MAY 2011 / Vol. 19 / No.3 compositesworld.com ■ ■ ■ ■ Carrier jet-capable external fuel tanks Reinforced thermoplastics in primary structure Getting real about nanocomposites SAMPE U.S. 2011 Preview/JEC Paris Highlights High Quality.BUFSJBMT. MULTIAXIALS CLOSED MOULD REINFORCEMENTS SELF ADHESIVE FABRICS KITTED-FABRICS PREFORMS COMPOSITE PARTS WIND ENERGY BOAT AND SHIPBUILDING RAILWAY AUTOMOTIVE AEROSPACE PIPE RELINING CIVIL ENGINEERING RECREATION SAERTEX worldwide7JTJUVTBU4".1&#PPUI www.saertex.com SAERTEX Germany E-Mail:
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[email protected] FEATURES 40 SAMPE 2011 Long Beach SAMPE returns to Long Beach in partnership with aerospace industry materials society ASM International. By Mike Musselman 45 45 JEC Paris Highlights The news from this annual Parisian in-gathering of composites professionals is heavily weighted toward automotive lightweighting. By Jeff Sloan & Sara Black 52 Thermoplastic Composites: Primary Structure? Yes, advanced forms are in development, but has the technology progressed enough to make the business case? By Ginger Gardiner 60 Inside Manufacturing: Nanotechnology — Into the Realm of Real Fast, scalable process grows nanostructures directly on composite reinforcements for “drop-in” use in volume production processes. By Sara Black 52 MAY volume: nineteen number: three 2011 60 ON THE COVER An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Gunslingers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 takes off from an aircraft carrier flight deck, equipped with all-composite external fuel tanks that are attached, via pylons, to the plane’s bomb rack. The tanks are the subject of HPC’s “Focus on Design” feature (p. 78). Source: U.S. Navy DEPARTMENTS 18 News The X-37B orbital vehicle, a possible unmanned replacement for NASA’s Space Shuttle, headlines a list that includes thermoplastic composites on the Airbus A30X, a military jet update and ORNL’s new carbon fiber line. 66 67 69 74 76 Calendar Applications New Products Product & Literature Showcase Marketplace/Ad Index M AY 2 0 1 1 | 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS COLUMNS 7 From the Editor HPC editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan, fresh from his trip to Paris for the JEC Composites Show, wonders aloud whether thermoplastic composites might represent the next megatrend in commercial aircraft materials selection. 18 9 Market Trends A mergers and acquisitions (M&A) specialist in the advanced materials world, investment banker Michael Del Pero predicts the likely course of M&A activities in the near future as pent-up investment capital is released. 11 From the Podium CompositesWorld Conferences director Scott Stephenson outlines four presentations at two recent CW conferences that brought into sharp focus the fact that nanoscale enhancement of composites is no longer pie-in-the-sky. 15 Testing Tech Testing guru Dr. Donald F. Adams follows up his discussion in the March issue of when and why composite test specimens should be tabbed with a practical explanation of the variety of ways tabbing can be accomplished. 50 50 Work in Progress HPC editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan sidesteps the current debate between autoclave curing and emerging oven-cure strategies to highlight a prominent aerospace composites manufacturer’s investigation of microwave curing. 69 FOCUS ON DESIGN 78 Carrier-Capable, All-Composite External Fuel Tank How a shipboard tragedy, an investigation and new rules for survivability and in-flight load-bearing capabilities introduced the U.S. Navy to the many advantages of composites over metals in the construction of external fuel tanks for aircraft carrier-based jet fighters. By Michael R. LeGault 2 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES Spacecraft that are commercially viable. Call 1-800-243-ROSS Or visit mixers. Airliners that leave a smaller carbon footprint.com Ken Langhorn Technical Director Employee Owner .“With resin and carbon fiber.” New technologies are powering the drive to develop renewable energy. we can build a New Economy. too. We’d like to help you succeed. And cars that can cruise all day long without burning a drop of gasoline. From syntactic foams and other lightweight structural composites to the new generation of adhesives and batteries. Ross mixers are helping to create the materials necessary to build the New Economy. 8020 / f: 513.232.527.com p / f: +44 1663 750242 Industrial Walk-in Ovens | Conveyor Ovens | Industrial Shelf Ovens | Laboratory Ovens Precision Quincy / 1625 West Lake Shore Dr. and available with a wide variety of options. 6915 Valley Ave.0255 / f: 800. Southwest & Western U. If undeliverable.S. Corporate and production offices: 6915 Valley Ave.527. quality and value. $25 USD in all other countries. IL Made in USA / 800. 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[email protected] / www. Valencia. CO 80465 p: 719.242. LeGault mlegault@compositesworld. . again. re-engined A320neo. has time to await the Jeff Sloan TPC research. Thertil now. Boeing is busy deciding how it yond the horizon and portend profound change to should proceed with a replacement for its singlecome.com goals: First. Re-engining is apparently not a considAnd so it was that I found myself. reshape the comthis was the Airbus A30X. but how ready are they for How much of the next generation of commercial aircraft priapplication in commercial aircraft structure? mary structure will be made from thermoplastic composites? Probably more ready than many of us realize. penciled in for a 2030 introduction (thus. use of TPCs in commercial aircraft outside moplastic composites (TPCs) were emphasized the passenger cabin has been limited and tentaby many companies at this year’s JEC Paris show. destined to succeed the forthcoming. In composites industhe meantime. see Ginger Gardiner’s timely report. Could we stand and there was some discussion of Airbus. to look for macro trends and TPCs.EDITOR FROM THE EDITOR s an editor who retuning that is certain to come ports on and for the over the next several years. the company’s next-genmercial aircraft industry? eration single-aisle. on the last day eration. developmental steps and the fine- A M AY 2 0 1 1 | 7 . Boeing currently produces about one 737 a day. my “beyond the horizon” reference). thus a new plane is in order. made with thermoset composites. thermoplastics try. Out-of-autoclave mamercial aircraft primary structure will be terials and processes are promising in this regard because they offer quicker made with thermoplastic composites? cycle times. a pace that cannot be met by the fiber placement technology How much of the next generation of comused on the 787. Paris). which at the cusp of a new era of ambitious use of TPCs has been assessing TPC use in structures currently in aircraft primary structure? One that could. but successful all the same. The question of the JEC Composites Show (March 29-31. second. And quicker still are thermoplastics.. Occasionally. however. tive. the vertical tail of the possible about new and emerging products and Gulfstream G650 business jet and other structures.) super-macro level. The plane. technologies that might help our readers do their (For a update on ongoing efforts with aerospace jobs better. aisle 737.S. struck by themes that reach beHere in the U. to discover bus A330/340 and the Airbus as much information as A380. at last check. I usually go to a trade have earned their way into the show with two primary wing leading edges of the Airjeff @ compositesworld. Layered over as thermoset composites have. is where and how a 737 replacement might employ after three very busy days. “Therthemes that are shaping the composites commumoplastic composites: Primary structure?” in this nity. I find myself at the issue. asking this question: composites. 52. Might Airbus be looking at extensive use of TPCs in the A30X? Possibly. UnThis query did not come out of the blue. on p. With 30 years of research. now brings this expertise to Wind Blade and Automotive production continuing to lead the composites revolution in manufacturing. 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Erlanger.i a s . part handling and machiniwng Class A body panels through structural components For more information visit w w w.i a s . the leader in automated composites processing for Aerospace applications. info-us@mag-ias. m a g . consistent quality Automotive MAG – Your Single Source For Composite Solutions MAG. c o m MAG IAS. KY 41018. c o m . 3940 Olympic Blvd. ) refinancing of composite building products manufacturer Advanced Envi- ronmental Recycling Technology (AERT. corporate America is starting to chip away at the $1. Those with money want to invest now and will find the best opportunities available to support their growth today. M&A interest in aerospace composites is particularly high. The risk here is that the capital available today might not be available if and when the market fully recovers two or three years from now. the M&A freight train rolled through the New Year and headed into the second quarter at full speed. Another factor seems to be unique to companies in this industry. an indicator for any scalable aerospace composites player who is entertaining an exit in the near future. After three years on the sidelines.) is another. seeking aggressively to acquire assets with composites capabilities in both material technologies and component fabrication. it is prudent to have an advisor on hand to act as a sounding board for strategic decision-making purposes and help them stay close to opportunistic situations in the market. In several recent cases. Many do not regularly employ experts who bring professional and strategic guidance to their growth objectives. There will be high interest expressed by acquirers who are willing to pay a “scarcity premium” for a competitively differentiating opportunity. N. N. they seem willing to structure transactions creatively.MARKET TRENDS MARKET TRENDS M&A ACTIVITY IN THE COMPOSITES INDUSTRY Michael Del Pero is the head of Composites and Advanced Materials coverage at boutique investment banking firm FocalPoint Partners LLC (Los Angeles. Calif. A good example of this trend is building products manufacturer and distributor Gibraltar Industries’ (Buffalo. particularly in construction and building products. Although acquirers are unwilling to completely ignore the financial downturn that affected most composite building product companies in 2009-2010. As headline-worthy as these deals have been. Del Pero is the resident chairperson of the annual CompositesWorld Investment Forum. Ohio) for ~$100 million. (Wickliffe. just as they would an accountant or attorney.) pending acquisition of private equity-backed D. These “smart money” players are generally more strategically and opportunistically motivated than many privately held businesses. This isn’t due to lack of either acquisitive interest or available funding. thus giving sellers some upside credit for anticipated growth in 2011. you must invest. These factors are the primary drivers of dealmaking in the composites industry today. For more than 10 years.S. the real story is the strategies that have driven them. private equity investors are sitting on a record $500 billion in capital that must be invested to justify additional fundraising activity. The majority of recent deals we have seen involved either corporate-to-corporate plays or private equity-backed transactions. There appears to be a considerable disconnect between acquirers who are flush with cash and looking to deploy capital now and sellers who hope that market valuations will recover and grow to new peak levels over time. Neb. Ariz. involving composites and advanced-materials companies. This should be It comes as no surprise that aerospace continues to be an area of strategic growth. ~25 acquisitions and financing transactions were announced.I. acquirers have concluded that the bottom has been reached in these markets and that there is an opportunity to invest ahead of the full recovery. Similarly. he has provided strategic and financial advice to middle-market firms involved in M&A transactions. These include several highprofile deals. For the most part.G. Despite concerns that deal activity might flatten out in 2011.G. A regular contributor and presenter for various events and publications in the advanced materials industry.) $9 billion takeover of publicly held Lubrizol Corp. strategic and private equity-backed aerospace companies approach my firm almost daily. Ohio). Even when a company is not considering immediate action.). such as Warren Buffettbacked Berkshire Hathaway’s (Omaha. Springdale. parties on both sides of the deal have been indicative of noteworthy M&A trends. Capital’s (New York. T he end of 2010 witnessed merger and acquisition (M&A) activity reminiscent of the height of the market in 2007. It comes as no surprise that aerospace continues to be an area of strategic growth. H. Ark.) long-anticipated divestiture of its noncore building block materials business to private equity group H. In fact. We do expect to see healthy deal activity in composites. capital raising and financial restructuring. The inhibiting factor is that few targets currently meet the size criteria of acquirers that need to deploy meaningful amounts of capital.I. Capital for $180 million. We also expect to see increased deal activity in the automotive sector as composite applications continue to play an increasing role.5 trillion (USD) in cash that accumulated as companies spent the majority of their efforts on cost-cutting and “right-sizing” their businesses.Y. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 9 . they are intent on timing the market and achieving maximum valuation. we don’t anticipate as many M&A transactions in the aerospace segment as one might expect. Despite the high interest. and Cytec’s (Tempe. What corporations and investors both know is this: To grow. tend to have more successful M&A and overall growth strategies. Our experience is that companies that enlist the services of an investment banker or advisor. Brown (North Baltimore.Y. Through the end of the first quarter. Composite Assembly Made Easy (ier) (ENKEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOUR lRST RESOURCE FOR COMPOSITE ASSEMBLY .OW. WITH OUR NEW PRODUCTS AND SYSTEM SOLUTIONS. and elsewhere. All rights reserved. SAMPE Long Beach Booth #1011 Except as otherwise noted. ® = registered in the U.S.866. 7238 (4/11) .henkelna.com/aerospace or call 1.332. please visit www. all marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and/or its affiliates in the U. ™ COMPOSITE BONDING lLM (YSOL® 3YN#ORE® SHAPES FOR CREATING LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE LAMINATES &REKOTE® !QUALINE® # ™ 6/# FREE MOLD RELEASE (YSOL® lRE RETARDANT PASTE (YSOL® LIGHTNING STRIKE MATERIAL s s s s s s s For additional information.S.7024. Patent and Trademark Office. THERE ARE EVEN MORE REASONS TO TURN TO US Our newest product developments for OEM and MRO composite assembly include: s s (ENKEL BENZOXAZINE RESINS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE AND IMPROVED TOUGHNESS (YSOL® %! ™ PEEL PLY ADHESIVE FOR THE SURFACE PREPARATION OF COMPOSITE SUBSTRATES DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE SANDING AND GRIT BLASTING (YSOL® %! ™ FAMILY OF ASSEMBLY PASTE FOR STRUCTURAL OUT OF AUTOCLAVE BONDING (YSOL® %! ™ HIGH TEMPERATURE COMPOSITE BONDING lLM (YSOL® 0. © Henkel Corporation. 2011. she noted. toughness. Elsewhere. obtained through licenses with Texas universities. Her work involves dispersing carbon nanofibers (CNF) in the matrix phase of carbon-fiber-reinforced composites to increase the strength and stiffness in matrix-dominated configurations. they provide sensing capability. and can impact conductivity. gave an overview from her perspective of the nanomaterials research space. a chiral structure). In this column. worldwide. she described how that group modified nylon 6 with small amounts of nanoclay additive. For example. Dr. Stephenson has organized conferences and published studies to provide industry executives with strategic information about and analyses of the advanced materials and technologies that drive innovative product development.” Benson Tolle briefly discussed ongoing research by Dr. Cate Brinson of Northwestern University (Evanston.. and it’s moving into the commercial realm. “In the classic structural design mode. In the two decades since then. a leading manufacturer of carbon/carbon composites.” Benson Tolle says. Ill. among others. But today. nanotube-enhanced ceramics and M AY 2 0 1 1 | 11 . is that “control at the nanoscale enables fundamentally new material properties and functions that can’t be predicted from bulk or atomic-level understanding. highlighting some promising approaches. Buyers should be aware of the various nanostructure shapes. “but nanoscale control is definitely a part of today’s engineered materials. Maine). It’s no longer magic foo-foo dust — it’s real. with global investment. on the strength of eye-opening results: nearly double the tensile modulus. He has been involved with carbon fiber composites since 1983 when he started working for Fiber Materials Inc. materials must perform functions beyond the structural. including polymers that incorporate nanotubes for enhanced electrical conductivity. surface treatment and dispersion of the nanoparticles can impact the modulus. 22 percent better impact strength and reductions in both water absorption and thermal expansion of about 50 percent. It allows us to circumvent the property tradeoffs that are so common with conventional materials. there has been what Benson Tolle termed an “explosion” of research and publications. joint research by the AFRL and Texas A&M University showed that a mere 1 percent dispersion of carbon nanotubes (multiwalled and singlewalled) in the epoxy matrix of a four-ply balanced laminate almost doubled its electrical conductivity. in addition to structural function. housed at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL. This seminal effort helped propel nano- technology research. strain behavior. (Biddeford.” “Nanotailoring” is another interest area for Benson Tolle. a composites specialist at NanoRidge (Houston. conductivity and permeability of the composite. “The natural carbon bundles must be dispersed.” he explains. Cambridge University is attempting to spin multiwalled carbon nanotubes from which high-strain-tofailure yarns could be made for multifunctional applications. “There are proven benefits and new opportunities for the carbon fiber community. strength. since it has a major affect on property enhancement. is the functionalization of carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles to more efficiently exploit their benefits. the fibers or the fiber/ matrix interface can optimize many properties. A key point. Texas). nonmetallic materials division technology director at the Materials & Manufacturing Technology Directorate. discussed several innovative nanotechnologies. their properties vary with their structures (e.” said Benson Tolle. a material could often be optimized for a single function or property. “And the choice of functional group is critical. The company’s core competency. “Selection of a nanoparticle should be guided by the property one wishes to enhance. a fullerene vs.” William Stringfellow.” said Benson Tolle. has demonstrated that nano-enhancement of the matrix. and the differing effects they have on processing.FROM THE PODIUM FROM THE PODIUM NANOTECHNOLOGY: IT’S REAL Scott Stephenson is CompositesWorld’s conference director. Benson Tolle re- ported. adding that the work has possible application for lightning strike protection. Japan-based Toyota Research Group in the mid-1980s. Calif. structural composites that include nanoparticles.). I’ll outline four recent presentations that highlighted nanoscale enhancements to fibers and resins. At Carbon Fiber 2010 (La Jolla. multiple conferences and hundreds of market applications.). their chemistries. thermal or electrical conductivity and more. chemistry. Dayton. “The shape. Case Western Reserve and Rice University. This research is important because air and space platforms can no longer afford parasitic weight or volume. not all nanotubes are alike. says Stringfellow. “Technology challenges and hurdles remain. including Rice.g. Multifunctional materials are the new reality. “but take a ‘smart buyer’ approach so that you exploit the benefits for your specific application. But.” NanoRidge is exploring a number of promising initiatives.” she admits.” Starting with some of the earliest nanocomposites research conducted by Tokyo. A common theme at CompositesWorld conferences in the past year has been the speed with which nanotechnology is developing for composites applications. Ohio).and microreinforcement in composites that contain fibers and CNF. their resulting properties. she says. Texas A&M and others. Since 1997. Tia Benson Tolle. Research at the University of Dayton. Brinson’s work has highlighted the role of nano. a 55 percent increase in tensile strength. Benson Tolle cautions. including tension of quasi-isotropic composites and short beam shear strength of both quasi-isotropic and unidirectional composites. . says Stringfellow. the PAN-based carbon fibers with nanotubes apparently hinder fiber/matrix interface cracking. at a cost per unit of weight equal to or less than that of current fibers. It’s no longer magic foo-foo dust. the functionalization and/or the weight percentage of growth. Long Beach. rather than by the amorphous carbon in the center.). His company is partnering with Applied NanoStructured Solutions (ANS. in large volumes. Balanced fiber-reinforced polymer nanocomposite (FRPNC) laminates were resin transfer molded. Web Industries. “Further.) IM7 fiber in a satin weave. Ohio) also discussed growth of nanoparticles directly on reinforcing fibers. the FRPNC showed significantly improved tensile strength. Air Force-sponsored research program to grow carbon nanotubes directly on carbon fibers. Md. 7KHPRVWWUXVWHGVOLWWDSH SURYLGHUIRUWKHZRUOG¶VPRVW VWULQJHQWDHURVSDFHSURJUDPV CONTACT: VDOHV#ZHELQGXVWULHVFRP Exhibiting show: SAMPE 2011 5/23-26/2011 Long Beach Convention Center.C.QGXVWULHV. As one of the key components in your Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) manufacturing process. In tests. 60).). The CNTs in the shell contribute to a highly aligned structure and high in-plane stiffness and strength. Thus. The spun fibers. The results include better properties and seamless integration with existing fiber handling equipment. Dr. pend. Young Ho Choi. a Lockheed Martin subsidiary. Ga. after Phase I work showed that carbon nanotubes could be grown directly on polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon monofilaments. The PMMA is then dissolved.com ISO 9001. the fibers can be produced with islands of PMMA within the sea of enclosing PAN. don’t take chances with composite slit tape that is sub-standard.” He reports that hollow fibers produced in a bicomponent gel-spinning process (pat. to produce carbon nanotube (CNT)-enhanced fabrics for electrical conductivity applications. using a common aerospacegrade epoxy resin and 12 plies of nanoenhanced Hexcel (Stamford. with respectable properties. which are afterward carbonized. V Don’t fly without it. the PAN/CNT shell contributes high performance at reduced fiber density.” p. and co-authors Satish Kumar. Tsotsis says the properties of traditional solid carbon fibers are mostly determined by the highly aligned carbon in the outermost part of the fiber. Web works closely with prepreg raw materials providers to develop the industry’s premium standards for precision slitting and winding of composite slit tape. a technical fellow at Boeing Research and Technology (Huntington Beach. you would need many millions of nanofilaments spun together to form a usable tow. By varying the gel-spinning and drawing process. It’s no surprise that we’ve been utilized on nearly all major fiber placement lines in the aerospace industry. S. CA Booth 1514 www. a primary cause of failure. leaving a hollow PAN shell. says Tsotsis. Go with Web Industries. Baltimore.” Tsotsis observed. The latter is now in Phase II. Han Gi Chae. Yaodong Liu and Prabhakar Gulgunje of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta. such as lightning strike protection (see “Inside Manufacturing. and. More improvement is possible. Thomas Tsotsis. he adds. As a leader in the aerospace composite slit tape market for more than 20 years.QF$OOULJKWVUHVHUYHG M AY 2 0 1 1 | 13 .). Conn.webindustries.) incorporate the benefit of nanofibers at a standard filament size. David Hartman of Owens Corning (Toledo. “Maximum strength cannot be achieved with discontinuous nanofibers. These promising efforts could soon spawn multifunctional composite parts with radical new functionality. begin with a core of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) inside an outer shell of PAN combined with carbon nanotubes.FROM THE PODIUM metals and a U. Calif. & AS9100 :HE. At High Performance Fibers 2010 (Charleston.S.) reported on their investigation into hollow carbon fibers that incorporate CNTs and how to produce them affordably. via variations on the type of nanotube. stiffness and fatigue life. 14001. reduce costs. Sustainable Performance means constantly innovating. new eco-safe chemistry and new formulations that cost less while outperforming traditional molding products in every category. WaterWorks®. www. improve the environment and create the kinds of workplaces. products and efficiencies that make things a little better. Sustainable Performance is our vision of the future—creating new technologies.. because sustainability isn't a destination. our legacy eco-friendly product for application in the stringentspec production environments of aerospace and aviation. Sustainable Performance and innovation intersect at our customer’s bottom line. a radically different VOC-free. seamless bond once cured.At Zyvax. a single component spray adhesive that holds metal. glass. eliminate hazards. NANO System®. nano engineered polymer offering zero pollutants.com +1706 698 4405 Products & service available worldwide . ease of application with tool protection and predictable parts. Zyvax. looking for new ways to conserve resources. carbon and laminated synthetics in place for curing and provides a permanent. it's a journey.. New solutions for 2010… StayZ®. thermal stability.zyvax. 188 inch) gage length. Tabbing strips then can be taped to the spacer plates. Regardless of the fabrication method. Postcure cleanup is easier because the tape does not contact the composite panel. Adams continues to write. Without a doubt. Tabbing strips (four places) Composite test panel M AY 2 0 1 1 | 15 . and adhesive selection. on the base plate and indexed to the appropriate set of pins. such as stainless steel. Dr. 1 Tabbed composite test panel. adhesive is applied to two of the tabbing strips. tab thickness and taper angle. directing its Composite Materials Research Group for 27 years before retiring from that post in 1999. The easiest approach is to use a selfcontained tab-bonding fixture (two examples are shown in Fig..TESTING TECH TESTING TECH TABBING COMPOSITE TEST SPECIMENS: THE HOW Dr. It also can be used to hold the tabbing strips in place during adhesive cure. of Ford Motor Co. in the uncured state. However. and the Rand Corp. including the test methods committees of ASTM and the Composite Materials Handbook 17. The spacer plates maintain the desired gage length when the tabbing strips are indexed against them. However.. Therefore. for adhesives that have very high cure temperatures. T he when and why of tabbing composite test specimens were the subjects of my previous column (see “Learn More. some approaches will have more appeal than others to individual readers. In that case. each approach meets our objective: to adhesively bond four strips of tabbing material to a panel of composite material from which individual test specimens can be cut (see Fig. the bonding surfaces of both the Individual test specimens to be cut from the tabbed panel Fig. That is. but they must be wider than the composite panel so they can be bolted together at each end with the panel sandwiched between them. Masking tape can be used as a marker and will keep adhesive from getting onto the panel’s gage section. the fixture’s cover plate. so I will discuss several approaches. to better prevent slippage during adhesive cure. Its high thermal conductivity ensures efficient heat transfer during elevated-temperature curing. Finally. the pins serve the same purpose as the spacer plates of the previous approach. Then adhesive is applied to the two remaining tabbing strips. 17). Perhaps the simplest approach is to apply adhesive to each of the four tabbing strips and then position them on a composite plate that has been marked to indicate the desired gage length. A tensile specimen tabbing fixture is shown on the left in Fig. and the composite panel must be narrow enough to fit between the left and right pins. a more thermally stable tape might be a better choice. The top pins are spaced apart from the bottom pins to establish the desired specimen gage length. he joined the University of Wyoming. Tab alignment is made easier by using two spacer plates. He holds a BS and an MS in mechanical engineering and a Ph. 1). But both adhesive types. and then each is placed. the adhesive can be paste or film. I must emphasize that there is no one right way. Donald F. it can be done. Inexpensive and readily available. and to each other. keeping the multiple pieces accurately positioned while the tape is applied can be a challenge. the fixture features two centered pins of this diameter (the smaller pins in the figure). make it easy for the mating parts to slip out of alignment. the Aeronutronic Div. which included a discussion of tabbing materials. Then the composite panel is added and indexed against either the left or right pair of pins. When paste adhesive is used. But with a little practice. it might be desirable to use a material that exhibits greater strength and stiffness at high temperatures. This article describes the how. adhesive side up. However. with hole locations that match the pins in the base plate. As discussed last time. No matter which fixture is used. (Salt Lake City. Fixture plates are typically aluminum. Following a total of 12 years with Northrop Aircraft Corp. and they are placed on the composite panel against the indexing pins. Adams is the president of Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. 2). Note that the tabbing strips must be wide enough to engage the indexing pins. 2 shows a tabbing fixture for a Modified D 695 Compression specimen. is lowered into position to complete the assembly. masking tape is often used. The right side of Fig.” p. The fixture’s base plate is fitted with pins. Because this specimen has a very short (4. against which the tabbing strips are indexed to establish the specimen gage length. The plates’ length should equal the specimen gage length. and the tabbing strips for both ends of the specimen are indexed against them.D in theoretical and applied mechanics. it can be applied to the tabbing strips and the composite plate.78 mm/0. excessive application should be avoided to minimize cleanup. teach and serve with numerous industry groups. The use of a film adhesive minimizes the risk of excessive use and cleanup. Utah). but it can be difficult to remove when the adhesive is cured at an elevated tempera- ture. 2. typically made of metal and similar in thickness to the tabbing strips. . a press (with heated platens. tc. if required) or an autoclave. A conventional router also can be used. Compaction during cure can be achieved using weights.O. smoke and toxicity) and Heat Release properties.com @ Read this article online at http://short. Divinycell F is recyclable and provides excellent FST (fire. October 2002. -PUKV\[TVYLHIV\[+P]PU`JLSS-H[!^^^KPHINYV\WJVT Introducing Divinycell® F40 DIAB Group Box 201 | SE-312 22 Laholm.2 mm or 0. a milling machine or surface grinder can be used. 18) or visit http://short. 2 Specimen tabbing fixtures. DIAB supplies a complete core material range for aircraft interiors.020 to 0. if the panel has any surface irregularities.” Federal Aviation Administration Report No. To increase speed and accuracy. compositesworld.5 to 1. release agents.pdf.com/63DK3S6x. quality and decreases manufacturing cost as well as the weight of interiors. Adams and D.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 17 . Another issue is control of the bondline thickness (typically 0.TESTING TECH Fig.F. Film adhesives are not problematic because the film is al- LEARN MORE www. Divinycell F is an excellent alternative that provides the highest level of design freedom. compositesworld. Changing the way aircraft interiors are made +LJYLHZPUNSPML[PTLJVZ[HUKLU]PYVUTLU[HSPTWHJ[ Divinycell® F is a core material range speci fically developed for aircraft interiors that improves lifecycle cost and decreases environmental impact. and (2) roughen the surface to enhance mechanical bonding. Importantly.050 inch). a vacuum bag.faa.com www. the taper can be achieved in several ways. online at http://www. alcohol or similar solvent. composite panel and the tabbing strips must be adequately prepared prior to applying the adhesive. such as mold waxes. with the tabbing strip held at the correct angle by a clamping jig.diabgroup. The goal is twofold: (1) remove all surface contaminants. If tapered tabs are used. Adams.compositesworld. potentially damaging the underlying fibers. However. Adams’ discussion of “Tabbing composite test specimens: When and why. DOT/FAA/AR02/106. Sweden Phone: +46 (0)430 163 00 | Fax: +46 (0)430 163 96 E-mail:
[email protected]. “Tabbing Guide for Composite Test Specimens. this is achieved by removing some of the plate’s thin.1 Reference 1 D. will remove more material at the high points. resin-rich surface by either light hand sanding or grit blasting. When compared with honeycombs.com/l6ZbF6BA. On the panel. which maintains the thickness during cure. excessive grit blasting also can damage fibers. Now with Divinycell F40. For paste adhesives. Read Dr.gov/its/worldpac/techrpt/ar02-106. The simplest approach is to use a belt sander with the tabbing strip resting on a tapered block of the desired angle. dried and then wiped with acetone. the thickness can be controlled by placing a few glass beads or a wire of the appropriate diameter onto the adhesive at each end of the tabbing strip to act as a stop. The surfaces then can be washed in water to remove debris. greases and oils. 0’’ 3’’ 6’’ ready a uniform thickness and typically has a woven glass carrier cloth embedded in it.” in HPC March 2011 (p. The latter is preferred when such equipment is available because sanding. Calif. the objectives of the X37B include space experimentation.” According to the Air Force. and El Segundo. Boeing program management..000-kg X-37B is onefourth the size of a Space Shuttle. The 11. prepping the X-37B for its next flight at a fraction of the cost required to do the same for NASA’s Space Shuttles.000-lb/5. The mostly composite OTV was launched on an Atlas V rocket into a low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41. Source: Boeing 18 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . NASA’s X-37 program. built by Scaled Composites (Mojave. as a 90 percent-scale version of what would later be designated the X-37 space plane.NEWS NEWS Unmanned X-37B orbital test vehicle begins second flight Crewless spacecraft could replace Space Shuttle and reduce costs T he Boeing Co. test and mission support functions for the OTV program are conducted at Boeing sites in Huntington Beach. lifted aloft by and launched from the WhiteKnight aircraft. Seal Beach. Boeing has yet to release specifics about the X-37B’s composite construction. The vehicle was built using composite structures. The X37B also features toughened uni-piece fibrous insulation (TUFI) impregnated silica tiles that are significantly more durable than the first-generation tiles used on the Space Shuttles. the X-40A was produced at Boeing’s Phantom Works facility at Seal Beach. Calif. then successfully reentered Earth’s atmosphere and landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base..S. highly maneuverable space vehicles for deploying satellites. The X-37 vehicle envisioned by NASA formed the basis for the current X37B Orbital Test Vehicle program. reusable. risk reduction. Calif. Built by Boeing in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (Wright-Patterson AFB. engineering. The X-37 program eventually was taken over by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). rather than traditional aluminum. the first occurred in April 2010. the first-phase flight test vehicle for the U. Louis. Boeing’s commitment to this spacebased unmanned vehicle spans a decade and includes support for the original Air Force Research Lab. It was the second launch of the OTV. says Boeing. “History was made in December when the X-37B became the United States’ first unmanned vehicle to return from space and land on its own.S. The Air Force also wants to trim turnaround time between space flights from months to days. The SMV program aimed to develop small. in December 2010. replacing the carbon/carbon wing leading edge segments on the Space Shuttle. and features a new generation of high-temperature wing leading-edge tiles made of toughened fibrous refractory oxidation-resistant ceramic. rather than the hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells used in the Shuttle orbiters The unmanned X-37 program began more than a decade ago with the Boeing X-40A. Advanced conformal reusable insulation (CRI) blankets also are part of the vehicle.). HPC reported in the July/August 2000 issue that the X-40A’s airframe was constructed of carbon/ bismaleimide prepreg. surveillance.) on March 5 announced the successful launch of the second Boeingbuilt X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) for the U.” said Craig Cooning. Ohio). Mo. And the X37B is powered by gallium arsenide solar cells with lithium-ion batteries. Calif. and DARPA’s X-37 approach. and concept-of-operations development for affordable and reusable space-vehicle technologies. VP and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. and the vehicle remained aloft in orbit for approximately eight months. and logistics missions. Air Force’s Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV) program of the late 1990s. “The success of that mission validated this reusable and effective way to test new technologies in space and return them for examination. It features many elements that mark “firsts” in space use. which conducted a series of tests in September 2006 that included captive carry and free flight of the X-37. relies on the same family of lifting body design and features a similar landing profile. (St. Ill. Airbus (Toulouse.3 to 6. The Netherlands) and two of EAD’s divisions. which increases productivity. EADS cites economy as a driver for the thermoplastic system. Use of thermoplastics eliminates the need for frozen storage and autoclave processing currently required for thermoset prepregs. The first will be an A30X (next-generation A320) doublecurvature lower fuselage skin measuring 5m/16 ft long by 1.6m to 2m (5. new process in testing A new technology called Flash TP made its debut Feb.13 million USD) automated fiber placement machine for thermoplastic composites is located at Technocampus EMC2. Canada) robotic arm. Ontario. designed by Irepa Laser (Illkirch. The €1. maintained a silver composite performance rating for each month of the 12-month performance period from Oct. has been modified to make the thermoplastic tapes flexible for precision application via a silicone roller.. (Chicago. BIZ BRIEF Advanced Composites Group Inc. each of the financing partners will use the machine in the coming months to produce a demonstrator part. Okla. made from 20 plies of highstrength carbon and PEEK or PPS matrix.6 ft) in radius. Because thermoplastic prepreg is not tacky. 4 at Technocampus IMC2 (Nantes. Paris. According to Technocampus. which will numerically model the thermal/mechanical characteristics of the materials and parts. That fact. the machine will enable R&D teams from each of the three divisions of EADS to identify the advantages and disadvantages of thermoplastic technologies and thus validate the choice of technology best suited to the design of future aerostructures. France and Munich. as well as corporate research and technology unit Innovation Works (IW. The Boeing Co. Germany). ACG Inc. Toward this end. 2009 to Sept. Technocampus officials report. Also among the project partners is the Ecole Centrale de Nantes. it leaves no residue to clog tools or machinery. The head is mounted on a KUKA Robotics (Toronto. 30. 1. (Tulsa. France) and Astrium (Paris. which moves longitudinally on fixed rails. The Flash TP program was funded by EADS (Leiden. France). has made it unnecessary to stop the machine for maintenance during the first six months of trial service. France). M AY 2 0 1 1 | 19 .) issues the award annually to recognize suppliers who have achieved superior performance.) recently received the 2010 Boeing Performance Excellence Award.Thermoplastic composites on tap for the A30X.5 million ($2. France) developed the machine. Coriolis Composites (Queven. including those used in space launch vehicles. a research and technology center focused on new composite materials implementation. Its laser heat- ing head. 2010. France). The jet will head to Edwards Air Force Base. Conn. CA Aerovac Systems Ltd. Texas) announced on Feb. Western Australia) has secured another opportunity for aerospace/defense manufacturing work in Australia. the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F35A variant. 903-878-7291.) has finished its last critical structure on the U. Windmill manufacturers look to Precision Fabrics Group to help them create something beyond the limits of existing materials and processes. Australian advanced materials company Quickstep Holdings Ltd. a mix of endings. it takes more than just power to turn wind into electrical energy. Turkey.. promising starts and meaningful progress.K. During the flight. INC. Lockheed Martin (Ft.S. U. Calif. NH TECHNOLOGY MARKETING. or contact one of our distributors. INC. The MOU is contingent 20 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . it anticipates significant growth in the coming three years as other key programs get underway.S. Designed to meet U. Germany NORTHERN COMPOSITES 603-926-1910. 801-265-0111. Worth. 49-896-072-5393. The air forces of Italy. Denmark. F-22 Raptor fighter jet program. announcing in early March that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky (Stratford.com 1-888-PEEL-PLY (733-5759) | Fax 336-510-8003 Precision Fabrics is an ISO 9001 certified company he last few months have seen several developments in military programs served by the composites community. Air Force requirements — this variant also is the primary export version of the Lightning II. 25 that the first production model of the F-35 Lightning II (photo) made its inaugural flight in preparation for delivery to the U. Norway and Israel will employ the F-35A. Matrix Composites (Rockledge. The Netherlands. Today. TX precisionfabrics. underwent basic flight maneuvering and engine tests. More than 20 trained aerospace technicians were employed at Matrix using advanced manufacturing methods and proprietary processes to build these components. a first step toward membership in Sikorsky’s global supply chain. Matrix was one of four companies qualified worldwide to produce specific components related to the aircraft’s low-observable fuselage and critical airframe structures. Call John Houston at 1-888-PEEL-PLY. Matrix Composites has been manufacturing components on the Raptor since 2005. Inc. Australia. Air Force this spring. Fla. Canada. Although the company has felt the impact from F-22 program termination. 562-906-3300. The composites-intensive F-22 was discontinued by the Obama Administration in 2010 in a cost-cutting effort. (North Coogee. 44-1274-550-500.S. UT GREGORY YOUNG SALES & SERVICE. FLUGZEUG UNION SUD We’ll work the same way with you to develop products for your specific applications. known as AF-6.NEWS Military aerospace programs update T THE POWER OF PLY UMECO COMPOSITE GROUP COMPANIES Richmond Aircraft Products.). to support developmental testing shortly after the Air Force takes delivery. "(. a new aluminized glass fabric with the unique appearance and functionality of moldable steel and the strong. If Sikorsky wins the contract (the award is expected in the third quarter of this year). According to Naval Safety Center records. you need a material that was engineered to get attention – Barracuda® . the two companies intend. these attributes deliver a distinctive combination of beauty and strength that will transform any composite product into one that Dares to be Different. the MV-22 has had the lowest Class A mishap rate of any rotorcraft in the Marine Corps during the past decade. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264. The milestone occurred Feb.000-hour mark. The Boeing Co. 10 during a U. Source: Lockheed Martin If you want your product to stand out in a crowd. The aircraft’s reduced susceptibility. Ő -"31#. Sikorsky is one of two helicopter suppliers that have tendered for the program. Ill.#. Texas) on March 2 congratulated the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) V-22 Joint Program Office following its announcement that the Bell Boeing-built. composites-intensive V-22 Osprey fleet has surpassed 100.on Sikorsky’s ability to secure a contract for the purchase of its MH-60R helicopters under the Australian Department of Defence’s Air 9000 Phase 8 program. lower vulnerability and advanced crashworthiness have made it the most survivable military rotorcraft ever introduced./ M AY 2 0 1 1 | 21 . under the MOU.) and Bell Helicopter (Ft. (Chicago. Available in 5 daring colors For a sample or more info on Barracuda®.com or call 1-800-476-4845.000 flight hours. which is the Australian Department of Defence’s acquisition program for a new naval tactical helicopter fleet. Barracuda is a registered trademark of BGF Industries. Worth. visit barracuda-bgf. Together.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey combat mission in Afghanistan. a leading worldwide producer of high-performance technical fabrics.. to conduct joint development work aimed at preparing Quickstep’s patented Quickstep Process for use in the Sikorsky supply chain. operating out of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province. durable lightweight characteristics of traditional high-performance fabrics. was identified as the squadron that eclipsed the 100. the main structure is an autoclave-cured sandwich construction. where an earlier attempt took place in April. the marine business of Gurit (Isle of Wight. SE84LV and SE70 and some dry reinforcements. Czech Republic) carbon tube that acts as a spar. there are risks involved.625 ft apart. currently stands at 55. “Of course.” The revised craft — the original was described in HPC’s January 2009 issue (http://short. U.NEWS North Coast Tool & Mold Corp. Fabricated with materials from SP-High Modulus.com www.com Phone (216) 398-8550 ISO9001-2000 AS9100B C o m p o s i t e s he revolutionary Sailrocket has undergone design changes that its builders say will give the unusual sailing craft the opportunity to make greater speed as it aims to break the outright world speed-sailing record. Mold design and manufacturing New version of Sailrocket aims to break sailing speed world record North Coast Composites Inc. pointing out. Namibia. At HPC’s press time. The wingskins are a polyester 22 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . “This project is a strong representation of the willingness to innovate and create.). Sailrocket’s project leader and pilot. The mark.nctm. a measure of the average speed of an unpowered watercraft between two points set 500m/1. the Sailrocket 2 was being prepared for shipping to Walvis Bay.com/zRWoPW48) — was launched March 8 at an empty weight of only 275 kg/605 lb.K.compositesworld. Its wing-like sail is built around a CompoTech (Sušice.65 knots (around 64 mph). Prepregs included Gurit’s Ampreg 22.northcoastcomposites. RTM process development and serial part manufacturing T The Companies of North Coast COMMITTED TO ADVANCING THE COMPOSITE INDUSTRY www. comprising carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg skins over an aramid honeycomb core.” says Paul Larsen. That’s the challenge. K. Inc. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 23 .FMU 5ISFF3PMM3FWFSTF3PMM'JMNFST t 4JOHMF 5PX%SVN8JOEFST t 'JCFS6OXJOE$SFFMT WAECO equipment is now offered by C. has the equivalent aerodynamic drag of a 74 cm/30-inch diameter sphere. A.com and litzlerautomation. including rigging.. OH 44135 USA Phone: 216-267-8020 t Fax: 216-267-9856 t
[email protected]. Inc.com For more information.).com Hot Melt PrePreg Machinery t i4w8SBQ4UZMF. Angles Backup Structure Kits heat shrink film supplied by HIFI Films (Stevenage. According to Larsen. Litzler Co. Tubes. A. KS 67215 Phone: 316-946-5900 Ɣ Email: Sales@BurnhamCS. C. the entire boat. U. and its revised design enables the pilot to maneuver the craft in much rougher water than the first version could handle.com.Source: Lloyd images for Sailrocket TOOLING COMPOSITE HH igh Temperature Bond Tools x BMI x Epoxy Mill Fixtures Pressure Intensifiers / Cauls Backup Structure Materials x Panels.. please visit calitzler.com t www. Litzler Co. 34th Street South Ɣ Wichita. 6262 W.BDIJOF *ODSFBTFQSPEVDUJPOTQFFETVQUPGQN t )PU. 160th StreettCleveland. t4800 W. . The primary objective is to develop more energy-efficient.com ■ main@masterbond.) under which Harper will provide a full pilot-scale carbon fiber process line. Master Bond EP46HT-1 Epoxy Serviceable Up To 600˚F • Glass transition temperature in excess of 235°C • Two-component system: 100 to 35 mix ratio by weight • 2 to 3 hour cure at 250°-300°F • Resists thermal cycling • Superior durability • High physical strength properties • Excellent chemical resistance • Dimensional stability • 100% reactive: contains no solvents or diluents • Coefficient of thermal expansion 40 in/in x 10-6/°C • Easy application • Convenient packaging 154 Hobart St. enabling lowcost production of carbon fibers. A renewable resource. imagine the profits you’ll make from the right cutting solution. ORNL researchers will use the line to negotiate the next steps in an effort to use lignin as a precursor. Hackensack.Y. NJ 07601 TEL: 201-343-8983 ■ FAX: 201-343-2132 www. hermal processing equipment manufacturer Harper International (Buffalo.) finalized in late March a contract with the U. decrease fuel consumption.S. N. reliable. lignin is separated from paper-mill and/or bio-refinery cellulose and is far less costly than traditional precursors. the customdesigned conversion process will support ORNL’s ongoing Low Cost Carbon Fiber research and technology-transfer program.com MULTIPLE SPREADING & CUTTING SOLUTIONS.eastmancuts. From software to equipment. IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES.com Visit us at SAMPE Booth #921 M AY 2 0 1 1 | 25 . pre.ORNL to install full-scale carbon fiber pilot line from Harper Int’l L T DEPENDABLE. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL..masterbond. A key target market is automotive manufacturing. ©2011 Eastman Manual Automated Feeding & F Spreading Design & Cut Software 1-716-856-2200 imagine@eastmancuts. Valued at more than $12 million (USD). and material transport systems. More importantly. Eastman will design a full-service system that will be versatile. So now you’ll only be limited by your imagination and not your capabilities. Tenn. where carbon composites would substantially reduce vehicle weight. robust and easy to use. respectively. cost-effective materials and processes for production of affordable carbon composites.com www. Eastman® specializes in customized options for new and high tech materials. and result in lower greenhouse gas emissions.and posttreatment fiber conditioning as well as gas treatment and handling. rated for 1000°C/1832°F and 2000°C/3632°F. advanced LT and HT slot furnaces. The line will be built around Harper’s proprietary multiflow oxidation oven technology. Oak Ridge. . headed by Charles (Chuck) Gumbert. A. The Olympus CFRP inspection solutions offers important benefits: t )JHIJOTQFDUJPOTQFFE t 1PXFSGVMBOEWFSTBUJMFTPGUXBSF t &BTFPGEFQMPZNFOU t (SFBUFS10% t $TDBOJNBHJOH t 1PSUBCJMJUZ For worldwide representation visit www. 22 an agreement whereupon they will team to provide consulting services to the global aerospace and defense industry. Calif. The primary mission of the Tomcat Management Group. GMC2 provides professional services involving contract changes & claims and/or litigation research. the GLIDER™ scanner (flat panels). Says Matt Litzler. a worldwide supplier of custom hot-melt prepreg machines. Calif.5 m/min).olympus-ims.BIZ BRIEFS C. (WAECO. Orange. “We have long admired the technology that Steve Velleman developed over the years at WAECO. Ohio) has acquired the technical assets of Western Advanced Engineering Co. and phased array probes dedicated to CFRP inspections. PHASED ARRAY INSPECTION SOLUTIONS FOR CFRP OmniScan¨ CFRP Flat Panel and Radii Inspection Solutions Olympus offers complete solutions for the inspection of carbon fiber reinforced polymers flat panels and radii. Litzler Co.” WAECO is the originator of the trademarked “S-wrap” prepreg process. Litzler Co.A. Kan.com See us at SAMPE 2011 booth 1505 M AY 2 0 1 1 | 27 . (Cleveland. president of C. and we are very pleased that Steve has entrusted Litzler with carrying on the WAECO name.) announced Feb. The Tomcat Group (Wichita. Laguna Niguel. which can increase production speed on a standard hot-melt prepregging line to as high as 100 ft/min (30.) and Growth Management and Constructive Changes (GMC2. is to provide senior-level interim management services to the aerospace manufacturing and MRO market segments with a focus on underperforming assets. and is headed by Edward G..). Inc. Carson. These solutions are based on the field-proven OmniScan® PA flaw detector. . Whether by thermoforming or high-speed CNC. German ar tg ut St Sep 27-29. Louis. Design without limits.12 million (USD) grant from the Bavaria FIT program under the Bavarian undersecretary of the state of Katja Hessel. and Technical Fibers. Design and produce composite components with the greatest of ease. You can find a contact person at www. a 25-year veteran in this sector and the former VP of marketing at Toho Tenax America Inc.com.) has formally restructured its growing commercial-grade carbon fiber business. The Wind Energy Business Unit. The new units join Zoltek Automotive. Philip Schell. A worthwhile idea. ad St 8. Founded at the end of 2006 and based in Kelheim.Commercial-grade carbon fiber supplier restructures for growth Z oltek Corp.rohacell. ROHACELL® eliminates geometric challenges by combining creativity and mechanical effectiveness. He and his team have been tasked with strengthening Zoltek’s position in these markets and developing new applications for heat. These value-added products are being developed by Zoltek’s R&D group under the leadership of vice president David Purcell. led by Dr. BIZ BRIEF European Precursor GmbH (EPG). the restructuring effort more accurately reflects the way that Zoltek resources align with specific market opportunities and the anticipated future growth within those markets. Germany) and Lenzing Group (Kelheim. According to the company. This joint venture secures SGL Group’s long-term supply of raw materials for carbon fiber targeted to these applications. EPG’s objective is to develop and supply carbon fiber precursor exclusively for SGL Group and European production. Since the establishment of the joint venture. Zoltek also will expand its Technical Fibers Business Unit.5 million/$2.) has been named VP. The Composite Intermediate Business Unit will focus primarily on the commercialization of value-added carbon fiber products via higher-throughput. With ROHACELL®. Composite Intermediates. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 29 . which includes the Pyron and Panex 30 product lines for aircraft brakes and flame. (St. reported on Feb. lower-cost conversion methods that will consolidate the supply chain and open up new market applications. both parties have invested approximately €25 million in a production facility that serves industrial applications. 17 that it has received a €1. With ROHACELL® you can optimize integral construction. technical fibers.and friction-resistant technical fibers. is structured to capitalize on the market that is generating the most immediate need for Zoltek’s products and has the greatest potential for growth in the future. Realize your own individual lightweight construction solutions with ROHACELL®. (Rockwood. a joint venture between SGL Group – The Carbon Company (Wiesbaden. Germany). The grant will fund EPG’s development of a novel highperformance carbon fiber precursor. Peter Oswald. which was established in April 2010 as a major applications-development center. 2011 • SAMPE each. USA 6. Long B May 23-2 ion 2011 nt ley Conve • CFK-Val Germany e. One result is the creation of three business units: Wind Energy. Tenn. particularly in the automotive engineering and wind energy sectors. the nature and composition of which was not revealed by SGL.and heat-resistant applications in automotive and protective clothing. June 07-0 2011 te Europe y • Composi t. Mo. . Video extensometry made easy.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 31 . Finland and the Baltic states. U. GRPMS. • Continuous measurement through specimen break. solid laminate. Booth #1027 TCAC_HPC_HalfHoz_032311 Photos courtesy of the U. Boeing. Morgan Hill. The contract.). We give you more ways to collect more precise strain data with our single and multi-camera video extensometer systems. • Greater application flexibility. Ireland. or flexure tests.5 and ASTM E83 Class B1 using pattern recognition technology.K). saline baths. U. net-molded ribs and spars. 24 that it has been chosen by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI. is valued at $6 million (USD). And more valuable. working through its network of distribution centers. Military.Partnering with customers to provide tailored prepreg systems for: s Commercial and General Aviation Aircraft s Military and UAV's s Space and Satellites s Radomes and Antennas s Oil & Gas. and rudder skins into a comolded.Leaders in thermoplastic and thermoset advanced composites TenCate . Sigmatex products include woven.tencateadvancedcomposites.K.K. unidirectional. including samples inside a temperature chamber. reported on April 11 that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Sigmatex (UK) Ltd. France. GRPMS will distribute the Sigmatex product range in the U. • Unmatched resolution. Tel Aviv. compression. Heanor. for 250 rudders.. Ohio) reported on Feb. CA 95037 USA Tel: +1 408 776 0700 Campbellweg 30 7443 PV Nijverdal NL Tel: +31 548 633 700 Cetex® Thermo-Lite® Cetex® RTL Cetex® System3 www. highly efficient manufacturing process.com TENCATE ADVANCED COMPOSITES TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOR TenCate . AirBus. a member of Umeco Composites Structural Materials (UCSM. • Measurement of both axial and lateral strain in tension.Delivering innovation through performance-based prepregs TenCate . Scandinavia. (Runcorn. Medical and Energy See us at SAMPE 2011.com E-mail: tcac-us@tencate. typical 1/100. North Coast reports that this complex part is the first of its kind and was made possible by specially designed RTM tooling and a streamlined.S. (215) 675-7100 www. singlepiece. Derbyshire. GRPMS provides service in the composites market. • Better measurement for uncertainty calculations. and wide selection of lenses. Israel) not only to build the tooling for the composite rudder assemblies for the Gulfstream G250 business jet but also to manufacture them via resin transfer molding (RTM). The carbon fiber/epoxy G250 rudder integrates lightning strike protection.TiniusOlsen.BIZ BRIEFS North Coast Composites (Cleveland. multiaxial and three-dimensional carbon fiber reinforcements.000 of lens field of view. or other harsh environments. NASA and Gulfstream TENCATE ADVANCED COMPOSITES 18410 Butterfield Blvd. • Point-to-point real time strain measurement compliant to ISO 9513 Class 0. Papavero will report directly to Daniel Harari. Ph. and production support engineering.E. has joined the company as senior VP of engineering and chief engineer. with responsibility for new product development. Most recently. Colo. Jonas.) takes over the position from interim director. as well as Columbia Aircraft . Olcott has more than 20 years of experience in composite structures design and certification. P. he served as VP of engineering at Piper Aircraft. Kan. John Laffen. He previously worked at the now defunct Adam Aircraft and at Scaled Technology Works. Brazil. France) has appointed Adriana Vono Papavero to the position of managing director of Lectra South America. who was recently promoted to worldwide director of sales for Lectra … Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research has hired Paul Jonas as director of the Environmental Test Labs and Special Programs. new product development. aircraft certification. formerly of Hawker Beechcraft (Wichita. and program management. 32 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . Lectra CEO.D. Cutting equipment manufacturer Lectra (Paris.) has announced that Dennis Olcott. flight test. She replaces Edouard Macquin.NEWS PEOPLE BRIEFS AdamWorks LLC (Centennial.. Based in São Paulo. production support engineering. He will be responsible to extend the lab’s reach to OEMs and suppliers.... 526. Composites are expected play a role in many of the teams’ launch vehicles and robots. NASA will offer each of the six a contract worth as much as $10 million (USD). the X PRIZE Foundation (Playa Vista. The competing teams range from nonprofits and university consortia to billion-dollar businesses. Space Il of Israel.googlelunarxprize. The X PRIZE roster was named as NASA.S.) announced the official roster of 29 registered teams that will vie for the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE. Reportedly. SpaceMETA of Brazil. the U. civil space agency. and how such cooperation could play an important role in making missions to the Moon financially sustainable.org). Puli of Hungary. On the list: U.webermfg. ON www.640 ft and successfully transmits video and still images and other data back to the Earth. The agency’s interest demonstrates how public and private space exploration efforts can be interwoven. travels at least 500m/1. upon arrival. 18. representing 17 nations on four continents.ca M AY 2 0 1 1 | 33 . Calif. Contestants will try to be the first privately funded group to deliver to Earth’s moon a robot that.7896 • Midland. announced that it will purchase data related to innovative lunar missions from six of the Google Lunar X PRIZE teams. Angelicum Chile of Chile and Phoenicia of the USA (earn more about the teams and competition details at www. Precision Tooling and CNC Machining for the Composites Industry Precision Steel Invar NVD Nickel Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc Tel 705.O X PRIZE Foundation announces private moon race contestants n Feb.-based Mystical Moon.S. using composites technology and a unique wing to “fly” up to 10 km/6. says Virgin Oceanic. The world’s leading supplier of boron and silicon carbide fiber products and advanced composite materials.compositesworld.specmaterials. the only piloted craft in existence that has an operating depth of 37.” The single-occupant submarine will be used over the next several months to explore the deepest parts of the Earth’s oceans. Designed by Graham Hawkes. Many times less expensive to manufacture and operate than less-capable counterparts.2 miles over the ocean floor while collecting video and data. the Mariana Trench. 11 km/7 miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. 1449 Middlesex Street Lowell. The vehicle is made from carbon fiber/epoxy composites and titanium. sporting goods and industrial applications where the highest mechanical and physical performance properties are required. Virgin Oceanic reports. MA 01851 (978) 322-1900 ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED www.NEWS COMPOSITE TEST FIXTURES Virgin Oceanic to launch deepsea business and submersible vessel S ASTM D5961 Open Hole ASTM C297 2” Square Flatwise Tension ASTM D6641 Combined Loading Torque and Fastener Testers Call us today for a complete line of composite testing fixtures: -ASTM D695 -ASTM D2344 -ASTM D3410 -ASTM D5379 -Boeing CAI -Boeing OHC -Boeing D695 -Boeing Flex -Sacma CAI -Sacma OHC -Sacma D695 -Sacma Flex -ASTM D5961 -Boeing Peel -Sacma Peel Material Testing Technology 1676 S. boron and silicon carbide fibers exhibit unique combinations of High Strength. The first dive will be to the Mariana Trench. Pressure testing of the craft will be conducted over the next three months.000 ft/11. General Atomics Predator-B UAV Used selectively in an advanced composite design. the late adventurer Steve Fossett.net ir Richard Branson announced in April the launch of the new Virgin Oceanic business unit. the submarine was originally commissioned by Branson’s friend. Our fibers are used in aircraft. Fiber Preforms Boron and SCS silicon carbide fibers are available on spools or in appropriate preforms for composite applications. the craft will journey to the deepest part of each of Earth’s five oceans. who was to use it to complete the first solo dive to the deepest place on the planet. Specialty Materials.com 34 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . Branson intends to finish what Fossett started (see http://short. Inc.278m and can operate for 24 hours unaided from the surface. Experience Boron composites have a large design database and a proud history in past and present military aircraft. IL 60090 PH: (847) 215-7448 Fax: (847) 215-7449 Website: www. Hy-Bor™ prepreg tape can deliver up to double digit weight savings to compression-critical components. High Modulus and Large Diameter. CVD Fibers Produced in single-filament reactors by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). the submarine is. Wolf Road—Wheeling. and with it a composites-intensive submarine that “represents a transformational technological advance in submarine economics and performance.mttusa. Through 2012. aerospace.com/6TjCL4Lz). • Long-fiber thermoplastic pellet: a highstrength pellet made from carbon fiber.9200. 40). (Tokyo. such as machine tools and industrial robots. or roughly one-fifth the weight of a conventional automobile cabin frame. Teijin reports that it also has developed welding technologies that can join thermoplastic CFRP parts and bond thermoplastic CFRP with metals.920. To demonstrate its new technologies. 5-Axis Machining Centers For Composites Phone: 330. depending on the required strength and cost of the part. The intermediate materials include: • Unidirectional intermediate: ultrahigh strength in a certain direction.com • E-Mail: sales@quintax. Teijin aims to establish new midstream and downstream business models for its carbon fiber composites business by supplying CFRP parts to the market.920. ext 137 • Fax: 330.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 35 . was on display at the JEC Composites show (see our “JEC Highlights” on p. passenger cell. which will help to reduce the use of metal in manufacturing processes. each of carbon fiber impregnated with thermoplastic resin. (Another four-seat EV concept with a CFRP Source: Teifjin Ltd. and they can be made with various thermoplastic resins. Teijin has developed an electricvehicle (EV) concept car (see photo) that features a cabin frame made entirely from thermoplastic CFRP and weighing only 47 kg/104 lb. Teijin says it has developed three intermediate materials. Teijin says it intends to develop mass-production applications for CFRP in automobiles and many other items that require certain levels of structural strength.4200 • Website: www. including polypropylene and polyamide. for the production of CFRP suited for use in mass-production vehicles.Sixty-second cycle time for carbon composites? T eijin Ltd. • Isotropic intermediate: a balance between shape flexibility and multidirectional strength. Teijin’s new technologies include use of the press forming process combined with intermediate prepreg materials made of thermoplastic resin instead of conventional thermosetting resin. Teijin says it will use the concept to introduce its technologies to automakers and parts suppliers and to promote joint automotive lightweighting initiatives. The four-seat EV is capable of speeds up to 60 kmh/37 mph and has a cruising range of 100 km/62 miles. achieving a cycle time of less than one minute. from SGL/BMW. Japan) announced on March 9 that it has established a mass-production technology for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The materials can be used selectively.quintax. used for injection molding of complex parts. NEWS Cirrus Aircraft: Will U.” Cirrus executives have. including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and by the U.S. a Bahrain-based investment group. or AVIC. (Duluth. subject to customary clos- ing conditions. investors fend off buyout by Chinese firm? eneral aircraft manufacturer Cirrus Industries Inc. solicit capital support from U. Acquisition of Cirrus will mark the third takeover by AVIC of a U. president of general aviation-related consulting firm Brian Foley Associates (BRiFO. Government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). so far. China).” says Foley.J. investors and reach out to Cirrus’ primary owners to see if they’d accept a serious counter-offer. Sparta. If the AVIC transaction goes forward.S. aviation company. Minn. Ltd. of China. Within two weeks.). “People want this company to be owned and operated G Source: Cirrus on American soil. and introduced important new technologies and rocketed to market leadership. pointing out.S. downplayed risk associated with the impending deal. owns a 60 percent share. N. (CAIGA. “Cirrus is an American success story that started in a humble dairy barn. claimed that he and his firm will attempt to quash the Cirrus/AVIC transaction.S. noting that relocation to China is unlikely and that Cirrus is not presently Americanowned: Arcapita. a business unit of Aviation Industry Corp. period. AVIC previously bought the 36 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . however. passion and near-unanimity of the feedback we received from the aviation community. Brian Foley. Zhuhai. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. What surprised me was the speed. as well as all relevant Chinese government approvals. Cirrus says the deal is expected to close in mid-2011. 28 that it will be acquired by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co.) announced on Feb. GA activity. according to FAA statistics. Ben Sclair says that general aviation (GA) in China has nowhere to go but up: between 1999 and 2009. estimated GA flight hours in the U. and is second only to Cessna (Wichita. Ore. and light piston aircraft is one of CAIGA’s business focuses. “With this transaction.” IRU&RPSRVLWH &KDOOHQJHV &RPSRVLWH PHWDOWRROLQJ $GYDQFHGFRPSRVLWH PDFKLQLQJ _. 2011).-based Epic Aircraft (reported by HPC in May 2010) and aviation engine-builder Continental Motors (Mobile. CAIGA’s president Meng Xiangkai says. Cirrus Aircraft has led sales of fourplace light aircraft for nine consecutive years. by Xin Dingding) Meng was quoted as saying that CAIGA will also consider building a production line on the Chinese mainland to produce Cirrus planes at a lower cost. According to Brent Wouters.000 new pistonengine composite airplanes during the last decade.” CAIGA provides general aircraft products and related services and is headquartered in Zhuhai in the Guangdong Province of China. fell from 27 million to 22 million.” Says Cirrus’ chairman and cofounder Dale Klapmeier.000 to 130. most exciting aircraft in the world.S.) in the sales of single-engine general aviation aircraft.S. In General Aviation News (March 16. Sclair says “Whether you are pro-China or not. CAIGA brings new resources that will allow us to expedite our aircraft development programs and accelerate our global expansion. Kan.” According to a published story in China Daily (dated March 2. While minimal compared to U. “This transaction will have a positive impact on our business and our customers because we share a common vision with CAIGA to grow our general aviation enterprise worldwide. Cirrus’s president and CEO.000.QIR#MDQLFNLFRP 3URWRW\SHSDUWV WV 'HVLJQVHUYLFHV HV ZZZMDQLFNLFRP RP M AY 2 0 1 1 | 37 . We are just embarking on our next chapter on a global stage. The original dream remains alive and well at Cirrus. general aviation flight hours in China jumped from 40. delivering nearly 5. between 1999 and 2005. In contrast. “CAIGA is dedicated to being an international leader in the provision of general aviation products and services. Ala. if demand in China and southeastern Asian countries warrants the move. Cirrus will continue to develop and build the best. 2011. China’s aviation market is opening up and growing.) in December 2010.assets of Bend. We are very optimistic to begin our partnership with Cirrus and add Cirrus’s strong brand as the cornerstone in our aviation product portfolio. 38 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . The 60.com phone: 704 504 4800 • fax: 704 504 5882 • m. Once assembled. with overhead power and air dropdowns. Two additional airframe test articles will be produced at Sikorsky’s main manufacturing plant in Stratford. NC 28273 • www.1 billion (USD).com Source: PR Newswire for the new CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. (Stratford. for flight testing. the aircraft will be delivered to the Sikorsky Development Flight Center (DFC) in West Palm Beach.) officially opened a new facility at its Florida Assembly and Flight Operations (FAFO) campus on March 22.. Five System Development and Demonstration (SDD) prototype aircraft will be built at the FAFO facility. Conn. has been completely
[email protected] facility. currently in the SDD phase. oil’s during ramp down cycle 14201 South Lakes Drive. Charlotte.single-temp. previously home to Pratt & Whitney-Rocketdyne. Fla. The CH-53K helicopter’s major subcontracts have been awarded and are valued at more $1. new aircraft workstands and overhead cranes that will support aircraft final assembly and rotor head/ quality control assembly operations.000 ft2/5. could produce as many as 200 aircraft. establishing experimental assembly-line operations VARIABLE TEMPERATURE TECHNOLOGY (VARIOTHERM) ID AVAILABLE FOR RAP HEAT COOL ABLE E TO HANDLE TEMPERATURES UP TO WITH WATER 437º Proven Signi⇒cant Bene⇒ts Over Typical Mold Temperature Control Techniques • Reduced overcall cycle time by as much as 35% • Maintained more uniform temperature gradient across the surface of the mold • Simpli⇒ed mold design • Signi⇒cantly smaller equipment footprint • Reduced cost and Eco-friendly • Advantage of water’s speci⇒c heat vs.NEWS BIZ BRIEF Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. The new aircraft program. Suite B. quality and ergonomic requirements are driving Bombardier’s technical approach to CSeries final assembly. IMC Slitting & Computerized Traverse Winding System for thermoset composites with interleaf 2 Stewart Place.2.” says Francois Minville. without any limitations.000 ft2 (~79. For example. and a moving final-assembly line is planned for Mirabel.com mclube.TPGUXBSF t1FSTPOBMJ[FE3%UPFOTVSF DVTUPNFSDPNQMJBODF tZSTFYQFSJFODF EFWFMPQJOHBEWBODFE DPOWFSUJOHUFDIOPMPHZ Thermoplastic spool with “taper pattern” B ombardier (Montreal.to 149-seat commercial passenger segment. the fuselage will have a larger diameter and its wings will be longer and its tail taller than those on the CRJ1000. which will ultimately double in size to ~860.” A moving production line is being introduced at Bombardier’s St-Laurent Manufacturing Centre. Finalassembly techniques. will deliver the lowest operating costs in that class. the side and underneath the aircraft. “The fuselage of the CSeries aircraft is 12 ft [3. Fairfield. This segment is valued at $393 billion (USD) over the next 20 years.7m] in diameter. VP. Bombardier claims that CSeries aircraft. which has composites-intensive wings and fuselage. to accommodate final assembly of the first flight test CSeries aircraft. These innovations are expected to create a dynamic environment that improves production efficiency.897m2).MCLUBE
[email protected] 149-seat segment.800. Canada) reported on April 7 that it has started work at its aircraft production facility in Mirabel. Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. which presents an assembly challenge using our conventional methods. optimized for the single-aisle. where major components of the CSeries aircraft. Québec.700 aircraft in the 100. 100. the CSeries aircraft. CSeries Manufacturing. has a full range of IMC slitting & computerized traverse winding equipment to slit and spool your advanced composite materials t1SFDJTJPO4MJUUJOH t&YUSFNFMZ"DDVSBUF 5FOTJPO$POUSPMXJUIJO HSBNT t$PNQVUFSJ[FE4QPPMJOH XJUIQSPQSJFUBSZ 4NBSUXJOEFS5. Production. apply sealant and install fasteners to join the major sections of the CSeries fuselage.com www. two pairs of robots will be used to drill holes. the contract converting division of IMC.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 39 . Bombardier’s goal is to capture as much as half of its forecasted market demand for 6. therefore. will differ.independentusa. Although the CSeries jet will be shorter than the company’s 128-ft/39mlong CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet. Quebec. New Jersey 07004 5&-t'"9 email:
[email protected] gears up for CSeries assembly ICE SPOOLING SERVICES Who knows how to wind a quality spool better than the innovator of computerized spooling machinery? ICE. such as the cockpit and aft fuselage.com 1. “The benefit of the robots is they can work on the top. This is another step in a five-phase development plan for the Mirabel plant. are produced. Panelists will discuss how aerospace manufacturers and their materials suppliers can turn this lack of widespread expertise to their advantage by pursuing business opportunities in construction and architecture.). The students engineer and fabricate test articles from either self-supplied materials or kits that SAMPE donors provide. major program support in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Systems Engineering) for the U. design methods and environmental concerns have opened the door to composites. managing director. at 2:00 p.: The Competence Network. made in an effort to improve what resulted previously in mixed or unintended results.K. the teams present their designs. will introduce listeners to Carbon Com- posites e. Bridge and wing building contests For 13 years. president. automotive. will discuss his company’s work to develop “‘Out-of-Autoclave’ Composites Curing Technology. Following a full day of technical paper sessions. Thompson. The SAMPE conference features four days of technical education. The third presentation is titled “Assessing and Managing Technical Risk in Transition of Technology into Systems. project leader.m. SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers GmbH (Wiesbaden. A fter successful events in the Pacific Northwest in 2010 and on the East Coast in 2009. are colocating SAMPE 2011 and ASM’s AeroMat 2011 at the Long Beach Convention Center (Long Beach. Department of Defense (DoD). France) U. Last year 69 teams from 18 universities and colleges participated in this competition. and Craig Riley. the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) brings its annual U.m. (CCeV).). SAMPE has hosted a competition for student members to design.” p. an association of German-speaking fiber-reinforced plastic processors and research institutions that fosters research in the aerospace. AeroMat agenda One day shorter than the SAMPE trade show. 42). including its “life module” or passenger cell. out-of-autoclave technologies at Airbus’ (Toulouse. May 25. Anthony Lawson. the society for aerospace materials engineers and designers. Wash. on the show floor. The joint venture provides a dedicated supply of carbon fiber reinforcement for the project (manufactured at a new factory in Moses Lake. Germany). SAMPE Convention. titled “The Other 95%: Opportunities Outside Aerospace.SHOW PREVIEW SAMPE 2011 LONG BEACH SAMPE returns to Long Beach in partnership with aerospace industry materials society ASM International. SAMPE and ASM International. For the first time. In addition to the keynotes. Calif. In “Carbon Composites e. Kreysler & Associates (American Canyon. director. material systems. Testing for the 14th annual contest will take place Wednesday.S.” The technology uses several methods to defray the cost of energy consumption for the 90 percent of Airbus composite aircraft components that are now cured in autoclaves. The following morning (May 25). Among the highlights is a panel discussion that wraps up the day on Monday.V. say the composites know-how amassed in the aerospace industry has been tapped.-based HITCO Carbon Composites. SAMPE will offer three featured lectures. Germany).S.” Lecturer James J. vicepresident. given concurrently. in room 104 at the convention center. energy and mechanical-engineering arenas. from 5:00 to 6:00 p. by less than 10 percent of the fabricators who power the annual $2 billion (USD) composites industry. president of Gardena.S.). Calif.). conference attendees can network at SAMPE’s Welcome Reception. on Wednesday. The teams that have the best designs are recognized at the conference and are awarded prizes.V. Conference and Exhibition home to Southern California this year. with many structural components made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. will take a look at the 2009 SGL/BMW joint venture behind the BMW Megacity Vehicle project.” Moderators William Kreysler. analyze and build either a wing or a bridge for testing at the annual U. Composites West LLC (Incline Village. thus far. Nev. The keynote presenter on Tuesday (May 24). facility. head of the Institute for Carbon Composites at TU München (Munich.” Klaus Drechsler. transportation. they are weighed and then loaded to failure. At the SAMPE conference each year. where recent developments in building codes. Calif. beginning with a full day of tutorials (May 23) and three days of technical paper presentations (see “SAMPE 2011 at a Glance. Organizers expect technical experts from more than 200 companies in the aerospace materials supply 40 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . keynoter Andreas Wüllner. will outline evolutionary changes to the DoD’s governance of technology transfer in large defense programs. Dave Inston. Wüllner will review the challenges involved in opening a new carbon fiber manufacturing facility and discuss SGL’s vision of the large-scale use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics in automotive applications. the AeroMat conference will run from May 23-25. a free event open to all badged visitors. which is expected to produce the four-passenger all-electric i3 commuter car. will examine the upside and lessons learned during his com- pany’s recent integration of automated composites manufacturing technologies. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 41 CompositesWorld . May 23.org/content/ Events/aeromat/. Session 1 of the Model Development and Implementation/Validation track will cover “Modeling and Simulation of High-Temperature Materials” (Monday. 1:30 p. Session 3 of the Welding and Joining Technologies and Methods track (Wednesday. The HPC staff.: (626) 331-0616 x610.1639 SAMPE 2011 WHAT: Exhibition Hall Plan SAMPE 2011 Conference & Exhibition WHEN: May 23-26 WHERE: Long Beach Convention Center chain to attend. Session 4 (Wednesday. Finally.asminternational. including material suppliers to processors.Tel. e-mail: priscilla@sampe. papers presented as part of AeroMat’s Emerging Materials and Processes track. university researchers and government end-users. SAMPE conference attendees can attend AeroMat 2011 conference programs at no additional charge. in booth 1639.org.” Of potential interest to HPC readers. will explore “Polymers. to 5:30 p.m. will be on hand in Long Beach. Conference-goers will attend a plenary session on Monday afternoon (May 23) and will have the choice of technical paper sessions in eight general subject tracks. of course. Look for our annual SAMPE show wrap-up in the July issue.m. May 25. to 5:00 p.) will feature “Joining Technologies.m. airframe and engine designers.m. May 25. As an added bonus. “New Era in Flight: Design and Manufacturing of Advanced Materials for the Future.” Additionally. 1:30 p.). contact Priscilla Heredia. 8:00 a. to 12:00 noon). For more information about SAMPE 2011. Composites and Nanomaterials. under the 2011 theme.” which will include mechanical-fas- tening and welding techniques used to join metals to composites.m. For more information about AeroMat 2011. equipment manufacturers. visit http://www. .. to 5:00 p......m... Wednesday........ Convention attendees who wish to attend these presentations must have ITAR clearance. to 5:00 p... • Nanomaterials: Applications • Composite Fatigue & Fracture • Composite Repair • Thermal Management* • Green Mfg..m.........................m.....m.....m. • Fibers Student Reception....9:00 a.. to 12:00 noon • NASA: Advanced Material & Processing Technology Briefing Luncheon ..9:00 a..... Preforms* • Simulation-based Optimization I • Liquid Composite Molding • Thermoplastics I Panel ..m. to 12:00 noon • Nanomaterials: Process & Fabrication • Composite Matrix Science • Design & Analysis II • Tooling for Composites II • Green & Renewable Materials • Adhesives & Adhesive Bonding • High Temperature Materials* • Carbon Fiber & Preforms Panel . to 5:00 p.m.... Exhibit Hall Open .. to 12:00 noon • Nanomaterials: Polymers* • Novel Materials & Fibers • Design & Analysis III* • Civil Infrastructure • Space Applications* • Recycling & Reuse of Composites • Ceramics & Ceramic Composites • Nondestructive Testing & Evaluation Panel .....m...m..m.............2:00 p....... 9:00 a....9:00 a.m...SHOW PREVIEW SAMPE 2011 at a Glance Monday.V... • Nanomaterials: Natural Composites • Nanomaterials: Applications....m........ Tuesday..m...... Reliability & Material Characterization • Resin & Polymer Materials • Sandwich & Foam Core • Composite Mfg.m........ • The Other 95%: Opportunities Outside Aerospace Fellow Banquet ... 10:00 a......m. to 5:00 p..m...m... • Tooling for Composites Welcome Reception .... 2:00 p.m. & Process Technology II • University Research II Panel ........ to 12:30 p...... 8:00 a..m....m. • Green Applications: Alternative Energy Applications 42 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . Wednesday. to 6:00 p....m....m........... Plant Tours .......m.... 8:00 a..........6:00 p..... to 9:00 a.... • Northrop Grumman • Jet Propulsion Laboratory *ITAR-restricted papers.m...m..m........ 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.... • A Journey in Automated Carbon Composites Manufacturing Sessions .. to 5:00 p.m............ • Introduction to Composite Materials • Test Methods for Composites • Out-of-Autoclave Processing • Overview of Composite Repair Sessions .8:00 a. to 6:00 p.........m.... Exhibit Hall Open ......12:30 p..m....V. 8:00 a........... Textiles. May 25 (continued) Sessions ..m..9:00 a..... • “Out-of-Autoclave” Composites Curing Technology • Carbon Composites e. • The Second Design Revolution in Aerospace Materials....... 2:00 p...m..... 2:00 p. to 5:00 p.. to 2:00 p.... May 24 Registration 7:00 a.. to 5:00 p.... Analysis • Composite Tooling • Nanocomposites Technology Tutorials ......... to 12:00 noon • Nanomaterials: Technology & Composites • Simulation-based Optimization II • Tooling for Composites I* • Thermoplastics II • Composites Durability..7:00 a. 7:00 a.......... • Simulation-based Optimization III • Nanomaterials: Technology & Composites • Coatings..... • SGL Group – BMW Group: A Visionary Joint Venture for Carbon Fiber Composites in Automotive Applications Featured Lectures.m...........m...m........ Manufacturing and Structures • A Comparison of Nadic Anhydride and 4-Phenylethynyl Phthalic Anhydride for High Tg Polyimides Sessions . 10:00 a......m.........m... to 5:00 p.... 2:00 p..m...............2:00 p........ & Technology • Out-of-Autoclave Processing II* • Fire Safety & Flammability Technology • Carbon Composites Society e........... of Germany • Technology Maturity in M&P Risk Management Panel ..m...... May 23 Registration Exhibit Hall Closed Tutorial .....m.... Sealants & Surface Treatments • VARTM & High Temperature • Out-of-Autoclave Processing I* • Design & Analysis I • Composite Mfg.......... May 24 (continued) Sessions ........... Exhibit Hall Open ...m.. 9:00 a.... Sessions ..m.........m................. Keynote Presentation. to 5:00 p..... Keynote Presentation.... May 25 Registration 7:00 a. to 5:00 p.............5:00 p..m... & Process Technology I • University Research I Panel .........m..... 5:00 p.... to 5:00 p.......m. to 12:00 noon • Out-of-Autoclave Curing Featured Lectures............m...m.. to 12:00 noon • Thermoplastic Composites • Design....... to 1:30 p... to 5:00 p......m.. to 5:00 p................. to 9:00 a. Tuesday............ 2:00 p.....m....... 2:00 p.: The Competence Network • Assessing and Managing Technical Risk in Transition of Technology into Systems Thursday. to 12:00 p.. May 26 Registration ..m. SHOW PREVIEW SAMPE 2011 LONG BEACH EXHIBITOR LIST Bold = HPC advertisers in this issue. Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# 2Phase Technologies 3M Aerospace A&P Technology A.B. Carter Inc. AAR Precision Systems ABARIS Training Accudyne Engineering & Equipment Co. ACE-Anaglyph Adhesive Packaging Specialties Inc. Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing Advanced Composite Products and Technology Inc Advanced Composites Group Inc. (ACG) Advanced Composites Inc. Advanced Integration AFRL/RX AGY Airstar Inc. Airtech International Inc. Akron Polymer Systems Inc. AKSA Carbon Fibers Alpha STAR Corporation Alpha Technologies Services LLC Altair Engineering American GFM Corporation Anton Paar USA Apex Machine Tool Company Applied Aerospace Structures Corporation Aramicore Composite Co. Ltd. Archer Daniels Midland Arkema Inc. ASC Process Systems Assembly Guidance Systems Inc. Automated Dynamics Axiom Materials Inc. BAE Systems Bedford Reinforced Plastics BigC: Dino-Lite Scopes Bondline Products Bondtech Corporation Brenner Aerostructures Breton SpA 652 1111 1321 739 548 922 941 931 834 626 1610 911 742 1334 829 643 1254 1305 620 1141 534 535 1545 961 1608 1530 1543 637 632 736 721 651 1048 1054 1357 827 1061 916 1417 1232 1240 BriskHeat Corporation Bron Aerotech Inc. Burnham Composite Structures Inc. C.A. Litzler Co. Inc. C.R. Onsrud Inc. Carl Zeiss MicroImaging LLC CASS Polymers of Michigan Inc. CGTech Cincinnati Testing Laboratories Click Bond Inc. CMS North America Inc. Cobham Collier Research Corporation Composite Fabrics of America Composite Technical Services LLC Composites Atlantic Limited Composites Horizons Inc./Texstars Composites One Composites Training Center - Cerritos College CompositesWorld CompuDAS Conductive Composites Co. Continental Diamond Tool Coriolis Composites SAS Cornerstone Research Group Inc. Correlated Solutions Inc. CPS Technologies Corp. Creaform CTS Composites Inc. Cuming Microwave Cytec Engineered Materials Inc. Dantec Dynamics Inc. Dassault Systemes Americas Corp. David H. Sutherland & Co. DCM Clean-Air Products Inc. De-Comp Composites Inc. DEKUMED Delsen Testing Laboratories Inc. DelStar Technologies Inc. Despatch Industries Dexmet Corporation DIAB Sales Inc. 1538 942 1215 1021 1343 1521 252 437 817 1028 1131 1249 1434 1052 634 852 1030 826 1631 1639 1649 1252 244 749 1327 1451 1153 954 951 1256 1156 1551 543 1121 432 1140 937 1217 1413 1259 845 1059 Directed MFG Diversified Machine Systems Inc. DSM Dyneema Dunstone Company Inc. Dynamic Fabrication Inc. E.T. Horn Company E.V. Roberts Eastman Machine Co. Eeonyx Corporation EHA Spezialmaschinenbau GmbH Elantas PDG Inc. Electro-Tech Machining Endurance Technologies Inc. Euro-Composites Corp. Evonik EXAKT Technologies Inc. Exova OCM e-Xstream engineering LLC Fabric Development Fatigue Technology Ferry Industries Fiberforge Corporation Fiber-Line Inc Finish Kare Products Inc. Firehole Technologies Inc. FlackTek Inc. Flight Safety International FLIR Systems Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Co. Geiss LLC General Plastics Manufacturing Co. Genesis Systems Group Gerber Technology GKN Aerospace Global Silicones Inc. Graco Supply & Intergrated Services Gunnar USA Inc. Hawkeye International Ltd. HEATCON Composite Systems Helman Tensioners Inc. Henkel Corp. Hexcel Corporation Hi-Performance Products Inc. HITCO Carbon Composites Inc. Hollingsworth & Vose Co. 731 1641 848 1316 1460 1621 1034 921 340 338 1548 1448 1328 821 1049 1534 1023 1040 920 1560 552 528 1526 1243 1627 838 1314 1606 440 624 1116 349 1221 926 1508 744 443 1300 1405 1340 1011 1421 449 743 1356 HOS-Technik GmbH Huntsman Advanced Materials Idex Solutions IEST Co. Ltd. IKONICS Imperium Inc. Industrial Summit Technology Corp. Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. Innovative Composite Engineering (ICE) Integrated Technologies Inc. - INTEC Intertek iPhoton Solutions ITT Izumi International Inc. J.D. Lincoln Janicki Industries Inc. JEC JPS Composite Materials KAMAN Composites Kaneka Texas Corp. KEYENCE Corporation KNF FLEXPAK Corporation Knowlton Technologies LLC LAP Laser LLC Laser Technology Inc. Lectra Lewco Inc. Lewcott Corp. Lingol Corp. Lintech International LLC LMT Onsrud LP Lucas Industries Luna Innovations M.C. Gill Corporation Magestic Systems Inc. Magnolia Plastics Inc. Magnum Venus Plastech Manufacturers Supplies Co. Marathon Heater Inc. Matec Instrument Companies Inc. Matrix Composites Inc. Maverick Corporation McGill AirPressure LLC McLube Div. of McGee Industries MECNOV 1129 1209 1261 622 1609 1528 1239 544 1427 1411 1510 1143 1315 1504 911 833 1557 914 442 1032 1415 1344 1248 938 812 1531 751 738 1461 1228 1338 251 836 930 350 933 853 1539 533 1139 1527 627 441 645 641 Solutions for Controlling Process Temperatures Temperatures range from 5° to 650° F (-15° to 343° C) water and oil temperature control systems portable chiller and heating/cooling systems centralized cooling systems, pump tanks and control panels SM www.mokon.com Phone: 716-876-9951 M AY 2 0 1 1 | 43 SHOW PREVIEW Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Exhibitor Booth# Melco Steel Inc. Microtek Laboratories Miki Sangyo USA Inc. Miller-Stephenson Chemical MISTRAS Group Inc. Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America Inc. Mondi Akrosil LLC MTS Systems Corp. Myers Engineering Inc. Nammo Composite Solutions NanoSperse LLC National Aerospace Supply Co. National Diamond Lab National Research Council Canada NDT Solutions Inc. (NDTS) Newport Adhesives and Composites Nida-Core Corporation Nippon Graphite Fiber North Coast Companies NuSil Technology 753 1154 1245 949 819 1645 1512 1552 740 1435 627 343 439 1257 348 1234 843 927 1549 1017 OEM Press Systems Inc. Olympus Osai USA, CNC & Automation Controls Oxeon Inc. Pacific Coast Composites Parabeam BV Paragon D&E Park Electrochemical Corp Parpas America Corp Pathfinder Australia Pty. Ltd. Patz Materials & Technologies PCM Innovation Pepin Associates Inc. Piercan USA Pinette Emidecau Industries Plascore Inc. Precision Measurements & Instruments Corp. Precision Quincy Corp. Prospect Mold Pyromeral Systems Qingdao Fundchem Co. Ltd. Quantum Composites 1019 1505 1358 953 1642 1361 1509 549 1159 539 1036 956 1160 1235 1540 540 1226 835 1529 944 1229 1233 Quartus Engineering Inc. Quatro Composites RAMPF Group Renegade Materials Corp. Reno Machine Co. Inc. Revchem Composites Inc. Richmond Aircraft Products Inc. RT Instruments Inc. Rubbercraft Saertex USA LLC Saint Gobain Technical Fabrics SAMPE Sandvik Process Systems Schlumpf USA Inc. SCRA SDI/Talon Test Laboratories Inc. Sealant Equipment & Engineering Inc. Seifert and Skinner & Associates Inc. Sensitech Inc. Sigmatex SL Laser Systems LP Smart Tooling Solid Concepts Inc. Solvay Advanced Polymers 1536 635 861 627 1443 737 911 451 733 1220 1439 1635 857 1241 1431 955 1400 952 1231 1615 1437 1330 1517 1456 Southland Polymers Inc. Specialty Materials Inc. SP-High Modulus, the Marine Business of Gurit StateMix Ltd. Stepan Company Stiles Machinery Inc. Stratasys Inc. Super Resin Surface Generation America Swift Engineering Inc. SWORL div. of Prairie Technology Synasia Inc. TA Instruments Taricco Corporation TCR Composites TE Wire & Cable Technical Fibre Products (TFP Inc.) Technology Marketing Inc TenCate Advanced Composites USA Textile Products Inc. The University of Southern Mississippi The Warm Company Thermal Wave Imaging Inc. 735 1244 1513 1433 1409 1553 1144 1237 1449 849 1605 1432 1055 1149 1604 1230 1333 939 1027 918 1041 1258 1326 Thermwood Corporation Thinky USA Inc. Ticona Engineering Polymers Tinius Olsen Tiodize Co. Inc. TMP - Technical Machine Products Inc. Toho Tenax America Tokuden Inc. Torr Technologies Inc. Torrey Hills Technologies,Inc. Touchstone Research Laboratory Ltd. Trelleborg Offshore Boston Inc. Trilion Quality Systems Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing Corp. TSC LLC - The Spaceship Company UBE America Inc. Ultracor United Testing Systems Inc. University of Dayton Research Institute Upland Fab Inc. Utah 1042 630 727 242 1648 253 1043 1614 1407 1238 1227 1626 1556 1511 752 716 654 250 627 1145 1035 Venango Machine Company Verisurf Software Vermont Composites Inc. Victrex USA Inc. VISTAGY Inc. VMS Aircraft Co. Inc. Wabash MPI Wacker Chemical Corp. Walton Process Technologies Inc. Waukesha Foundry Inc. Wausau Paper Web Industries Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc. West Virginia Development Office Westminster Solutions WichiTech Industries Inc. Windsys Solutions LLC Wisconsin Oven Corporation Wolff Industries Inc. XG Sciences Inc. Zotefoams Inc. Zyvax Inc. 531 1633 934 830 1339 1515 734 436 1359 1532 741 1514 839 536 1151 750 937 1450 1613 1057 1457 1122 )5(()25035(35(* $11281&,1* 09.32/<,0,'( SHARED DESIGN DATABASE t $PVQPO5FTU%BUBCBTF t1PMZJNJEF$BSCPO1SFQSFH t¡'$POUJOVPVT4FSWJDF t4VQFSJPS)PU8FU1FSGPSNBODF t3FEVDF8FJHIU'VFM$PTU t&YQPSU"QQSPWFEGPS(MPCBM6TF t/PO5PYJD(SFFO5FDIOPMPHZ t.JMJUBSZ$PNNFSDJBM"JSDSBGU 1SPQVMTJPO4USVDUVSFT t"õPSEBCMF"MUFSOBUJWFUP 5JUBOJVNPS*OTVMBUJPO t/P.JO#VZPS4FU6Q$IBSHFT t"WBJMBCMF/PXGPS2VBMJmDBUJPO t&YQFSJFODFE'BCSJDBUJPO#BTF 3363 South Tech Boulevard | Springboro, OH 45342 | Tel: 937.350.5274 | Booth #627 www.renegadematerials.com 44 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES SHOW COVERAGE JEC PARIS HIGHLIGHTS The news from this annual Parisian in-gathering of composites professionals is heavily weighted toward automotive lightweighting. S kies outside were gray but the atmosphere inside was all sunshine at the 2011 JEC Composites Show in Paris. Held March 29-31 at the Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles, the event’s upbeat buzz reflected the current upward trend in the composites industry. You wouldn’t be blamed if, while wandering the aisles of the show this year, you thought yourself not at a composites event, but a car show, and a high-end one at that. Among the many autos on display was a carbon-fiber intensive Lamborghini Aventador hypercar, carefully encased in a customized black-fabric booth. It was clear, judging by the number of cars, passenger cells and car parts — almost all molded of carbon fiber — that many exhibitors believe the future of the composites community is riding on four wheels. Carbon car cornucopia Carbon fiber manufacturer SGL Group (Wiesbaden, Germany), made a splash at this show a year ago when it announced that its joint venture with BMW Group, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, was going to build a new carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, Wash., to produce material for the passenger cell of the forthcoming all-electric BMW i3 (dubbed Megacity Vehicle at the time). Since then, much has changed. Officials at this year’s show confirmed that the new facility in Washington State is on schedule for completion this summer, to be followed in the third quarter by where it will be woven into noncrimp fabrics, which then will travel to Landshut, Germany, for stacking, preforming, stamping, resin transfer molding (RTM) and machining for the passenger cell. Andreas Wüllner, managing director of SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, says SGL already is testing the weaving technology that will produce the noncrimp fabrics in Wackersdorf and is confident that the car, due on market in 2013, will remain on schedule. Indeed, SGL displayed in its booth a completed passenger cell (see photo, p. 49) for the four-door BMW i3. It featured blue and white tape over the cell’s joints to hide some of the technology behind the cell. Look for similar technology in the just-announced hybrid-electric BMW i8, also due out in 2013. In fact, Wüllner says BMW is so committed to the use of carbon fiber composites in its cars that SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers is already planning to expand the Moses Lake plant. BMW, in fact, had a recruitment booth at the show, to hire composites engineers. Another attention-getting auto was the new, yet to be released Audi RS3, with carbon fiber fenders that are resin transfer molded by Sora Composites (Change, France), a first for Audi, says Sora. Fabrication details weren’t High-end auto heaven available, but Sora says the thin, Lamborghini’s Aventador display was among the most complex parts require care in the popular at JEC 2011. The supercar features a carbonpreforming process to achieve fiber passenger cell developed by Lamborghini’s Advanced Composite Research Center in Bolognese, Italy. Audi’s exacting standards. Source: HPC; Photo: Jeff Sloan commissioning of the lines and delivery of the first of the carbon fiber. The plant’s capacity will be 3,000 metric tonnes (6.613 million lb) per year of 50K standard-modulus carbon fiber. The Moses Lake facility will be fed by polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor from a Mitsubishi/SGL joint venture in Japan. Finished 50K tow will leave Moses Lake and arrive in Wackersdorf, Germany, M AY 2 0 1 1 | 45 SHOW COVERAGE Pipe dream Carbon Grossbauteile GmbH (CGB, Wallerstein, Germany) couldn’t get its massive filament-wound carbon fiberreinforced pipe into the show hall, but the behemoth did stop passersby in the parking lot. CGB was featured in the March issue of HPC for its work developing large structures like this for use in the massive Mae West civic sculpture in Munich, Germany’s Effnerplatz (see Learn More,” p. 49). Source: HPC; Photo: Jeff Sloan Aerospace out of the autoclave Also in abundance were materials, equipment, tooling and process concepts, many of which included automation, for producing composites faster and more efficiently — and out of the autoclave. One of the winners of the JEC Innovation Awards competition was an aircraft seat back, developed by A&P Technology (Cincinnati, Ohio), Ticona (Florence, Ky.), TenCate Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, Calif.) and processor Cutting Dynamics Inc. (CDI, Avon, Ohio). More than 18 months in development, it features a compression-molded pan that uses AS4 carbon fiber unidirectional tape from Hexcel (Dublin, Calif.). The tape is prepregged by TenCate, using Ticona’s Fortron PPS thermoplastic resin. The rim of the seat, which provides structural support against torsional forces (consider the abuse a typical aircraft seat back endures), also comprises AS4 carbon fiber prepregged by TenCate, then split by A&P into strips 0.1875 inch/4.8 mm wide and braided into a biaxial tubular shape to provide noncrimping conformity around the edge of the seat back. The rim likely will be welded to the pan, says Mike Favarolo, technical marketing manager at Ticona, although CDI also is considering an adhesive. CDI molds the seat back in a cycle described as “minutes” long and expects to produce several thousand for a major aircraft manufacturer. Another impressive out-of-autoclave concept was a composite aircraft door designed and produced by Latécoère (Toulouse, France) together with its European partners. The large and complex part with integral stiffening frames was made with a 3-D preform stitched together with a new 1K (two-ply) carbon fiber sewing thread developed by Schappe Techniques (Blyes, France). The part maLightweight passenger protection The McLaren MP4-12C supercar appeared on the JEC show floor with and without body panels, the latter giving visitors a look at the car’s carbon fiber “tub” that forms the passenger compartment. It’s one in a long line of recently developed vehicles that uses carbon fiber in the passenger cell (see “Learn More,” p. 49). Source: HPC; Photo: Jeff Sloan 46 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES or tool face over a carbon fiber composite Innovation award finalist Techni-modtool base. Because the tool is much less Braided seat back massive than a conventional counterpart. Find out more at wabashmpi. Wabash is a leader in composite compression molding with a full line of standard and custom hydraulic designs to 1000 tons. Box 298. The fluid can be oil-.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 47 Source: HPC.plascore. integrally heated via fluid channels. Equally buzz-worthy fiberglass and metallic mesh for light. The tool has portedly 10 to 15 percent lighter coma nanocrystalline. IN 46992-0298 Phone 260-563-1184 • FAX 260-563-1396 E-mail: wabashmpi@corpemail. Canada). which can be either metallic or composite.com.K. France) showed aspects of metallic tooling with the rea new concept for tools capable of out-ofduced weight and lower thermal mass of autoclave.wabashmpi. Platens from 12؆ by 12؆ to 18؆ by 18؆. stronger composite structures Wide range of cell sizes. The finished part is re(Toronto. WABASH MPI P. (ACG.com www. Ontario.was the winner of the Equipment Catening strike. percent thanks to the preform and fewer Heanor. Derbyshire. composite tool produced by partners with assembly time reduced by 10 to 15 Advanced Composites Group Ltd. Ohio) won an Innovation Award at JEC for its development of this carbon fiber/ and moved more easily and less PPS seat back. The patented concept involves a thin skin.terials. The company claims a very fast rate of tool heating and a high ultimate temperature (around 400°C/752°F). to take advantage of the best ul Engineering (Coudes. high-rate production of com. The target market is out-of.O. density and materials • • Commercial to Aerospace grades • ISO 9001: 2008 Energy Absorbers Machined Honeycomb Composite Panels and Assemblies Thermoset and Thermoplastic Material and Application Development AS/EN/JISQ9100 Lloyds Register American Bureau of Shipbuilding (800) 630-9257 sales@plascore. stiffer. a metal-surfaced multipart mold and then resin-infused. wateror metal-based. Carbon fiber unidirectional tape was power is consumed during part slit and then braided by A&P Technology (Cincinnati.) and Integran steps required. Engineered Solutions Core WABASH Electric Composite Molding Presses Wabash E-series allelectric presses are available in clamping forces to 30 tons. U. it can be handled Cutting Dynamics (Avon. ferromagnetic cladding pared to current door designs.composite tooling. were layed up in a complex gory Innovation Award. Wabash. Photo: Jeff Sloan . posites.Ohio) to create the rim structure (photo at left) around autoclave processing and resin the edges of the seat. cure. Various heated platen sizes and control options are available. which included dry carbon and transfer molding.com www.com Performance Honeycomb • • • • Polypropylene Aluminum Stainless Steel • Polycarbonate • Kevlar® Nomex® • Core for lighter. ” New product and business announcements were everywhere. says Offringa.com to learn more. 7). see the technology on a future business jet. 48 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . the new fiber offers a very high tensile modulus for better dimensional stability and less warpage. using only two ply angles.C. AGY Holdings LLC (Aiken. It’s currently molded of carbon fiber/epoxy. which can offer unexpected design benefits in a composite laminate.” p. director R&D at Fokker. France). in its vertical tail rudder (an award winner at JEC 2010). Arnt Offringa. And if that’s successful. 52). using a similar carbon fiber/thermoplastic combination. Offringa also reports that the same Airbus effort is molding the lower half of an A320 forward fuselage section.) introduced a completely new fiber at the show. This year. The Netherlands) displayed the bottom skin of the G650’s horizontal tail section. and conduct structural testing to determine the material’s suitability for the application. It will be years. Mass. France) press conference to announce its partnership with Chomarat Group (Le Cheylard. The machine vision system automatically detects any debris in the mold during the laser-guided layup process that does not match the program. designated S-3 HDI.V. and Antony. stiffened by a rib system Fokker has developed. thermoplastic composites turned up on business jets. Offringa says the company hopes to EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS with the leader in moldable specialty foam Specify STEPANFOAM MOLDABLE | POURABLE | SPRAYABLE ® High insulation | High strength | Low dielectric values High temperature resistance | Superior dimensional stability Over 100 specifications | 40 years of industry experience ® E-mail kits@stepan. such as greater toughness and bend/twist coupling to control deflection. Think Composites’ principal Steven Tsai of Stanford University described the design concept of an unbalanced laminate. Porcher will produce the unusual reinforcement in dry form. wherein increasing functionality is tightly packed within the increasingly cramped space of new high-performance printed circuit boards (PCBs). Editor’s note: HPC will follow up these brief highlights with a thoroughgoing review of what was new and on review at JEC Paris in the upcoming July issue. Assembly Guidance Systems Inc. but the Fokker version is a demonstrator fabricated from carbon fiber/PEKK (see “Thermoplastic composites: Primary structure?” on p. Fokker Aerostructures B. In 2010. bond the halves together. It also has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to withstand the higher temperatures of lead-free soldering during production. which Tsai believes can ultimately lead to better composite performance and less material waste in processing. but agreed that it is “very interesting. (Hoogeveen. Calif.) demonstrated its new ProjectorVision laser projection system designed to prevent foreign object debris from ruining a part. If successful. (Chelmsford. including Think Composites’ (Palo Alto. another buzz was raised about the potential for reinforced thermoplastics in post-787 and post-A350 XWB primary structure (see “From the Editor. S. Designed to meet the demanding technical requirements of high-density interconnect (HDI) issues. then perhaps it will fly on a commercial aircraft. before the industry knows where this research will lead.SHOW COVERAGE Although the aerospace industry has been abuzz about the viability of and potential savings from the use of out-ofautoclave (OOA) resins for structural aircraft applications. and locks the system to prevent further progress until the debris is removed. or will work with prepregger partners to produce prepreg forms of the material. including the Gulfstream G650. says his company will mold the top half of the tail section. 46) or visit http://short. improve quality. using epoxy VaRTM processing. reduce cost. Learn more about the power of Verisurf-X by visiting our Website. the newly reformatted program of plenary and parallel technical sessions attracted more than 200 attendees. WWWVERISURFCOM s M AY 2 0 1 1 | 49 . or call for an onsite demo.com Read this show review online at http://short. Photo: Jeff Sloan Read about the Mae West sculpture in ÒMae West: Pipe dream in Munich. SAMPE Europe president Bruno Beral of Airbus (Toulouse. After a moment of silence for the victims of the Japanese disaster. He expressed the solidarity of all members with their Japanese colleagues after the recent earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan and introduced the keynote speaker. Dr.Ó in HPC September 2010 (p. Dr. the second-generation 90. flexible reporting options. held March 2829 at the Hotel Mercure. Ishikawa gave an overview of composites R&D at JAXA. Source: HPC. Verisurf-X provides the power to drive your devices.S.compositesworld.5-ft prototype produced mechanical properties approaching those of standard aerospace prepreg technology without using an autoclave. With its 3D CAD-based architecture. 60) or visit http://short.compositesworld. France) opened the proceedings. These developments were presented in detail during a session later in the program. Germany) brought to the show the carbon fiber composite passenger cell for the allelectric. Although the first-generation 90-passenger MRJ will have an aluminum wing. Verisurf-X will reduce training time and increase productivity. and ease of use. and streamline data management – all while maintaining CAD-based digital workflow.com/R3iP5uOl. There are many CMMs.L E A R N M O R E @ www.com/hLGNQrxr. SEICO 11 highlights Over at the nearby 32nd SAMPE Europe International Conference.Ó in HPC March 2011 (p. Verisurf-X is the only software you need. executive director of the Aerospace Research and Development Directorate at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Takashi Ishikawa. Read more about the McLaren MP4-12C in ÒF1-inspired MonoCell: Racing safety for the road. Carbon fiber for the cell will be made in the U. Also included in the research was an integrally fabricated fuselage/stringer section.compositesworld. beginning with a welcome networking session on the evening of March 27. using a hybrid of prepreg and VARTM technology.com/nzg0Ckkb.compositesworld. Carbon composite cell for commuter car SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (Wiesbaden.to 100-passenger version is set to take advantage of CFRP technology developed at JAXA. One software makes them more powerful. right out of the box. Whether you have an existing CMM device or about to purchase one. four-door BMW i3. The 6m/19. Included in this was a summary of technology developed at JAXA which has been transferred to the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). No matter what you are making or measuring. Germany). John Cornforth. VP of technology at GKN Aerospace. thanks primarily to the autoclave’s strong appetite for energy and time. says the company’s goal for the microwave effort was to test the machine’s capability and give GKN a better understanding of how microwave heating differs from autoclave heating by curing several parts in the oven. Although it was developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen. Therefore. but there is another way out of the autoclave that also is getting closer scrutiny: microwave curing. U. In conventional or surface-heating systems.K. with encouraging results: an 80 percent reduction in energy use compared to autoclave cure. But the desire to move part cure out of the autoclave is pronounced.) had in mind in October 2009 when it acquired a Hephaistos microwave curing oven from heating systems specialist Vötsch Industrietechnik GmbH (Reiskirchen-Lindenstruth. density and viscosity. and a 40 percent shorter cycle-time. increasingly offer viable alternatives to autoclave-cured ther- mosets. a composite part heats from the outside in. neither of which is in abundance in today’s manufacturing environment. thermal conductivity. The process duration is determined by the rate of heat flow into the composite structure. Out-of-autoclave thermosets. A utoclave curing of composite structures has been such a staple of high-performance composites industry practice that it’s difficult to imagine aerospace-grade composites manufacturing without it. the microwave curing process was commercialized subsequently by Vötsch. The flow rate depends on the material’s specific heat. the edges and corners of the part achieve the set point temperature before the center does. Why autoclave when you can microwave? GKN Aerospace has spent the last several months evaluating the cure performance of this Vötsch microwave oven. Germany). This is what GKN Aerospace (Isle of Wight. Source: GKN Aerospace 50 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . a factor that makes overall temperature control a challenge. As a result.WORK IN PROGRESS: MICROWAVE SHAPE-MEMORY CURING POLYMER MICROWAVE: AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE AUTOCLAVE? Aerospace composites manufacturer GKN evaluates microwave oven BY JEFF SLOAN practicality and cost-effectiveness. The part also heats at an uneven rate. as well as thermoplastics. the temperature in an autoclave and a conventional oven must be ramped up and down slowly to minimize part stress. as heat energy is transferred through the part’s thickness. Oven curing is getting more attention of late. which can stress the finished product. such as those found in autoclaves. The primary question GKN is attempting to answer is this: Is it possible to replicate autoclave cure quality in less time. shielding can be applied to make the area reflect microwaves. with a 40 percent savings in cycle time. it’s possible to manipulate temperature in sections of the part.” he says. microwave heating is not confined to the part and tool. Since then.com/Flv8ya1G. M56 from Hexcel (Stamford. The shorter cycle is possible because the microwave oven requires minimal ramp-up to setpoint temperature and the process has less tooling-driven thermal lag. Consumables — breather cloths.K. Initial results clearly demonstrate that microwave-cured composites achieve the required quality of an autoclave cure. it’s possible to make tooling surfaces reactive to microwaves. The tooling GKN used in its analysis. Additionally. is use of thermocouples on the part and the tool to monitor process temperature. For instance. a principal at Vötsch.compositesworld. says Wiesehöfer. says adapting microwave curing requires an understanding of how microwaves function to make the process viable for curing.com @ Read this article online at http://short. consists of an Invar base with a carbon fiber laminate surface. The difference in part and tooling temperature is an important distinction. it’s possible to make some parts of the tool — areas not in contact with the component — reflective to microwaves. thus temperature must be measured where heating actually occurs.Conversely. conversely.” A key to such adaptation. bagging mats and sealant material — react to microwaves and. such as tooling epoxy. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 51 . by its nature. thus the oven is always cool to the touch.16. are reactive and do heat up. and the company is in the process of doing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. the results are promising. it heats only certain nonmetallic materials.). Vacuum-bag pressure. microwave technology relies on volumetric heating.to 0. Certain nonmetallic ma- Microwave test articles A gallery of GKN’s microwave-cured parts. Conn.89 bar. and results in shorter cure cycles. Heat energy is transferred electromagnetically and relatively evenly and quickly throughout the part. applies the same heat uniformly to all structures — parts and tools. “We don’t want a cold tool and a hot part. thus shielding the uncured laminate.). Of course. says Cornforth. In a microwave system. if the user wants to reduce temperature in a region.” he says. because the process measures the temperature of the composite part. says Wiesehöfer. By use of specific material combinations. but with a coating that does couple with the microwaves. Metals are reflective to microwaves and thus do not heat up. when cure is complete and the oven shuts off. “You can’t take a microwave oven and simply apply the same process and parameters as you used in the autoclave. This enables better process temperature control and less overall energy use. there are some nonmetallic materials that do not heat up because they are transparent. An oven or autoclave. terials. Cornforth says the Hephaistos oven is 1. one of the challenges GKN has faced is that each material absorbs microwave energy differently. thus maximizing the curing process efficiency. It also enables the processor to direct heat specifically toward the part to be cured. It was delivered in early 2010 and commissioned later that year. compositesworld. “How do consumables behave?” Cornforth asks rhetorically. The parts will be compared to identical parts produced via autoclave. This is necessary because the air and oven walls are not heated. U. says Cornforth. material composition has an impact on temperature. GKN has worked with the oven experimentally. says Cornforth.” GKN has several finished parts now. but not as a thermal heat flux. He adds that GKN Aerospace is working to Airbus specifications to benchmark the quality of the microwave-cured composite laminate. there is no cooldown of the oven itself. The total cycle time was 4.8m/5. “If they don’t behave the way you like. Derbyshire. Cornforth notes. Further.20-inch) thick stiffened skin structures for aircraft wing flaps. “you have to find materials that are better adapted to the process. Further.5 hours at a part set point temperature of 180°C/356°F and a tooling temperature of about 80°C/176°F.to 5-mm (0. “We wanted a tool base that has no coupling [with the microwaves].9 ft in diameter and 3m/10 ft long and offers a maximum temperature of 400°C/204°F. Source: GKN Aerospace LEARN MORE www.) and Cycom 5320 from Cytec Engineered Materials (Tempe. but we don’t want to heat the whole tool. You must create a process that is suitable to the microwave. GKN’s experience to date shows that microwave technology consumes about 80 percent less energy than a comparable autoclave. This is what allows the tool temperature to be held lower than the part temperature. nondestructive testing and microscopic evaluation of cut-ups to assess part quality.” Reiner Wiesehöfer. says Cornforth. Like a microwave oven for domestic use. Three out-of-autoclave pregregs were evaluated: MTM-44-1 from Advanced Composites Group (Heanor. Ariz. evaluating processes and quality control by curing several 4. was about 100 psi/6. using less energy? So far. thermoplastic composites (TPCs) have increasingly earned their way onto commercial and military aircraft.500 separate part numbers on Airbus aircraft. They’ve done so through the efforts of a few pioneering companies that have developed materials and processes. polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK). Adoptions have progressed with each new aircraft (see “Learn More. for example. Given the excellent fire.) 787 and the A350 XWB from Airbus (Toulouse. Wash. The Netherlands). 54). France). advanced forms are in development. Leading TPC manufacturers confirm that they are working on developments for both The Boeing Co. Airbus and others have made no secret of the fact that they have set their sights very high.FEATURE / UPDATE ON THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES Thermoplastic Composites: PRIMARY STRUCTURE? Yes. smoke and toxicity (FST) performance and cycle times of minutes vs. but has the technology progressed enough to make the business case? BY GINGER GARDINER O 52 ver the past 25 years. enabling continuous fiber reinforcement of advanced matrices such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). claimed in 2006 as many as 1. Although few details are available for TPC production on these aircraft (see the “TPCs on B787 and A350” side story on p.” p. through the Thermoplastic Affordable Primary Aircraft Structure | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES Source: Fokker Aerostructures . polyetherimide (PEI). made from its Cetex PEI and PPS sheet products. hours for thermosets. Airbus. 59).’s (Seattle. But TPCs didn’t stall there. the influx of TPCs into aircraft interiors was no surprise. Ten Cate Advanced Composites (Nijverdal. Ten Cate. “The peel strength of a welded joint is roughly 10 N/mm (57 lb/inch) independent of thickness. Fokker leads TAPAS torsion box TAPAS includes Airbus and eight thermoplastic composites specialists based in The Netherlands — Fokker Aerostructures (Hoogeveen). Launch & Operations. “We tried continuous unidirectional fibers. Its Fanuc robotic arm is fitted with an ultrasonic welding head. a bond rupture.) won the 2010 JEC innovation award in Aeronautics for developing these first TPC primary structures and the first industrialized induction welding method (contributed by KVE). such as that used in horizontal tails. achieving a 10 percent weight reduction and a 20 percent cost savings vs. and it is more heavily loaded than the movable rudder and elevators. R&D director for Fokker Aerostructures.” (See “Learn More. “the plies of the underlying skin pull apart vs. featuring induction welded butt-joint stiffening ribs. Airborne Composites (The Hague). The torsion box is the fixed structure of the tail.) One will be a 12m/39-ft span torsion box and the other. Mass. butt jointed to the I-beam during consolidation.” Offringa recalls. (TRL 6 stands for Technology Demonstration on a scale from TRL 1 – Basic Technology Research to TRL 9 – Systems Test. a 4m/13ft long. previous carbon/epoxy.’s (Savannah. previously a carbon fiber/epoxy hat-stiffened skin construction. The Netherlands) executives view the company’s recently developed automated placement system for C-PEKK tapes. The TAPAS torsion box demonstrator is basically a redesign of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Meanwhile. Canada) continues its development of a thin-walled. which Fokker now produces in carbon/PPS. from 2 mm/0. started in 2009. culminating with two largescale demonstrator components. The torsion box features tailored skins with varying thickness.08 inch at its thinnest to 8 mm/0. Also in process is a TPC fuselage panel with integrated stiffeners.Robotic tape laying machinery Fokker Aerostructures (Hoogeveen.4 inch at the root. we tried a simple flat plate.” Offringa notes. “We wanted to look at a torsion box. as a basis for control surfaces. while the butt-jointed stringer is ten times stronger.6 ft by 3.” Simple flat preforms are made using automated tape placement (ATP) and Orders-of-magnitude improvements Fokker’s 12m/39-ft span carbon fiber-PEKK torsion box demonstrator for TAPAS features integrated T-stiffeners. KVE. with three integrated stiffeners. and an important step forward. test rigs and material data required. intends to demonstrate a TPC torsion box. and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (Amsterdam). Production and testing of the larger demonstrator will be completed by the end of 2011. Technical University Delft. (TAPAS) consortium. The collaborators intend to develop the technology necessary to produce large thermoplastic composite primary aircraft structures. which Fokker had developed for A340 and A380 J-nose leading edge structures. double-curvature fuselage panel. The short carbon fiber-reinforced PEKK inserts widen the joint area to three times the stringer thickness. butt-jointed T-stiffeners are revolutionary in terms of manufacturing process. “We were looking for a low-cost way of adding vertical stiffeners to I-shaped floor beams a few years ago. The program is intended to position participating partners for new programs like the A30X (next-generation A320).3 ft).” Offringa maintains. is to expedite a technology readiness (TRL) level of 6. Fokker along with Gulfstream. The integrated.” says Arnt Offringa. The revolutionary butt-joints in the stiffeners show a 10x increase in peel strength and a 2. MARCH 2011 | 53 Source: Fokker Aerostructures . University of Twente.” The selected 12m span represents a horizontal flap for an airliner or half the span of a business jet horizontal tail. tapered-cylinder TPC helicopter tail boom with welded internal stiffeners. In fact. the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ. 59). The part has undergone static and fatigue testing in all conditions. we already had the tooling. Technobis Fibre Technologies (Uitgeest). In fact. They exhibit strength only one-third less than that of the composite laminate. The goal of this four-year program. “With the G650 products. “Instead of using laminates with flanges. Dutch Thermoplastic Composites (Almere). The butt joint was an order of magnitude stronger than previous welded joints. Ga. It is a more flexible and less costly solution than gantry-style machines.5x higher joint failure threshold. Fokker already has developed a TRL 4 (Technology Development level) subcomponent TPC demonstrator that measures 0.) Gulfstream G650 horizontal stabilizer. emphasizing that at failure. TenCate and Ticona (Amesbury. wings and complete tails to be made from thermoplastic composites in the future.” Fokker then enhanced bond strength with a pair of injection molded radius inserts that help transition load from the perpendicular stiffener to the skin. Montréal. cost and weight.5m by 1m (1. “but the short fiber/PEKK combination worked best to reduce stress in the joints. KVE Composites Group (The Hague). and will be made from unidirectional carbon fiber/PEKK. Only the 6m/20-ft middle section of the demonstrator is thermoplastic (Fokker uses already built thermoset left and right tips) but is more complex than the G650 components.” p. After caul plates and a vacuum bag are applied. 56). which are not easily formed in thermoset composites. the rough part showed no voids. indicating that injection molding could be used without trouble for insert production.) “For thermoplastic composites. $1 million for large ATL/ AFP machines. Wash.) to translate CATIA (Dassault Systèmes. (Coriolis Composites’ effort in that direction is noted in the news item on p. South Africa) has been named as the supplier of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic frame clips for the A350. This system is expected to enable affordable growth. then waterjet cut to supply the two pieces for each T-stiffener. Japan). two sine wave-shaped radius inserts were roughed out by making a tool with a sine wave groove and then press forming heated chopped carbon/PEKK material pellets into it. which will be used to attach carbon composite fuselage panels to the fuselage skeleton. “Heat is enough. however. an 80-cm by 300-cm (32-inch by 118-inch) business-jet flap — a single robotic cell will work. which locate the components precisely and.) 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus (Toulouse. Québec. such as the sine-wave beam pictured here.). The Netherlands) has begun production on hundreds of different TPC clips and cleats for both the A350 and Boeing 787. have been identified. Ohio). during molding. Tooling blocks are positioned. the assembly is consolidated during a three-hour autoclave cycle. Offringa contends. Not least. you do not need large forces to tack the material together. “Larger structures. apply pressure. Japan) each have announced long-term supply contracts for their carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic prepregs. eventually. Stiffener components and radius inserts are placed into tool cavities designed to receive them. Source: Fokker Aerostructures Sine-wave beams and A30X leading edges Fokker’s butt-joint system has enabled a faster.Y. France) A350 XWB have earned much press as showcases for thermoset composites in aircraft structure. Fokker uses Vericut software by CGTech (Irvine. Fokker began with the beam’s web. Del.) have all looked into using robots instead of gantry-style equipment. The thermoplastic composite skin is then tape layed on top using an off-the-shelf robotic arm made SIDE STORY by Fanuc (Oshino-mura. “For small volumes of limitedsize products — for example. Ten Cate is working on a new product as well. Fokker chose low-cost ultrasonic welding. France). The decision to use a robotic arm was based on cost: roughly $100. press-formed in the shape of a sine wave. (Newark. can be achieved with multiple synchronized robots. a carbon/PEKK flat plate.000 for industrial robots vs. Offringa notes that Coriolis Composites SAS (Quéven. more cost-effective way of producing sine-wave beams. In automated layup.) and Automated Dynamics (Schenectady. The goal is to transition. Aerosud (Pretoria.” Although the large ATL/AFP machines typically use gas or laser heating systems. Some TPC applications. Nevertheless.FEATURE / UPDATE ON THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES Sine wave of the future Fokker’s development of its butt-joint system has enabled new designs not easily formed in thermoset composites. both programs also have advanced the use of thermoplastic composites. unidirectional tapes are easier to use than fabrics.” Using automated layup drove the choice of PEKK as a matrix. and specified and programmed by Boikon (Leek.” Offringa explains. N. to using only vacuum and a heated tool. Canada) is supplying the 787’s personal air delivery system (see the side story on p. each capable of several material widths. Accudyne Systems Inc. Ariz. The Netherlands) and Toho Tenax (Tokyo. and increased volumes can be accommodated by adding robots. Marquez (Montréal. 19. France) CAD data into something the robot can build. Calif. Paris. Dutch Thermoplastic Composites (Almere. For the A350. but the names of specific manufacturers they will supply and the parts they will manufacture were unavailable. The 787’s overhead baggage bins will be attached using C-shaped and L-shaped TPC ceiling rails made by Xperion-CDI (Avon. instead of a gantry type ATL/AFP machine.’s (Seattle. carbon/PEKK tapes are readily available from Cytec Engineered Materials (Tempe. a process with which it has many years of experience on the J-nose leading edges. using its continuous compression molding (CCM) process. The beam’s flanges were cut from preformed carbon/PEKK 54 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . To expedite R&D. like aircraft tails or fuselage panels. Ten Cate (Nijverdal. TPCs on the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 Although The Boeing Co. The Netherlands). Moreover. its leading edge must cost less than Fokker’s welded-rib leading edge on the A380 (see “Learn More. it can lay up a blank in three to four minutes. says DTC’s CEO David Manten. By mandate. each up to 8 inches (203 mm) in width. Offringa recounts the design’s origins: “We asked ‘How can we get rid of welding? Maybe if we make the ribs very small and fuse them to the skin all in one shot?’” The ribs are waterjet cut from large preformed flat plate stock into tailored shapes to minimize material. A robotic arm then places TPC tape on top.to 10. Then the web. ply build-ups and drop-offs are used to achieve the same result. Development began with single-ply laminates and now has progressed to a 2-mm/0. “When you go to more highly loaded structures.e. forming two leading edges to be coconsolidated in a short autoclave cycle. the Airbus A30X must cost less per kilogram than the latest wide-body platforms. Then. robotic layup. now employed in the 3. 59). $6 million Level 1 COALESCE (Cost Efficient Advanced Leading Edge Structure) project within the European Union 7th Framework program. bagged and coconsolidated. So the process as a whole moves quickly: CNC cutting of TPC materials. producing a structure with a much higher stiffness and bucklingresistance than a simple I-beam. The thickness in the stringers varies between 0. Developing complex fuselage stringers Dutch Thermoplastic Composites (DTC) also is pursuing new TPC stringer designs as it explores press-formed structures with variable thickness and complex geometry for the TAPAS fuselage demonstrator.minute cycle time.080-inch thick quasi-isotropic layup. DTC will transition to a TPC T-stiffeners Fokker’s butt-jointed T-stiffeners enable TPC primary structures that cost 15 to 30 percent less than carbon fiber/epoxy. The profiles can be formed within a 5. and they are compatible for co- consolidation with the demonstrator fuselage panel skin. The butt-joint method also enabled production of a skin/stringer design that features multiple flat ribs. for a total cycle time of 15 minutes. like fuselage panels.. ribs are often made of aluminum because of the many formed details and thickness variations used to achieve higher strength and stiffness with less material. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 55 Source: Fokker Aerostructures Source: Fokker Aerostructures . routinely achieving porosity levels way below 2 percent.” DTC can press three stringers simultaneously. Setting up for rib/radius/skin coconsolidation TPC ribs from flat plate stock and radius inserts for Fokker’s COALESCE leading edge are placed into cavities on this tool.48 mm and 5. but thermoplastic composites enable much more complex geometry in a very fast cycle time. similar to those in Fokker’s A340 leading edge.flat laminate. During the next six months. and the press is capable of more than 400˚C/752˚F with automated material transport. Currently. Radius inserts are injection molded and the skin is robotically fiber placed.” DTC built a custom press capable of forming 1-ft by 1-ft (0. the assembly is coconsolidated to produce a structure that costs 30 percent less than the A380 leading edge. says Offringa.” p.3m) carbon/PPS or carbon/PEKK profiles up to 3m/10 ft in length.125 inch and 0. vacuum preconsolidation and automated transfer to forming press. DTC is developing a robotic system to automate flat blank production. But.5-year. regardless of part length). based on crosssection analysis (i. constant-thickness TPC ribs in the past. inserts and flanges were placed in a tool. Accordingly. Manten describes the process: “We build up the plates ourselves and then pre-consolidate them using vacuum to extract air before press forming.3m by 0. DTC has made lightly loaded.250 inch (2.50 mm). In thermoset composites. S.2m in length with diameters representative of actual aircraft (diameters vary from 10 inches/0. Marquez (Montréal.7m at cabin junction). Its mission is to develop novel concepts and processes that can be applied to future aerospace products. delivering a part every six minutes. widely used for automated tape layed aerospace structures. CRIAQ’s purpose is to look at the processing parameters and latest materials and equipment in an attempt to overcome these issues. About 90 percent of the structure is polyetherimide (PEI) reinforced with continuous S-2 Glass fiber (supplied by AGY Holdings Inc. Marquez vacuum-assisted resin transfer molded a thermoset composite prototype. The test result prompted a trial with S-2 Glass/PPS tape prepregged by Ten Cate Advanced Composites (Nijverdal. Currently. through overhead nozzles. The tape. But that still needs more work to ensure SIDE STORY Marquez innovates aircraft TPCs Repeatedly recognized for its innovative design and manufacturing. Springs. Ali Yousefpour.2m) long.500 take-off and landing cycles with temperatures between -55˚C to 85˚C (-67˚F to 185˚F).C.8-inch (298.5-ft (1. particularly for aircraft produced in smaller volumes. during testing that simulated 1. and was codeveloped with Fiberforge (Glenwood Bizjet window bezel Marquez supplies the TPC window bezel for Bombardier’s Global Express business jets. The companies worked together for a year to develop the specialized bidirectional laminate sequence which uses 19 plies of unidirectional S-2 Glass-reinforced polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) to achieve tightly limited deflection in two directions. Quebec). Canada) has produced advanced thermoplastic composite structures since 1996. some observers say TPC parts cannot compete cost-wise simply by using the same automated layup and autoclave consolidation process currently used for thermoset composite primary structures. TPC primary structure issues According to some industry experts. “The best approach would be in-situ consolidation. Once a retrofit. including the major OEMs Bombardier (Montréal). Marquez supplies 60 different parts for the 787 PSU ductwork.5m) blanks up to 3m/10 ft in length.2-inch (30.’s 787 Personal System Unit (PSU).. National Research Council of Canada (NRC. Marquez director of R&D. capable of 3.) using a customized donut blank. Québec.3m at tail to 27 inches/0.4-inch (441. The Netherlands). The CRIAQ tailboom section is approximately 4 ft/1. Canada) Global Express business aircraft (photo at right) The PSU delivers fresh air to each passenger via ductwork. the part started cracking. you have the part with no secondary processing required. These include cost.) and 10 percent unreinforced for the connection areas at each part’s end.” says Levesque. “The bezel is unusual as a structure in that it is empty in the middle. However. “Our design accommodates the fuse- lage movement while maintaining the seal so that the temperature and humidity between the outer and inner windows in controlled and no fogging occurs. This enables the bezel to form a hermetic (airtight) seal.). According to Dr. noting that the PPS matrix works well because it can deflect in one direction but remain rigid in the other and is ductile enough to prevent cracking. the TPC window bezel now is standard on all Global Express aircraft. Among its composites projects are two devoted to TPC structures: (1) develop and validate a composite tube for a light helicopter skid landing gear and (2) demonstrate a thermoplastic tail boom for helicopters. Colo.FEATURE / UPDATE ON THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES commercial-scale machine. thermoplastic composites still have significant barriers to overcome before they are widely used in complex. which produces the part for Marquez. TPC helicopter tail boom CRIAQ is a government-funded aerospace consortium of 62 Quebec-based aerospace companies. 56 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES Source: Marquez . as there would have been too much waste to form it from a solid one. thus provided the least costly material option.1m by 0. Most of the parts are 48 inches (1. The tail boom is typically a thin-walled. Many have complex geometries because the ductwork twists and turns as it moves air through the crowded overhead space.” He adds that the Fiberforge process is well-suited for applications that require a customized TPC blank.5-ft by 1. and the TPC structural window bezel used on all Bombardier (Montréal. Bell Helicopter (Mirabel) and Pratt & Whitney Canada (Longueuil). so Fiberforge was able to work with us to develop a donut-shaped blank. universities and government organizations.3-mm) by 1. which not only maintains cabin pressure but also prevents window fogging. Originally. According to Martin Levesque. tapered cylinder that connects the cabin to the tail rotor and must endure significant bending moments as well as high-temperature engine exhaust.5-mm) thick frame is the structural bone of the seven-piece window assembly. Montreal.5-mm) by 17. automated processing speed and quality. Colo. con- toured primary structures. and lack of developed repair technologies. composites group leader at the Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Center. Aiken. The bezel is made by Fiberforge (Glenwood Springs. The 11. Institute for Aerospace Research. Because aerospace-grade thermoplastic prepregs cost more than thermoset prepregs. Because rotorcraft structures are confined by low production volumes and complex geometries. so that when you are done. no helicopter manufacturer has yet been able to make the business case for using TPCs in production. the company supplies TPC ducting for The Boeing Co. Adams 2960 E. Most high-performance thermoplastics require temperatures between 400˚F and 800˚F (200˚C and 430˚C) to ensure fiber wet out. noting that thermoset automated placement uses a soft compaction roller.. Ask about our next day delivery options on orders received by 1pm MST. For example.wyomingtestfixtures. and they require controlled cooling to manage Stringer in 15 minute minutes Dutch Thermoplastic Thermoplast Composites (Almere. therefore. was cost-justified by eliminating the time and expense of mechanical fastening. but slow processing remains a challenge. Fokker’s remarkable success converting floors. Replacement of aluminum. UT 84109 45 years of Phone (801) 484. C In Stock Laminate Bearing Test ASTM D 953 In Stock We carry over 40 types of fixtures in stock and available for immediate delivery. Some companies are exploring modular or flexible compaction rollers. Traditionally. thermoplastic prepregs also have been stiffer. a benefit often touted for TPCs. W yoming T est F ixtures INC. ribs and spars have typically used flanges that are short or have a 2-D radius..5055 Composite Testing Experience Fax (801) 484. the resulting capital burden is difficult to justify for low production volumes. assembly has driven the cost regardless of the material.WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED! Laminate Bearing Test ASTM D 5961 Proc. post-buckled leading edges. Dr. • Expert consultation with Dr. A In Stock Laminate Bearing Test ASTM D 5961 Proc.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 57 . “TPC automated placement typically uses a hard compaction roller to sustain the higher temperatures required. enabling welded TPCs to compete with aluminum and thermosets. high-pressure autoclaves and presses required for most current TPC post-consolidation cost about twice that used to process thermoset composites and. control surfaces and tail components to TPCs has been attributed by one critic to the fact that each instance involved ruled surfaces (2-D) or moderately curved geometry and offered the opportunity to consolidate high part-count assemblies. which deforms to go around sharp corners and edges. B In Stock Laminate Bearing Test SACMA Version In Stock Laminate Bearing Test ASTM D 5961 Proc. One manufacturer estimated that the high-temperature. However.6008 email: wtf@wyomingtestfixtures. exacerbating the issues of steering at high speed over complex contours. Thus. Millcreek Canyon Road President Salt Lake City. starting from cuttin CNC materials cutting. these limitations affect TPCs’ competitiveness in automated processes. where for other primary structure. ready to be shipped. Th The Netherlands) has developed develope press-formed TPC stringers wit with variable thickness and comple complex geometry for the TAPAS fuselag fuselage demonstrator. with a total cyc cycle fro time of 15 minutes. WHEN YOU NEED IT FAST. a factor that increases both precision and speed. therefore.380 kPa) being typical.” Yousefpour reports.” Yousefpour notes that this is the only true out-of-autoclave processing. he points out. So ur ce :D ut ch Th er m op las t ic Co m po sit es • Over 40 types of fixtures in stock. It is also argued that those who have had success have understood the physical limitations of TPC materials and addressed these constraints in their manufacturing processes. Donald F. so that the complex intersections are preformed and then welded.100 percent consolidation and sufficient crystallization.” explains Yousefpour. Adams • Email or call today to discuss your fixture and custom design needs.com www. “The true in-situ process is rather slow. including the 5 models of the Laminate Bearing Fixture shown above. with a consolidation pressure of up to 200 psi (1. it may be less attractive. Source: Airbus. the overall part cycle time and cost are still an issue. we have solutions AccuClave® Thermocouples Pre-Made.” Questions must be answered: “For example. CA . which proposes one solution to the problem: applying negative pressure to the layup via a porous mold. Cost Saving TCs AccuClave®-X Extension Cables AccuFlexTM Thermocouples Reduced Markoff Flat Wire AccuConnectTM Assemblies crystallization of the TPC matrix. Therefore. especially on contoured surfaces. Photographer: S. adhesion of the first ply to the tool during automated placement also has been an issue.. value and value and traceability in autoclave temperature measurement traceability in autoclave temperature measurement Business case debate Fokker produces aluminum and carbon fiber/epoxy horizontal stabilizers for Dassault and other OEMs. “Fusion bonding may be used. but to date.. Carbon/epoxy materials for large commercial structures can be applied at 15 to 40 lb/hr. but needs to be developed. but it is much more expensive. Bonniol Composite temperature measurement challenges? SAM PE 2 011 BOO TH 1 230 Lon g B eac h. Lay-down rates are usually noted as a function of machine speed in m/sec. Because thermoplastic prepregs are not tacky. but this has limited value in describing the part cost in kg/hr because geometry. Lack of repair strategies is also an issue.tewire. this has been possible only when all the welded parts are TPCs. 2011. Other high-end thermoplastic polymers do not achieve the required crystallization with AFP. Accordingly. it has production and cost data for com- TE Wire & Cable LLC The most trusted name in thermocouple wire since 1941 888-4TE-WIRE MARMON 201-845-9400 www. “The most forgiving material right now is PEEK. Airbus was awarded a patent on July 13. and a variety of flaps for Airbus and Boeing. “There has been little talk about repair of TPC structures. typical TPC laydown rates are much less than 10 lb/hour. Industry sources suggest that laydown rates need to be three to five times faster for PEEK and 10 to 20 times faster for PEKK to make the business case for use in large primary structures for lower-volume aircraft. 58 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . and processing parameters can slow machine speed and interrupt head travel. Yousefpour adds.” claims Yousefpour.” Reportedly. Another issue is that TPC materials are difficult to bond with nonthermoplastic materials. such as epoxy. so it still must be heated under pressure.com A Marmon Wire & Cable/Berkshire Hathaway Company AccuClave is a registered trademark of TE Wire & Cable LLC. Find out out why TE Wire & Cable sets sets the industry standard for performance. how will heat and pressure be applied for bonding and how will repairs be inspected for quality?” Find why TE Wire & Cable the industry standard for performance. France) forms a carbon/TPC Airbus A30X lower fuselage skin demonstrator.FEATURE / UPDATE ON THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES Robotic placement A Flash TP automated placement machine from Coriolus Composites (Quéven. Unitized structure has been built with various welding technologies. steering. in-situ placement. In this case. N. which is more than enough for most thermoplastic composite materials.com @ Read this article online at http://short.parison with TPC technology.com/EAJlA3dD. “It’s the largest heavy-duty helicopter in the fleet.VvÀ`]Ê ÊÈ££äÎÊ1- >v«J}iÀðVÊUÊn£xnÇÈäää M AY 2 0 1 1 | 59 .com/CkJo3L82. Butt joints take this one step farther by using an optimized welded joint instead of adhesive bonds to extend the failure load by a factor of 2.” Cramer said. ÇäÇÊÕÌÊÛi°ÊUÊ. compositesworld. but constrains it with bonded stiffeners.compositesworld. Conn. Hart-Smith’s design allows local buckling at the highest service loads. Instead of preventing buckling — one of the main failure modes — with a thick skin. which. the TPC approach reduced overall hours.” Offringa contends that an autoclave of this size should be sufficient for curing helicopter parts. typical for this type of autoclave.J.com/RRQuasRl. Marine Corps. High-temperature capability does add cost.) has pursued a large thermoplastic floor assembly for years. For the G650 parts. John Hart-Smith. The progression of TPC adoptions on recent aircraft is illustrated in a timeline format at http://short. Fiberforge chief operating officer David Cramer said that this project is now moving into full-scale production. Read about butt-jointed I-beam stiffeners in HPC July 2008 (p. compositesworld.S. gas-heated autoclave capable of 400˚C/752˚F is used. compositesworld.7 million USD].5m/12-ft-diameter.compositesworld. like rotorcraft. with DRS Technologies (Parsippa- ny. Part of this reduction comes from using less material via the butt-jointed design.5.) and Fiberforge (Glenwood Springs. but not nearly as much as that required for large-diameter parts.). It is interesting to note that Sikorsky Aircraft (Stratford. resulting in a 25 percent cost reduction. an extension of post-buckled skin/stringer design originally developed by composite structures pioneer Dr. For the Gulfstream G650’s rudder and elevators. produced using ATP robots and three-hour autoclave coconsolidation cycles (vs. 3. 50) or visit http://short. It also makes every ounce of material work to its fullest. CA May 23-26 Booth 544 LEARN MORE www. Read about the A380 leading edge in HPC March 2006 (p. Visit us at SAMPE Long Beach.com/A0RYPVJa. first with Automated Dynamics for the UH-60M Black Hawk upgrade and most recently for the CH-53K transport helicopters used by the U. are produced in smaller volumes. 94) or visit http://short. In the March 21 issue of The Aspen Times. the previous aluminum design — important to Sikorsky as it looked to reduce weight after redesigning the helicopter’s engine for greater thrust. he adds. the company compared its own hat-stiffened carbon/epoxy construction with new TPC butt-jointed structures. reducing overall skin thickness and weight. Colo. such as those used on the 787. the butt-jointed parts Fokker is developing also are aimed at business jets. a 12m/39 ft long. Fokker’s Offringa points out that although TAPAS is geared toward commercial airlines. noting that the TPC floor meets the Marines’ durability needs and cuts weight by 25 percent vs. “It cost €2 million [$2. Both TAPAS demonstrators exploit this welded post-buckled skin/stringer design. seven to nine hours for cocured epoxies). ANS’ chief technology officer. which are concentric cylinders of carbon atoms in a similar graphite structure held together by weak intermolecular forces. which are long. particles that range in size from 1 to 1. says Shah. But a new partnership between Applied NanoStructured Solutions LLC (ANS. are the initial targets. CNS-infused glass fiber is the “most mature” at present. “Our main purpose was to determine how to produce high-value. with performance built into the reinforcement. and Owens Corning (Toledo. Other examples of nanoscale materials include nanoclays. under reasonable conditions. the focus of the research has been on development of a robust manufacturing technology.” The technology. thin cylinders of carbon atoms arranged in a graphitic lattice structure. such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding or lightning strike protection. The key to nanoparticle benefits is this high ratio of surface area to total volume. that is. low-cost materials. Electronics applications.000:1. as the 60 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . has been slow. These carbon-based particles have aspect ratios that range from 100:1 to 10. Md. a Lockheed Martin subsidiary. but others are in the sights. and multiwall carbon nanotubes. ANS seeks to commercialize the process for high-volume applications. noting that the emphasis was on practicality. Baltimore. From the beginning. Ohio) is about to accelerate growth. “That was the breakthrough. also characterized by very large aspect ratios (surface area to thickness).” he recalls. Actual commercial development of nano-based products for composites. With Owens Corning now on board as a joint development partner. known as CER (carbon-enhanced reinforcements). We’ve developed a drop-in. Tushar Shah. Nanomaterials include single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs). scalable process grows nanostructures directly on composite reinforcements for “drop-in” use in volume production processes. metal oxide particles and graphene nanoplatelets. scalable manufacturing process that can produce reinforcements infused with carbon nanostructures (CNS) for composites fabrication.000 nanometers (nm). says Dr. ANS has worked for more than three years to develop a rapid. however. multifunctional technology for composites processors. BY SARA BLACK N anocomposites research and the massive benefits it promises have attracted considerable press coverage over the past decade. where 1 nm equals 1 billionth of a meter. is now under consideration for a number of applications.INSIDE MANUFACTURING NANOTECHNOLOGY: Fast. Nanotech background Nanotechnology involves the creation and manipulation of particles at the nanoscale.). HPC got an exclusive first look at the process and the product’s potential applications during a recent tour of the pilot plant. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 61 Source: ANS . fiberglass rovings covered with black CNS are pulled from the processing equipment for respooling. In this photo.I NTO THE REALM OF REAL Growing CNSs on glass fibers A new partnership between Applied Nanostructured Solutions (ANS) and Owens Corning seeks to commercialize nano-enhanced reinforcements infused with carbon nanostructures (CNS). INSIDE MANUFACTURING Step 1 The enclosed production line. Step 4 Inside the growth chamber. Note the enclosed and refrigerated creel area (at right). nitrogen and hydrogen. the atmosphere. designed and built by ANS. Step 7 The treated. Step 2 A separate enclosed production line is used for infusing carbon fiber towpreg with CNS. rerolled and ready for shipment to customers. Creeled fiberglass at the left side is pulled into the production line for infusion. Step 3 This close-up photo shows the glass rovings as they enter the heated CNS growth chamber. is conducive to CNS growth. 62 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES Source (all step photos): ANS . Step 8 Infused glass fiber rovings. Step 6 This SEM shows multiple glass filaments with high CNS loadings. are taken up at the end of the process line. infused glass rovings. after they have gone through the aqueous catalyst bath. a scanning electronic micrograph (SEM) shows CNS forming to the left on the surface of a glass fiber. Step 5 A second SEM shows fully grown CNS on a single fiber. now black with the infused nanostructures. a mixture of acetylene. Here. with a brush-like appearance. Deposition is conducted in an enclosed production line so that no particles are released during production. and virtually any material! The Inventor and Global Leader in Abrasive Waterjet M AY 2 0 1 1 | 63 . “Joining together with Owens Corning is a natural next step as we look to scale up our production capabilities. microcracks or edge fraying. which can be in the form of tow. thin or thick machining of any composite. the number of atoms at or near the particle’s surface increases exponentially. enhanced properties in the composite (for an expanded discussion of nanotechnology basics.” Nano-infusing fabric reinforcements The process developed by Shah and his team is based on continuous. In the initial step. Eventually. hightemperature. The result? “We have developed a way to grow carbon nanostructures on fabrics. “We’re not making CNTs and then transferring them. “This is a continuous. “We expect that this agreement will permit us to shorten the development time to produce customizable material attributes for commercial and defense applications. The pilot line can handle reinforcement forms up to 12 inches/300 mm wide. In addition. tight corners. the ANS team began to develop a process for directly “infusing” fabrics or tows with nanostructures. is pulled from creels at the 5" 4" 3" 2" 1" THE SUPERIOR METHOD FOR MACHINING LARGE AND SMALL COMPOSITE PARTS The Best Composites Edge Finish: Non-contact cold cutting. catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Starting in 2007. direct growth process. such as improved thermal and electrical conductivity or reduced flammability. in partnership with Owens Corning. creating more bonding sites and. Amy Jones. Resin loading is usually limited to no more than 3 percent. requiring surface treatment of the tiny particles.5m wide production line. and thorough dispersion throughout the resin is a greater challenge. unidirectional tape or a woven broadgood.” he clarifies.surface area or length increases. The company developed all of the equipment and controls in-house.” Shah says. nanofilled resins often exhibit other novel beneficial characteristics. president of ANS. The more elegant solution. because additional filler would make the resin too viscous. thus. ANS will have a 60-inch/1. high cutting speed. conventional glass fiber.” The process has been successful at the pilot scale. including process control software and a heated growth chamber. no delamination. ANS is ramping up low-volume production to support commercial development. The trend in composites has been to use nanomaterials as a kind of “super filler” in polymer resins — nanoelement-filled resins can achieve the same performance properties achieved with traditionally filled resins but with a smaller filler volume fraction.. rapid. a width more consistent with typical broadgoods. “It’s a completely dust-free and solvent-free environment. Md. 65).” p. But adding nanoscale fillers to resins is often difficult. see “Learn More. The Most Productive Machining Method: Simple fixturing. he reasoned. Given this. directly onto the reinforcing fibers. but work is underway on a 36-inch/1m wide line. who leads product stewardship for ANS. Shah says he wanted ANS to focus on reinforcements instead of resins. at a dedicated plant located in Middle River. near Baltimore.” says Dr. adding that a wide range of nanostructure volumes can be achieved by varying the process speed.” says Jeff Napoliello. was to incorporate the nanoparticles directly into the fibers themselves and eliminate the handling issues associated with CNS fillers in resins. The chamber supports an atmosphere — a mixture of acetylene. The speed and. The CER reinforcements are easily prepregged or resin-infused. HIGH-DEMAND COMPOSITE MACHINING To manufacture components for today’s high-tech industries like aerospace. hydrogen and nitrogen — in which. The production line typically moves at a rate of 50 to 60 inches (1. as catalysis proceeds. such as ceramic fibers and metal fibers. yet the final piece of the puzzle lies at the cutting edge. The fiber/fabric then goes through a dip bath where it is coated with a proprietary aqueous catalyst. but Shah reports that it is tough to grow carbon on carbon. requires the best in cutting tool technology. held together via physical bonds and Van der Waals forces. The fact that CNS are already bonded to the fiber surface ensures a better fiber/matrix bond than can be achieved with CNT-filled resin systems during the composite molding process. are 5 to 20 nm in diameter and are 5 to 200 μm in length. it passes through a high-temperature chamber to dry the liquid catalyst. the carbon nanostructures grow on the individual filaments. located in another section of the facility. This creates a “nanomorphology” on the individual filaments that will facilitate surface bonding of a catalyst and the CNS to the fiber filaments.INSIDE MANUFACTURING start of the production line. is similarly enclosed. The fiber form emerges from the growth chamber with a black coating of nanostructures and is re-spooled for storage and shipment. The catalyzed fibers are drawn into an enclosed heated chamber. Next. therefore. and they are compatible with a number of different resin systems. multiwalled and highly branched forms. The right strategy. ANS says the processing temperature is not only proprietary but also subject to change as process modifications are implemented during this pilot HIGH-TECH. says Shah.4 mm per minute to produce denser. without a few tweaks. thicker growth. Other materials.” Testing shows that the CNS typically exhibit 2 to 10 shared walls. but the processing speed can be slowed to less than 1 inch/25. To address the two prominent challenges when machining composites — extreme abrasive wear on the tool and delamination/ splintering of the workpiece — Seco provides two key innovative families: Jabro solid carbide endmills and Feedmax drills.” notes Shah. Depending on the fiber type. and the volume percentage of infused CNTs can be varied from less than 1 percent to more than 30 percent. “Our data show that the CNS produced are chemically pure and thermally stable. Both feature speciallyprepared geometries and highlyengineered coatings. The team also is working to encourage CNS growth along the fiber axis. the growth rate is customized to a specific application. “It’s a combination of single-walled. for undisclosed applications. also have supported CNS growth on an experimental basis. Applications for infused fabrics Based on initial tests. including diamond. machine tool and cutting parameters are a must. sizing and other unique attributes.” Shah maintains. TM TM stage. but its growth chamber must operate at a higher temperature.270 to 1. explains Shah. aligned with the fiber. ^^^ZLJV[VVSZJVT\Z 64 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . The carbon process line. automotive and medical. ANS’ process can grow CNS on carbon fiber filaments. to combat these issues and provide consistently high productivity. resulting in better composite part performance. the fiber or fabric might first need to be treated in a plasma etching process.524 mm) per minute. the ANS/Owens Corning team is excited about the potential applications for the CER materials. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis reveals that the CNS grow radially outward from the glass filaments in a highly random and structurally entangled manner and that the nanostructures have “shared walls. Compared to untreated glass fiber in a standard epoxy resin. through-thickness electrical conductivity testing has demonstrated that a CER glass/epoxy laminate offers 14 orders of magnitude greater conductivity than an untreated glass/epoxy — not as conductive as copper but competitive with many metals. CER has the potential to bring nanotechnology down to earth and into the hands of composites fabricators.” HPC September 2005 (p.” Initial lightning strike tests show that the material functions well: It can dissipate a charge without damage to the laminate. When CER carbon/epoxy and untreated carbon in epoxy are compared. yet deliver tremendous functionality. tests demonstrate that CER composites provide better EMI shielding than many metals and that effectiveness increases as the volume percentage of infused CNS in the fabric increases. LEARN MORE www. the former shows strength increases similar to that achieved with CER glass/epoxy and demonstrates significantly higher fracture toughness than conventional carbon/epoxy. ANS and Owens Corning expect that the rapid. The two companies insist that the process is not only possible.” If they’re right. or visit http:// short.com/DCrVWAul. Further.” concludes Byron Hulls. they add little weight to the reinforcement. a CER glass/epoxy composite delivers improved in-plane shear strength and greater interlaminar shear strength.” Although the team has not publicly targeted a specific price. Because the nanostructures are so small.compositesworld. the material itself could act as an in situ electrically conductive nanosensor in “smart” body armor. for example. “any technology brought to market has to be costcompetitive. According to Shah and Owens Corning’s senior research associate for composites. Shah adds that the inherent conductivity of the CER materials makes it a candidate for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications as well. CER also could function in a de-icing system. “In the end.com @ Read this article online at http://short. One of the team’s initial focus areas has been the use of CER material as a replacement for the metal grids and meshes now used in composite laminates for lightning strike protection. That is. Owens Corning product and programs director. says Shah.com/ax2LDLtM. M AY 2 0 1 1 | 65 . but also practical. providing mechanical properties as well as customizable electrical and thermal conductivity. 30). David Hartman. The basics of nanotechnology are discussed in “From specialty fillers to space elevators.compositesworld. continuous CER production process will scale up to meet the demands of large-volume applications. compositesworld. “We’re in this project because we believe the process is economically viable. Hulls maintains. “This technology allows us to make a composite laminate more metal-like for applications where metal is the typical solution. acting in the capacity of a resistive heating element. Says Hartman. | www. Korea | www.one BIG website! | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES .compositesworld. 18-20.com/jec-show SAMPE China Conference and Exhibition Tianjin. 5-7. France | www. Italy | www. | www.sampe. Calif.SLJ[YPJ TVKLSZ *OVPJLVMHPY MSV^WH[[LYUZ .icce-nano. China | www. Va.com Wind Power Italy Rome. | www. China | www.org Dec. Ky.org Composites in Fire Newcastle upon Tyne. 17-18.compositeseurope.cfm?clear Windpower 2011 Anaheim. 26-28. 2011 May 23-26.org SAMPE 2011 Long Beach. | www. U.com 847-546-8225 66 One little click.windpowerexpo.com/ conferences Carbon Fiber 2011 Washington.cetma. 27-29. Texas | www.it/theplac2011/ 19th Int’l Conference on Composites and Nano Engineering (ICCE-19) Shanghai.org High-Performance Resins 2011 Covington. | www. D.greenpowerconferences.edu/NDCM-XII International Paris Air Show Le Bourget.cn High-Performance Fibers 2011 Charleston. 9-10. 2011 June 14-15. | www.LTWZ[V¢- www. 2011 June 23-24. 2011 Sept.. 2011 July 24-30. 2011 Nov. | www. 21-26.goeshow. | www. Nev.compositesworld. 2011 Construction.CALENDAR CALENDAR May 9-11.grievecorp.com/acma/CCI/ ereg497293.com/ conferences JEC Composites Show Asia Singapore | www.cpe.compositesworld.HZ . 27-28. 2011 Oct.paris-air-show.. Calif. 2011 June 9-10.compositesworld.vt. 2011 May 22-25.compositesinfire.C. S. 2011 18th Int’l Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM18) Jeju. Germany | www.sampe.iccm18. 2011 Oct. 2011 OVENS AND FURNACES FOR EVERY INDUSTRY Large-Capacity Walk-In Ovens :[HUKHYKZPaLZ[V J\M[ :WLJPHSZPaLZ[V `V\YZWLJZ .org.com 12th Int’l Symposium on Nondestructive Characterization of Materials (NCCM-XII) Blacksburg.com/ conferences Sept.K. Corrosion and Infrastructure Conference Las Vegas. Worth. 2011 Oct. 2011 June 19-24. Italy | www.com THEPLAC 2011 Lecce. 2011 Aug.com/ conferences Composites Europe Stuttgart.com CompositesWorld’s 2011 Investment Forum Ft. 2011 June 20-26.C.jeccomposites. USA 360. was a recent nominee for the JEC Innovation Award in the Sports and Leisure category.com/uwURnL0B. we decided to implement VISI.” explains Federico Carrara Castelli. booth 44 .” The software also was used to design. We are currently running VISI Modelling and VISI Analysis. first unveiled in late 2010. Italy) was contacted in 2009 by the Milan. including the large carbon fiber wheel. handlebar and saddle.APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS Software eases design/build for exotic exercise bike Known for its thermoset composites expertise in aerospace. Long Beach SAMPE 2011 LIVE GUNNAR USA Inc. woven carbon fabric wet out with epoxy resin was hand layed. “The concept from Luca Schieppati excited us. . in less than 100 hours.” with an innovative epicycloid crank system — a set of eccentric gears that turn the wheel. . “After extensive testing. The project was facilitated with the VISI suite of design and manufacturing tools from Vero Software (Gloucestershire. With a large central wheel as its design cornerstone. research and development director at Lamiflex and the Ciclotte project leader. .” says Castelli. We believed it offered the best balance between performance and price for an integrated CAD/CAM system. AEROSPACE AUTOMOTI VE MARI N E WI N D EN ERGY T ECH T EX Source: Vero Software We cut composites.5291 www. Italy-based design house Luca Schieppati to help develop the Ciclotte.” notes Lamiflex CAD designer Marco Perani. reduced the potential for error and ultimately increased our productivity. tech tex and sheet materials.gunnar-usa. a striking luxury exercise bicycle made with carbon fiber composites and equipped with a touch-screen display and reduced pedal distance to ensure better bio-mechanics.657. and we wanted to help bring the product to life. Efficient. Lamiflex wanted to design all components in 3-D and virtually assemble them to highlight potential issues prior to production of molds and parts.). Int roducing t he GUNNAR TTC119 high speed f ully pc cont rolled CUTTING SYSTEM engineered for applicat ions wit hin . That‘s what we call the GUNNAR EXPERIENCE . the machine operator can walk through the complete program virtually. and VISI Machining with Compass Technology for 2-D through to 5-axis milling. “Previously.compositesworld. using our composites experience. the Lamiflex Group (Bergamo. Then the parts were passed to the CAM department for finish machining. vacuum bagged and cured in the company’s autoclave.K. Fast. and prove that the toolpath is collision-free for all drilling and trimming. we had a parametric CAD system that we found difficult to use and quite restrictive when working with complex organic surface forms. the carbon/epoxy molds to produce the Ciclotte parts. To guarantee the exact requirements and size of all the mechanical components. Ciclotte. When the molds were complete. medical and other sectors.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 67 . 11 9 N N A R TTC S ee th e G U 3 . “VISI software has streamlined our manufacturing processes. 3810 166th Place NE Arlington. the Ciclotte was engineered to accurately reproduce the dynamics and performance of on-road pedaling for highintensity “spinning. U. . With VISI Machining software. Read this article online at http://short. WA. Reliable. using its kinematic simulator. Vought Aircraft. Covington. TX 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE FIBERS Obtain the pertinent information and quality contacts that you’ve come to expect from CompositesWorld Conferences! November 9-10 — Embassy Suites. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center/Photo: GA-ASI/Alan Wade www. 2011 — Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter. SC 2011 CARBON FIBER December 5-7 — Washington Marriott. KY 2011 INVESTMENT FORUM October 17-18 — Embassy Suites. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Velozzi Inc.com.com/conferences . 2011 WIND & OCEAN ENERGY SEMINAR April 13-14 — Wyndham Portland Airport.Join us for the CompositesWorld Conferences 2011 Series Attend the CW Conferences! Meet with the composites industry’s brightest minds and most influental executives. Portland.com. Washington.. istockphoto. Ft.compositesworld. ME IN ASSOC IATION W ITH 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE RESINS September 27-28. DC Cover photo sources (top left to bottom right): istockphoto. Worth.. Historic Charleston. According to the company.) introduced on March 1 the CoroDrill 452 range of drills used to create rivet and bolt holes in stacked carbon fiber-reinforced plastics and metallic materials. when an oven was recently incorporated into a full-line (300-mm/11. gates/doors.coromant. such as deburring. the T-Bar is designed to fit with a crossmember that has a matching cutout. increase the active volume of the oven. The material replaces Windform XT and reportedly provides better mechanical properties compared to its predecessor. www. and offer reduced energy consumption. The tool range includes reamer geometries and a countersink tool with microstop for chamfering. assurance of temperature uniformity throughout a variety of flow rates. a manufacturer of resin systems for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing.8inch to greater than 4. there is the risk of delamination or splintering during drilling steps. The jointing system reportedly improves structural rigidity. enabling a mechanical lock between the two segments. The new compound retains the matte black color of the previous version and features the following improvements in mechanical performance: an 8 percent increase in tensile strength. therefore. reduces labor and makes it possible to customize structural performance. particularly with respect to the prevention of exit-hole damage. improved velocity uniformity and velocity range capability. Italy). per application needs. has announced Windform XT 2. a 22 percent increase in tensile modulus.8inch) pilot system.000-mm/157. www.biteam. It is designed for use with selective laser sintering (SLS). this joint type enables construction of composite floors. has introduced a new 3-D woven T-Bar profile. The crossmembers can be either slats or profiled beams (T. make unique demands on processors. Because each carbon fiber composite can have a unique construction and. underhood parts. www. a polyamide-based.Y.harperintl.0.com/us Harper International (Lancaster. Benefits of use include the elimination of secondary processing steps. Company-guaranteed benefits include faster oxidation.com M AY 2 0 1 1 | 69 . This preform comprises a fully integrated single-piece T-beam with a solid square/rectangle bar at the tip of the Tprofile’s web. Potential end-markets and applications for the material include motorsports (e. and other aerospace parts and structures. and a 46 percent increase in elongation-to-break.J. which reduce fugitive emissions. Sweden). planar and curved walls/bodies in building/construction.com Fiber preform for jointing system Biteam AB (Bromma. such as intake manifolds and cooling ducts). the ovens feature the company’s proprietary atmospheric seals. and optimal control of the carbonization reaction to ensure fiber quality.g. Further. a developer of 3-D weaving technology. the T-Bar’s flat sides provide large bonding/fastening surfaces.com Carbon fiber/polyamide for additive manufacturing CRP Technology (Modena. N. The CoroDrill geometries are designed to reduce this risk and ensure that stringent hole tolerances are met with exceptional hole finish and quality. N.. increases design flexibility. components for unmanned aerial vehicles.) has launched its next generation of custom oxidation ovens for processing carbon fiber. the ovens’ modular-construction design reduced field installation labor by 90 percent.sandvik.NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS Oxidation ovens for carbon fiber production Drills for stacked materials Sandvik Coromant (Fair Lawn.crptechnology. compared to previous and competing systems. Developed to enable a jointing system that functions as stiffener and supporter in large structures.5-inch tow band widths. similar to that found in woodwork. www. aeronautical/aerospace and other engineering applications. covers. According to the company. carbon fiber-filled material. Available at 300-mm/11. I or U shapes). NEW PRODUCTS Roll stand feeds conveyorized cutters Angle variants available in spread-tow fabrics Oxeon AB (Borås. including. and good handling. onto a fully automated conveyor cutting system. eventually. These fabrics are designed to complement the existing 0°/90° version. and others. +50°/-25°.com • Automated Ultrasonic C-Scan Systems for Simple and Complex Geometries • Multi-Axis Gantries and Immersion Tanks • System Upgrades 56 Hudson St. flatness and surface smoothness. TEMPLATES. +30°/-60°. (Buffalo. The system can handle rolls as heavy as 2.oxeon. MA 01532 508-351-3423 70 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES .matec. They are said to eliminate problems associated with symmetric plying of noncrimp and unidirectional fabrics.com Email: sales@matec. An optional configuration can handle 60-inch/152-cm diameter rolls that weigh up to 500 lb/227 kg. Sweden) has expanded its line of TeXtreme spread-tow fabrics with the launch of its +α/-β variants.” helps reduce stretching and pulling that can lead to distortion of the material or yarn misalignment. green or multicolor.. www. weight-saving possibilities.com Ultrasonic C-Scan Inspection Systems for your High Performance Materials LASER PROJECTION SYSTEMS FOR OUTLINES. such as fiber reinforcement fabrics.) has introduced the Power Roll Stand. engineered to feed rolled material goods. www.LASER.LAP. SHAPES High precision laser template projection and laser measurement on flat and curved surfaces. The first product launched in the series of variants is a +45°/-45° version. combined with a “dancer bar. Northborough.eastmancuts.se Cutting systems manufacturer Eastman Machine Co. www. This control.com www. N.000 lb/907 kg and accommodates roll widths to 48 inches/122 cm. Reported benefits of spread-tow fabrics include improved mechanical performance.Y. The system features an ultrasonic beam that constantly measures the roll diameter to facilitate and control feeding speeds. The company’s technology enables continuous-length production of novel fabrics by interlacing two sets of spread tow tapes at different angles. Red. enhanced error reporting. According to the company. embedded SolidWorks interface. which reportedly offers an easy. and best recording quality increased to 15 frames per second. user-friendly way of programming for both simple and complex processes. The presses can generate temperatures as high as 450°C/842°F. A control is built into the press to ventilate the vacuum chamber after pressing. to scan the mesh and property IDs for best merged results. Also new: an enhanced Nastran export “merge” feature.uk M AY 2 0 1 1 | 71 . Press forces range from 50 to 1. enabled basic output of generated failure results to the Altair HyperWorks H3D format.fontijnegrotnes. enabled ply split (dart) definitions as curves unrelated to the mesh. COM Server Automation functionality. larger presses in the lab press line can be used for low-volume production. polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). ply drop-off flat patterns are now possible via imported boundary curves. which offers the ability to preview programmed values and view the predicted press cycle. New features include the ability to import 3-D curves from CAD programs.) has launched Laminate Tools 4. Other features include command recipe control. software updates in line with the PlyMatch 2010 system upgrade. www. and a method for area picking bounded by an Laboratory platen press Fontijne Grotnes BV (Vlaardingen. U. polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK).K. They can be put under a vacuum manually or integrated with a PC control system.com imported boundary curve. for remote control via custom client applications.NEW PRODUCTS Laminate design/optimization software Software developer Anaglyph Ltd.000 kN. sufficient to prepare samples of polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The new version also enables boundary curve definitions for easy and accurate flat ply outline pattern generation (including cutouts).1. added support for the new Ansys element shell type 281. The Netherlands) has introduced a hydraulic laboratory platen press for production of thermoplastic samples in support of R&D and quality control. a new. (London. The presses also enable preparation of thermoplastics in a vacuum.co. Also new is the Lab Pro-View press control system.anaglyph. Further. www. LTM202 is designed to complement ACG’s DForm tooling technology. launched two years ago. producers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and carbon fiber manufacturers to develop new carbon fiber precursors and fibers. handling. a winder and integrated controls for operation and analysis. www.adherenttech. heat-activated coupling agent that covalently bonds to carbon fiber and matrix resin to enhance the composite’s toughness and stiffness. hot/wet performance and durability increased. strength and stiffness went up by 50 to 100 percent and hot/wet performance improved.advanced-composites. an autoclave-cure tooling prepreg system that offers a thermal cycling capability up to 200°C/392°F. (Albuquerque. N. low-temperature/high-temperature furnaces.com Fiber/matrix coupling agent Adherent Technologies Inc. It offers low-temperature initial curing starting at 45°C/113°F and is said to be easy to handle and cleaner. research institutes. three 330°C/626°F oxidation ovens with conveyor rollers. Functions and features of the system include a PAN creel with tension control. strength and stiffness increased by 50 to 100 percent. U. www.M. Litzler Co. Adherent is seeking manufacturers with whom to develop licensing partnerships for the integration of the finish system.com http://cvddiamond. www.NEW PRODUCTS Lab-scale carbon fiber production system The new Computreater CF from C. the company’s tests of finished composite parts reveal such strong bonding into the basal plane of the carbon fiber that test to failure is not at the bond point. Division 1 MIL-STD-810F/NEC Call us for a personal demo: (800) 776-4277 ❖ 410/244-1966 Baltimore. In carbon fiber/polyimide. the lab system can be used by universities. Inc. Designed to accommodate a single tow (1K to 50K in size). durability. and toughness increased by 300 percent. Maryland 21201 USA ww ww.WichiTech.com Autoclave-cure tooling prepreg Advanced Composites Group Ltd.uk The Explosion Proof Bonder-Redefined Works on 400 Hz Meets Class 1. Moreover. In carbon fiber/bismaleimide.) has launched LTM202.com 72 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES .co. In carbon fiber/epoxy. Heanor. calitzler. Derbyshire. Ohio) is the laboratory model of the company’s advanced high-production carbon fiber system. a sizing system. (Cleveland. tension/draw controls in multiple zones. In test coupons. (ACG. the finish system yielded the following improvements: In carbon fiber/vinyl ester. surface treatment. Reportedly. A. the system also can be used by existing carbon fiber producers to test and evaluate the quality of incoming PAN precursor. because it offers tack levels that reportedly are optimized to prevent transfer to gloves or knife blades. hot/wet performance and thermooxidative stability improved.) has developed a fiber finish system based on a patent-pending. pretreatment capability.K. aramid or natural fibers.com • info@cadcut. Each oven measures 32 inches long by 18 inches deep by 18 inches high (813 mm by 457 mm by 457 mm). each of which can be adjusted individually. In the exhaust system. It features 4-inch/102mm-thick tongue-and-groove panel assemblies and 20-gauge aluminized steel interiors and ductwork.mag-ias.600cfm. electrically heated oven. depending on the fiber feed rate and the spindle speed. The unit weighs 1. creating a defined. It features two independent oven chambers (stacked one above the other).) has announced the launch of Model 49C650D. allowing four cuts per rotation and module. Ky. a system designed to receive from creels and then chop glass. c o m M AY 2 0 1 1 | 73 . The heating system features a LoNox 400. matching.com ISO 9001: 2008 / AS9100 Certified t t t t t several different classes to choose from world-class instructors intensive curriculum up to 4. with interconnecting wiring between the jack panel and monitoring system.000-BTU/hr air heat burner with a motorized gas control valve.NEW PRODUCTS Fiber cutting system MAG Industrial Automation Systems (Hebron. but sharing a single-damper exhaust system. The recirculation system has an 8. polyester. The cutting unit has a modular design and consists of two or more spindle modules. preheating Precision Quincy (Woodstock.4m) and offers a maximum operating temperature of 500°F/260°C and a normal operating temperature of 250°F/121°C. www. a b a r i s . Wis. The oven heating system can maintain a maximum temperature of 650°F/343°C. www. A 12-position type J thermocouple jack panel is provided inside the oven. homogenous spread pattern for a fiber mat.com Double oven for curing. the fibers drop onto a velocity-controlled conveyor belt.4m by 3m by 2. flame detector and flame relay with alarm horn. After they are cut.com Gas-fired batch oven Wisconsin Oven (East Troy. Fiber tows are supplied to the cutting modules (pat. heavy-duty stand provides a base that adds an extra 24 inches/610 mm to the overall height of the oven. each with separate controls.cadcut.) by two feeding units that can be operated at different velocities.180 lb/535 kg. a dual-chamber. Ill.wisconsinoven.0 CEU’s per 5 day class highly interractive hands-on experience 775-827-6568 t w w w. motorized dampers on the fresh air inlet and the exhaust outlet enhance heating and cooling capabilities. 10-hp blower and uses combination airflow to maximize heating rates and temperature uniformity. An optional.com KIT CUTTING Laser and Knife Cutting Systems Environmentally Controlled Processing Composite Supply Services offering short courses Engineering and Design of Advanced Composites TEXAS • VERMONT 802-223-4055 www. carbon. pend. The system can cut and dose various fiber types and two lengths simultaneously.precisionquincy. The oven temperature is monitored by a Honeywell DCP200 programmable controller.) has introduced its Fiber Cut Unit. www. It measures 8 ft wide by 10 ft long by 8 ft high (2. available in NFPA 86 Class A and Class B configurations.) has introduced a gas-fired batch oven to cure composite parts. SHOWCASE PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE . "%-")%--$(%'%-!'(%.-* ' -' .-"#%+- & !-- ! -&(## %-"-% &- !%& '"-' -*"% * -" #"& '- !(&'%.-- ."&'-+'!& ) !-"-&(&'%'&-) -"%- ! !-#%#% -## ' "!&-"#%+-! -%&!'-%!-( '- %. -&(##"%'-' - -#%"% !-" #"& '- !(&'%. . . . --- . California – Illinois – Connecticut – Canada email: support@miller-stephenson. Ohio 45240 1IPOFt'BY A Subsidiary of Metcut Research Inc. INC.cintestlabs.com www. USA .Luxembourg . &RDWHG7RZ NEW Patented Flexible Thermoplastic Prepreg Material Development / Production Ŷ Ŷ Ŷ Ŷ Ŷ Triaxial Braiding Net Shape Preforms Hand Layup / Stitching Tool Design RTM and VARTM )DEULF%UDLG8' RU'LUHFW)LEHU <RXU0ROGHG3DUWV )LEUWHF composite material made simple for advanced applications PA.com .CMC.com 7BOEFSCJMU"WFOVFt/PSXPPE . hand layup. sealant tapes and much more. We also offer a complete line of EPONTM Epoxy Resins/Curing Agents and a new family of PTFE Release Agents. Cincinnati. 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Aerospace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ICE Independent Machine Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Flow International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Evonik Foams Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 McClean Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Quickstep Composites LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Grieve Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Eastman Machine . . . 36 M Torres Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Precision Quincy Corp. 4 DIAB International AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Automated Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 66 Gunnar USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CVD Diamond Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Seco Tools Inc. . . . 59 Janicki Industries . . . . 8 Magnolia Plastics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 CGTech. . . . . . . . . . 28 ASC Process Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 General Plastics Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AD INDEX ADVERTISERS’ INDEX A&P Technology Inc. . . . . . . 32 TE Wire & Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Laser Projection Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . 71 McLube . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Wisconsin Oven Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Matrix Composites Inc. . . 37 Ingersoll Machine Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Dexmet Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Plascore Inc. . . 34 Stepan Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 LAP Laser LLC . . . . . . . 10 HITCO Carbon Composites Inc. . 58 Technical Fibre Products Ltd. . . . . . . . 21 Burnham Composite Structures Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 CAD Cut Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Specialty Materials Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 North Coast Composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. . 72 De-Comp Composites Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Torr Technologies Inc. 14 M AY 2 0 1 1 | 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Lectra Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 CASS Polymers of Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Technical Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Verisurf Software Inc. . . . . .A. . . . . . 47 Precision Fabrics Group. . . 49 Wabash MPI . . . . . . . 33 WichiTech . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Single Temperature Controls Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Abaris Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 American GFM Corp. . . . . . 39 Mokon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Web Industries . 44 Ross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Zyvax Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Olympus NDT Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles & Son Co. . . . . . 67 Henkel Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Ferry Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Renegade Materials Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 BGF Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Matec Instrument Companies . . . . . . . . . . Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Lucas Industries . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover Master Bond Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Maverick Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Superior Tool Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it took a catastrophe to alert designers to the potential advantages of composite materials.S.FOCUS ON DESIGN CARRIER-CAPABLE. Navy and Air Force commissioned the development of the first external fuel tanks in the 1960s to extend the mission range of its fighter aircraft.075-inch/1. aluminum and other metals were still the materials of choice. allowing tank to swing down for clear fall-away Tank access door GENERAL DYNAMICS’ ALL-COMPOSITE EXTERNAL FUEL TANK Lug wells provide primary attachment points to underwing pylons and act as conduits for fuel. spreading fuel and fire across the deck.375-inch/9. were all-metal.525-mm foam-filled aramid honeycomb core 0. electrical and pressurized-air lines Tank access door Lug wells Carbon/epoxy strongback Fueling access S-glass/epoxy frame S-glass/epoxy frame Tail taper-topoint (optional) TANK LAMINATE CROSS SECTION External coating/paint 0. the Navy commissioned a team to investigate Aft divot — third attachment point that briefly holds tank if it must be released at lug wells during flight. • A honeycomb core made of urethane foam-filled Kevlar adds structural stiffness needed for aircraft carrier survivability requirements. Unfortunately. The aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CV 59) was deployed off the coast of Vietnam in July 1967 when a missile inadvertently launched from another fighter jet hit an A-4 jet parked on the flight deck. The A-4’s external fuel tank ruptured. In the tragedy’s wake. • The tank’s carbon-fiber/epoxy filament-wound “box beam” provides internal structural support and attachment points to the jet via lug wells in the outer shell.271L tank used on the F-4 Phantom and the 300-gal/1. Ill. The first external fuel tanks used by McDonnell Douglas. and before the fire was doused. ALL-COMPOSITE Legacy product positions builder for a shot at an F-35 contract.9-mm carbon/epoxy outer shell 0. The fire quickly engulfed other aircraft.S. military history.136L tank used on the A-4 Skyhawk. 78 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES . steel. They included the 600-gal/2. (Chicago.). more than 100 seamen died in one of the worst accidents in U. now part of The Boeing Co.075-inch/1. W hen the U.9-mm carbon/S-glass/epoxy inner liner DESIGN RESULTS • An inner liner of S-2 Glass impregnated with a proprietary epoxy formulated for compatibility with the filament-winding process is able to resist continuous exposure to jet fuel. Although GDA- TP stopped producing these tanks in the 1980s. was based largely on the fact that. says Rick Rashilla. and a filamentwound outer shell of S-glass fiber yarn. The investigation exposed. where the first all-plastic gas tanks had been introduced in high-density polyethylene (HDPE). elliptically shaped component. the Navy mandated a more stringent set of survivability and performance requirements for aircraft carrier environments. the resin had to be compatible with the fabrication process. the fallibility of all-metal external tanks.) partnered with McDonnell Douglas to design an external fuel tank to meet these standards. Neb. among other things. McDonnell Douglas supplied the aluminum tank. aerospace engineers were drawing inspiration from the automotive industry. still manufactures a version of this hybrid tank. All of these tests required that the tanks maintain a specified structural integrity that would minimize damage and the possibility of a spreading fire. a subsidiary of Israel-based Elbit Systems.” M AY 2 0 1 1 | 79 . projectile impact. And it posed problems in terms of a good bond to the honeycomb core. Israel).192L. Subsequently. GDATP faced more severe survivability requirements (takeoff. However.” says Rashilla. using S-glass/epoxy yarn. The tanks came in two sizes: a 330-gal/1. high-elongation epoxy resin system that would allow us to manufacture a glass-fiber.). inflight and landing loads) as well as greater impact risks with the outboard tank than would be expected with an inboard automotive fuel tank. Source: GDATP All-composite external fuel tanks General Dynamics’ 480-gal/1. HDPE couldn’t be considered for jet tanks. Following this successful demonstration of composites’ capability as an outer-skin material in a hybrid tank. overwrapped with a sandwich construction. In the mid-’70s. Navy requirements for aircraft carrier survivability.250L cylindrically shaped unit and a 315-gal/1. and bonfire resistance. The core was urethane-foam-filled honeycomb made of Kevlar aramid. GDATP developed an epoxy system that met all requirements. at the time. a jet-fuel-resistant resin system had yet to be tested and qualified. S-glass was selected for the liner because “it provides adequate structural support at a lower cost than carbon fiber. The tank comprised an internal liner of aluminum. Cyclone Ltd. The decision to go with a hybrid construction. Hybrid design enables early tank By late in the decade. So engineers were presented with the formidable challenge of finding a resin that would be tough enough to withstand continuous contact with jet fuel and withstand severe operational conditions yet meet weight and manufacturability requirements. especially with respect to ballistic piercing and rupture upon impact with a hard surface. Emulating an auto breakthrough At that time. Lincoln. These included a battery of tests to confirm that a tank has the ability to meet survivability and in-flight load standards. (Karmiel. After about a year of testing. Several of the tests were severe.817L tank design is qualified to U. GDATP’s senior manager of business development: “In addition to compatibility with long-term exposure to jet fuel. filamentwound inner liner that acts as a fuel permeation barrier. McDonnell Douglas and GDATP investigated in the mid-’80s the possibility that an allcomposite external tank for the F/A-18 could be built to reduce the mass of the metal-lined hybrid tank. rather than an all-composite tank. including ejection of a full tank onto a hard surface. It also did not meet the weight goal. based on the original design. and GDATP manufactured the outer skin and core. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP. “The trick we pulled off was finding a multipart.S.EXTERNAL FUEL TANK BY MICHAEL LEGAULT ILLUSTRATION / KARL REQUE and recommend ways to improve survivability in the event of a carrier deck fire.” HDPE was not. the two companies had built a hybrid composite/metal tank for the F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet. developed by what is now DuPont Protection Technologies (Richmond Va. The inner and outer skins of the sandwich were laid via filament winding. C. such as the lugwell attachment points. to the plane’s bomb rack. the outer shell comprises intermixed layers of filament-wound HexTow AS4 PAN-based carbon fiber. Its external tanks are attached. However. The two sections are rejoined with an adhesive bond. By the late 1980s.9-mm-thick layer of epoxy-coated S-glass and carbon fiber is wound around the inner liner and core to form the outer shell. But it has been customized.075 inch/1. “In metals or lay-up methods of manufacturing. 78). A square-shaped box beam formed from two glass-fiber arms or frames and a carbon fiber/epoxy filament-wound “strongback” are installed inside the tank to provide internal struc- Catapult and tailhook tough An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 just before touchdown on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.375-inch/9. The all-composite tank was approximately 30 percent lighter than the hybrid tank. thicknesses and orientations.S.. and the two layers are cured together in an oven. Rashilla says GDATP’s next major design/manufacturing opportunity for an all-composite external fuel tank is likely to be the F-35 Lightning II. “We hope to be able to apply the lessons we learned on our F/A-18 tank design to that project.FOCUS ON DESIGN The core of the first all-composite tank is similar in basic design to the core of the hybrid tank that preceded it — a foamfilled. air and electrical lines.). A. The top of the strongback is designed with a radius identical to that of the inner shell. sleeve-lined joints).9 mm. Project-ready design capabilities GDATP’s modeling and simulation software is built on a commercial software platform from ANSYS (Canonsburg.” 80 | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPOSITES Source: U. Because the epoxy for the liner was developed primarily to meet criteria for fuel resistance. The pylons attach at reinforced lug wells (see illustration. Rashilla explains. General Electric manufactures a similar tank. the Royal Canadian Air Force. but GDATP was asked to qualify it for the extreme load requirements of carrier-based F/A-18s during catapultassisted takeoff and tailhook arrestment during landing.and B-basis allowables of those materials. but no longer manufactures it. the materials are usually well known and an engineer can look up the material properties of. S. honeycomb core made of aramid. GDATP formulated a different grade of epoxy that is more suitable for the primarily structural function of the outer shell. To compensate for these loads.com/G2WZ1eI3. GDATP later manufactured (but did not design) a 230-gal/871L version of the tank for the U. 78). Rashilla says. the company must determine. In 1998. via testing. 6061 P6 aluminum in a handbook. Then a 0. Air Force. which require more extensive test data. all-composite 480-gal/1. The first customer. Circular lug wells shaped into the top of the strongback act as receiving joints for the aircraft pylons and as conduits for fuel.075-inch/1. France) independent joint venture Advanced Glassfiber Yarns. supplied by Hexcel Corp. Navy. S-2 Glass became a trademarked product of the Owens Corning and Groupe Porcher Industries (Le Grand Lemps. GDATP currently provides service and stocks parts for its tank. via pylons. Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache helicopters. the inner shell/core is cut in half circumferentially and removed from the mandrel. say. Modeling can be carried out quickly.). Conn. GDATP added composite material in certain areas.525mm layer of foam-filled aramid core is attached to the inner liner. including different fibers. After cure. with the aid of special programming features. This enabled qualification of an otherwise similar 480-gal/1.compositesworld. Given this state of readiness. p.S. p. now known as AGY LLC (Aiken. Read this article online at http://short.and B-basis allowables refer to the statistical certainty one can assign to a given set of test data. which was codeveloped by Owens Corning (Toledo.817L external fuel tanks for the F/A-18 were in production.S.817L external fuel tank for the carrier jets in the early 1990s. LEARN MORE www. which still used the hybrid tank. The tank also was designed with access doors and additional layers of fabric for reinforcement in the areas around lug wells (cylindrical. The entire assembly is placed in an oven to facilitate curing of the outer shell.S. and it fits flush with the inside of the shell.) and S-2 Glass. However. he adds. The inner liner is wet wound over a steel mandrel. Pa. The all-composite design piqued the interest of the U. Epoxy-impregnated S-glass is wound to a layer thickness of 0. compositesworld. Navy .” Rashilla says.com @ tural support and external attachment points (see illustration. In simple terms.” But because GDATP formulates its own materials from base fibers and proprietary resins. Its design met general aircraft carrier survivability requirements. Customers decide whether a material used in a specific application must meet A-basis requirements. the A. “The survivability requirements for the tank used in the carrier variant of the F-35 will be essentially the same. Ohio) and the U. (Stamford. or the less-stringent B-basis requirements. used the tanks on its fleet of CF/A-18s. then a 0. which offer attachment points for pylons on the plane’s bomb rack. making it capable of modeling the effects of loads and stresses on iterations of intank design parameters. He expects an external tank will be built for the new jet at some point but reports that funding has yet to be approved. com l @ li l ti 770. Department of Defense ©2010 Magnolia Plastics.com li l ti • sales@magnoliaplastics. Inc. .8031 5547 Peachtree Boulevard • Chamblee.2777 • 1.451. All Rights Reserved. GA 30341 USA Superior Performance • Rapid Turn-Around Photos courtesy of U.800.831.magnoliaplastics.High-Performance EPOXY SYSTEMS See us at: SAMPE 2011 | Long Beach May 24-26 • custom formulations • syntactics • aerospace adhesives • liquid shims • composites & repair resins • RTM resins • conductive epoxies • potting & encapsulating epoxies • tooling & casting resins Veteran Owned & Operated www.S. QWURGXFLQJWKHQHZ)5VHULHVKLJKWHPSWRROLQJERDUG 400F/200C Peak 350F/175C Continuous FR-4718 FR-4730 FR-4740 FDQ¶WKDQGOHWKHKHDWZKLFKLQFUHDVHV\RXUSURFHVVLQJWLPHDQG VORZVSURGXFWLRQ 7KHQHZ)5VHULHVFDQZLWKVWDQGSHDNWHPSHUDWXUHVXSWR )DQGFRQWLQXRXVXVHWHPSHUDWXUHVXSWR)VLJQL¿FDQWO\ PRUHWKDQRWKHUSURGXFWVRQWKHPDUNHW:LWKPXOWLSOHGHQVLWLHVKLJK PDFKLQDELOLW\FRPSHWLWLYHSULFLQJDQGWKLFNQHVVHVXSWRLQFKHV WKLVGLPHQVLRQDOO\VWDEOHK\EULGPDWHULDOSURYLGHVDQH[FHOOHQWFKRLFH IRUDOORI\RXUKLJKWHPSHUDWXUHQHHGV .I\RXUWRROLQJERDUGFDQ¶WWDNHWKHKHDWWU\RXUQHZVHULHV² WKHQHZVWDQGDUGLQKLJKWHPSWRROLQJERDUGIURPWKHFRPSDQ\WKDW EURXJKW\RX/$67$)2$0 CTE +LJKWHPSHUDWXUHVFDQEHDFKDOOHQJHIRUWRROLQJERDUGV0RVWMXVW 40 30 20 10 100F 200F 300F TEMP 400F 3URGXFW )5 )5 )5 7KLFNQHVV PD[.:H&DQ7DNH7KH+HDW . 6L]H PD[. QFKHV ´[ ´ ´[ ´ ´[´ W W W. LQFKHV LQFKHV . C O M CALL: (800) 806.6051 EMAIL: SALES@GENERALPLASTICS. G E N E R A L P L A S T I C S .COM TO O L S MOLDS P R OTOT Y P E S MODELS .