participating in this event allows us to be at the epicenter of the action and share our passion for innovation with everyone. One of the coolest features of the show is that exhibitors have access to matchmaking platform! In 2023, more than 7000 business meetings took place during the three days of the show only thanks to this platform! We are so excited to immerse ourselves in the latest trends and network with the BEST in the industry!

The event will take place from March 5th to 7th, so get READY! We hope to meet you at our booth, please don’t be shy! Let’s make this event an unforgettable experience!

The post JOIN US AT JEC WORLD 2024! appeared first on Managing Composites.

Let’s kick off our newsfeed with very exciting news: The NCC successfully demonstrates AFP manufacture of CMC parts!

Engineers at the National Composites Centre (NCC, Bristol, U.K.) have completed what they say is a European first by manufacturing ceramic matrix composites (CMC) using automated fiber placement (AFP) technology, paving the way for the materials’ high-temperature capabilities to be unlocked within engines.

The project — completed as part of the NCC’s Core Research program, and supported by Rolls-Royce, Reaction Engines, MBDA and 3M — has demonstrated that a novel oxide-based ceramic towpreg material from 3M can be used in automated deposition.

While conventional nickel-based superalloys have a maximum continuous temperature of approximately 800°C, oxide-based CMC can operate at 1,000°C, with the higher operating temperature potentially improving the efficiency of aerospace engines and reducing fuel consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions.

Interested to know more about this project? Check out this link:

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/ncc-successfully-demonstrates-afp-manufacture-of-cmc-parts

Mubea to collaborate on production of carbon fiber exoskeletons!

Automotive supplier Mubea (Attendorn, Germany) has entered into a cooperation agreement to commence production of robotic exoskeletons for smart power suits developer German Bionic (Augsburg, Germany).

German Bionic’s Cray X power suits, which feature carbon fiber composite frames, aid workers when lifting heavy loads by actively amplifying their movements and thus protecting the lower back from excessive strain. 

“Mubea is a specialist in high-quality lightweight components and is a ‘hidden champion’ world market leader with many of its products,” says Dr. Thomas Muhr, managing partner of Mubea. “Over the past decades, we have developed into a leading supplier for the automotive industry with our products for body, chassis and powertrain. Together with German Bionic, we are now expanding our new micromobility business area to include the future field of robotic exoskeletons.”

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/mubea-to-collaborate-on-production-of-carbon-fiber-exoskeletons

Now, let’s talk about the 3D printing of carbon fiber composites in the drone industry:

3D-printed composite tail rotor gear box housing enhances Discovery super drone

Discovery is a 75-kilogram maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) unmanned single-rotor helicopter. It is Flying-Cam’s newest, largest and most versatile system so far with increased endurance features. Fully integrated state-of-art sensors were carefully chosen to match the platform quality for a variety of applications ranging from entertainment, homeland security, earth monitoring and high-precision remote sensing generally.

The aim of the “super drone” project was to create a lightweight yet rigid physical and aerodynamic protection for the tail rotor actuators and the GPS antenna. Flying-Cam opted for CRP Technology’s proprietary high-performance Windform Top-Line range of composite materials, particularly Windform XT 2.0, a carbon fiber-filled polyamide-based 3D printing composite especially suitable in demanding applications for such a sector as motorsports, aerospace and UAV.

The material replaced the previous formula of Windform XT in the Windform Top-Line family of materials for PBF created by CRP Technology, featuring improvements in mechanical properties including +8% increase in tensile strength, +22% in tensile modulus and a +46% increase in elongation at break.

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/3d-printed-composite-tail-rotor-gear-box-housing-enhances-discovery-super-drone

Our last story covers thermoplastic composites!

One-shot manufacture of 3D knitted hybrid thermoplastic composite structures!

To help realize industrialized lightweight vehicle components, the European Commission backed a project called MAPICC 3D (2011-2016). It sought to develop a process capable of producing net-shape, high-performance structural 3D thermoplastic textile composite preforms with topology-optimized fiber reinforcement orientation made in one shot using a knitting technique.

The project included the development of virtual tools capable of modeling 3D composite structures and predicting their mechanical behavior according to textile architecture and resin choice, allowing for customized end products and better accessibility to SMEs/OEMs. It also saw the development of thermoplastic hybrid yarns comprising both matrix and reinforcing fibers. The resulting manufacturing procedure can precisely steer the fibers in three dimensions, tailoring them to the component’s load paths with minimal raw material waste.

Volvo Group Europe used the MAPICC 3D project to develop and validate a thermoplastic textile composite seat reinforcement plate for its N2 class truck (axle weight between 3.5 and 12.5 metric tons) to replace a steel plate. The resulting composite part was to match the steel version’s technical requirements, including the strength needed to pass the mandatory ECE R14 seat belt anchorage test for the N2 class vehicle, and realize significant weight savings.

https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/one-shot-manufacture-of-3d-knitted-hybrid-thermoplastic-composite-structures

The post September’s Top Composite News! appeared first on Managing Composites.

Mitsubishi Chemical Europe. Has displayed a lightweight motorcycle seat support rear frame developed through joint R&D between MCC subsidiary, Gemini Composites, and Ducati Motor Holding in October 2019 at the K Show, and again earlier this year in May 2022 at JEC World.

The seat support rear frame comprises the entire aft frame of the vehicle, forming an integral part of the chassis. It is designed based on fatigue strength criteria, but also must meet stiffness, static strength, and finish requirements. The part developed replaces a cast aluminum component for the Ducati Hypermotard 939, a vehicle designed for both road and off-road racing, and constitutes the main structural support for the driver, and optionally passenger and cargo bins.

The rear frame is made from MCC’s forged molding compound (FMC) material, said to be an advanced version of carbon fiber sheet molding compounds (CFSMC) and, combined with a modified molding process and a dedicated design philosophy, is said to be capable of yielding parts with properties suitable for primary structural applications.

The forged composite part weighs 0.8 kilograms, while the aluminum one is typically 1.35 kilograms per side, which represents a total savings of 1.1 kilogram, while maintaining the same cost and rate targets for the baseline aluminum component. The total motorcycle weight is 167 kilograms.

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/ducati-introduces-lightweight-motorcycle-seat-support-rear-frame

Amazing, right?

Now, let’s talk about 3D printing of composite materials! We have selected two news that cover groundbreaking projects!

Low-void, large-scale, high-volume 3D-printed composites!
Among its many composites-related projects, Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently installed its first AMCM test cell, combining extrusion with compression molding for fast, low-void, low-porosity thermoplastic composite parts.
AMCM has been in development for more than two years, and the team originally began by using the MDF’s existing large-format BAAM printer and compression press. Using this setup, ORNL was able to demonstrate initial benefits to the process combination such as low voids in the final part. However, the machines were not next to each other, and the relatively short distance of travel between the BAAM and press required an additional reheating step in a belt oven prior to compression molding to soften the preform again to the correct glass transition temperature (Tg). These five to six extra minutes of preheating per part significantly increased the overall cycle time up to eight to nine total minutes per part, says Dr. Vipin Kumar, R&D associate staff member in ORNL’s Advanced Composites Manufacturing group.
It quickly became apparent that a dedicated production cell that combines AM and compression molding into one system would be needed to demonstrate that this technology could be used in a high-volume production environment,
To produce a part in the AMCM cell, the part geometry is extruded directly onto a mold, resulting in a 3D tailored preform that travels via conveyor belt directly into the press for immediate molding (see video below). Kumar explains that the material is extruded at, or a little above, the melting temperature of the material, and that the design of the AMCM cell allows the preform to reach the press for compression before the material has cooled down below its Tg.

Interested to know more about this project? Check out this link:

https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/low-void-large-scale-high-volume-3d-printed-composites

High-performance, high-detail continuous 3D-printed carbon fiber parts!

Mantis Composites Inc.’ new technology uses a fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing system, which essentially entails extruding a filament made up of a pre-impregnated, continuous fiber/towpreg. The company also developed its own specialized design software to model and print parts with the accuracy needed to create detailed components to meet aerospace specifications. Parts can be printed on a range of commercial materials, though Dunn notes mostly carbon fiber and high-temperature thermoplastics like polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are used.

Today, operating three additive manufacturing (AM) cells with a maximum print volume of 18 x 20 inches, Mantis Composites offers custom design/engineering, printing, postprocessing, bonding and surface treatment services for each of its projects. Fiber placement accuracy is said to be within ±0.015 inch (±0.4 millimeter) tolerance, and lower after postprocessing such as machining or sanding.

https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/high-performance-high-detail-continuous-3d-printed-carbon-fiber-parts

Our last story is about dimensional issues in high-temperature cured laminates!

When it’s not the tooling, the root cause of dimensionally inaccurate composite parts often boils down to two things: fiber form(s) used and laminate symmetry!
https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/doing-the-twist-a-look-at-dimensional-issues-in-high-temperature-cured-laminates

The post July’s Top Composite News! appeared first on Managing Composites.

Let’s kick off our newsfeed with very exciting news: a project that aims to pioneer the use of natural fiber composites in the wind energy industry!

The project Green Nacelle is commissioned by DOT (Delft Offshore Turbine), a leading wind turbine R&D innovator who are part of the DOB-Academy based in Delft, Netherlands. Manufactured by NFC specialists Greenboats®, with composite materials from Sicomin and Bcomp, and engineering support from Judel/Vrolijk & Co, the Green Nacelle is reported to be the largest NFC structure built to date.

Greenboats has specialized in the engineering and manufacturing of natural-fiber composites for the last ten years, inspiring companies to rethink their composite solutions and move towards more sustainable options. With the Green Nacelle, the company and its customer DOT Power have demonstrated that the state of the art in renewable and bio-based composite materials, coupled with efficient composite processing techniques, can lower energy consumption in manufacturing and significantly improve the sustainability of large-scale wind energy components.

Based on the extensive NFC processing expertise developed in-house, Greenboats can reduce the CO2 emissions of a typical glass fiber-reinforced composite (GFRP) part by 60-80% over the product life cycle. In the case of the Green Nacelle, energy consumption in manufacturing has also been reduced by over 50% compared to a nacelle made with existing GFRP technology. These important sustainability benefits are all realized without compromising the performance, quality, or durability of the final composite structure.

https://www.jeccomposites.com/news/the-green-nacelle-pioneering-natural-fibre-composites-in-wind-energy/

Amazing, right? Definitely a step in the right direction!

Now, let’s talk about composite materials in the automotive industry! We have selected two news that cover groundbreaking projects!

Automotive Industry:

BMW

Let’s start with a banger: 3D printing and AFP join forces in automotive demonstrator!
Bavarian auto industry and TU Munich research how to reduce molding costs by combining continuous fiber and 3D-printed composites!

In 2019, engineers from BMW began a collaboration with Technical University of Munich to investigate how to use additive manufacturing (AM) to reduce injection molding costs in such parts. TUM had been conducting various research projects on how to combine more traditional composites manufacturing like layup via automated fiber placement (AFP) with 3D printing that uses continuous fiber reinforcement. “Injection molding tools are quite expensive,” explains Franz Maidl, technology development engineer in BMW’s Lightweight Construction and Technology Center. “Our goal was a fully comparable solution to the MAI Skelett technology but much less costly via additive manufacturing.”

For this next evolution of the Skelett roof frame, two different demonstrators were built using two different AM methods combined with continuous CFRTP materials. The front roof frame demonstrated in the MAI Skelett project was revised using selective laser sintering (SLS) and injection or AFP while the part shown in this article combined extrusion-based 3D printing and AFP to produce a mid-roof frame, located at the B-pillar connection between the chassis side frames. Both frames are slightly curved and close out the chassis “box,” providing stiffness and resistance to torsion. However, the front roof frame also requires mating with the windshield and multiple attachments for interior parts.

Interested to know more about this project? Check out this link:

https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/3d-printing-and-afp-join-forces-in-automotive-demonstrator

Artura GT4

On another note, we have an excellent display of what carbon lightweight design can achieve: McLaren has unveiled the Artura GT4! A model which builds on 570S GT4 and 720S GT3 competition cars with a carbon fiber monocoque for lightweight, precise handling characteristics and enhanced durability.

The new Artura GT4 shares much of its technology with the new McLaren Artura road car, which debuts the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture featuring a carbon fiber monocoque. This motorsport-inspired chassis design and construction is an ideal platform for a race car, McLaren notes, as a rigid structure enables a wider setup envelope for the driver as well as providing a strong and safe driving environment.

The minimization of weight is a key element of the Artura road car, and this philosophy continues in the race car — with a compact V6 engine and ancillaries including the exhaust system, all weight-optimized, the GT4 car is more than 100 kilograms lighter than the outgoing 570S GT4!

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/newly-debuted-artura-gt4-features-mclaren-carbon-lightweight-architecture

Aerospace Industry:

Aero Design Labs’s ADRS-1 kit includes revised fairings and vortex generators to save $12,000 in fuel and >40 tons of CO2 per aircraft per month!

Designed by a team led by ADL’s chief technology officer (CTO) and airframe drag-reduction specialist, Eric Ahlstrom, the modification kit was refined using proprietary computational fluid dynamic (CFD) algorithms that were tested on supercomputers in the U.K. and U.S. “Our proprietary software has embedded artificial intelligence that will significantly shorten future run times,” founder of ADL, Lee Sanders, says. “What used to take us five months to develop a product we can now get done in a matter of a few weeks.”

The ADRS-1 kit consists of a revised wing-to-body aft fairing, modified flap track fairing tips, updated wheel-well fairings, revised aerodynamics around the environmental control system (ECS) pack ram air exit duct and several strategically placed vortex generators. The modifications are particularly tailored to address areas of interference and parasitic drag around the fuselage that have never previously been tackled or only partially treated over the life of the aircraft.

Made predominantly from composite structures, the kit weighs 180 pounds but results in a net gain of only 110 pounds. after replacement of the original structure. ADL says future weight reductions are being studied but adds that the current material set is designed to “far exceed FAA standards and airline rigor.” The kit is expected to require around 150 work-hours to install. “We feel that the kit is minimally impactful from an out-of-service time perspective,” Martin says.

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/new-composites-based-drag-reduction-kit-for-boeing-737-ng-receives-faa-stc-cuts-fuel-burn

The post June’s Top Composite News! appeared first on Managing Composites.

So, let’s start with a complex topic: Biomimicry braiding of fiber-reinforced node structures! An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Stuttgart and the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research has developed a spatially branched, braided, carbon fiber-reinforced, high load-bearing supporting node as well as a process for manufacturing such complex structures!

Pretty cool, huh? We think this concept is absolutely amazing! I mean, look at this picture! Check out the link to learn more about this impressive tech!

Now, let’s talk about sustainability in the composites industry! We have selected three news that cover groundbreaking projects!

A partnership between the companies Cecence, National Composites Centre (NCC), and Gen 2 Carbon has yielded spectacular results: using recycled carbon fiber they managed to reduce 84% of the carbon emissions when manufacturing airplane seatbacks!

This breakthrough could reduce CO2 emissions by more than 320 tonnes during the aircraft’s service life, paving the way for more environmentally friendly air travel!

Check out the full story.

On another note, we have great news for the wind energy sector: The ZEBRA (Zero wastE Blade ReseArch) consortium has produced the first prototype of its 100 percent recyclable wind turbine blade!

The 62-meter blade was made using Arkema’s Elium® resin, which is a thermoplastic resin known for its recyclable properties together with the new high-performance Glass Fabrics from Owens Corning. Elium® based composite components can be recycled using an advanced method called chemical recycling that enables to fully depolymerize the resin, separate the fiber from the resin and recover a new virgin resin & High Modulus Glass ready to be reused, closing the loop.

To learn more about the ZEBRA project, check out this link.

Still on the topic of recycling, U.K.-based company Longworth is promising a new method for reclaiming both near-virgin-grade fibers and resins. Called DEECOM, the process uses high-temperature steam and pressure to separate and reclaim materials. After a decade of development and proving out the technology, the company is ready to launch DEECOM commercially for composites recycling this year!

Discover the new in the following link.

Our last story covers 3D printing of composite parts: Polymer 3D printing solutions company Stratasys has partnered with Radford Motors a global luxury automotive brand, to create more than 500 3D-printed parts, including numerous composite components!

By using various 3D printers and technologies, the team was able to produce parts like a large solid composite firewall sandwich core, printed in two halves on the Stratasys F900 printer in ULTEM 1010 resin. The part was bonded together into a single piece and then wrapped with carbon fiber without the use of a layup tool. The design of the firewall included complex mounting features for interior speakers, a fuel filler mount and the luggage compartment. Additionally, many exterior items like side mirror housings, radiator ducts and body vents were printed in FDM Nylon 12 carbon fiber and ASA materials. Numerous mounting brackets throughout the car were also printed in FDM Nylon 12 carbon fiber due to many factors including strength requirements, the aggressive project schedule and complete design freedom!

Read the full new.

The post March’s top composite news! appeared first on Managing Composites.