A New Look at an Old Standard: SMC RENAISSANCE

MAY 2017 Glass/PU leaf spring molder targets 500,000 parts/yr for Volvo / 44 DOWNLOAD this issue of CompositesWorld Residential construction: FRP bests concrete, 2x4 framing / 60 in a low-res PDF format — CLICK HERE — Laser shearography: 100% NDI ­ of flight-critical composites / 68

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CMP-437 CW FULL Pg April 2017 FINAL.indd 1 2/20/17 3:24 PM TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAY 2017 / Vol: 3 No–: 5

COLUMNS FEATURES

4 From the Editor 50 SMC: Old Dog, New Tricks CW's coverage of an ongoing sheet molding 6 Past, Present and Future compound renaissance highlights new reinforcements, new fillers and new matrices Perspectives & 38 8 and how these developments are creating Provocations new applications opportunities for this well-established tool of the composites trade, 10 Gardner Business Index particularly in the automotive realm. Part 1 of a two-part update. Work In Progress 38 By Peggy Malnati CW contributing writer Peggy Malnati reports on a European consortium's hybrid process for a glass/PA6 engine-compart- 60 Composites for Builders: ment bulkhead to replace stamped steel on commercial trucks. Establishing Structural 44 Foundations 44 Work In Progress Since the 2009 update to the International Code CW senior editor Ginger Gardiner traces Council’s (ICC) International Building Code, BENTELER-SGL's (Ried im Innkreis, which explicitly permits the use of fiber-rein- Austria) development of a fully automated forced polymer (FRP) in the construction of HP-RTM process for a composite leaf interior and exterior building structures, spring for Volvo’s multi-model SPA architects have taken notice and doors have global platform. opened to structural composites in residential and light commercial construction, above and below ground. By Michael LeGault

50 68 Inside Manufacturing: » DEPARTMENTS Automating NDT for CFRP Aerostructures 12 Trends Robotic laser shearography technology, based 75 Calendar on a process developed by Dantec Dynamics (Ulm, Germany) for helicopter blade inspection 76 Applications two decades ago, now enables 100% inspection 77 New Products of complex, flight-critical composite structures. 82 Marketplace By Ginger Gardiner 82 Ad Index 60 83 Showcase

» ON THE COVER FOCUS ON DESIGN A technician at Core Molding Technologies (Columbus, OH, US) performs a visual qual- 84 Modular Racking System ity control check on a truck hood molded Expedites Delivery from sheet molding compound (SMC). Our Bionic design and anisotropic composite cover story (p. 50) finds this stalwart mate- elements enable this multi-material storage rial among composite options in the midst concept to fulfill last-mile delivery goals. of an R&D resurgence that has given rise By Karen Mason to product forms far afield from its classic glass/polyester formula, but received with new-found enthusiasm by automakers.

Source / Core Molding Technologies

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. 3/24/17 11:53AM FROM THE EDITOR

» Each year, about this time, as we leave cold weather behind for), but it is an extremely thorough primer on the current state of us and look forward to warm summer months, our thoughts here the SMC art, covering fibers, resins, specific gravity and applica- at CW turn, believe it or not, to next year. Indeed, by the time tions. Part 2 of Peggy’s report, coming later this year, will take a you read this, we will be in the early stages of planning editorial closer look at fabrication technologies and applications. content for 2018. We must As I read Part 1, I was struck by a couple of things. First, look so far ahead so early Ashland, Core Molding Technologies, CSP and other suppliers Automotive materials because many of the stories have invested significant money and effort to develop low-SG and process innovation we publish require the laying SMC materials designed specifically to compete with aluminum. in the driver’s seat. of substantial groundwork, Second, carbon fiber optimized for SMC represents a major followed by significant legwork. evolution in SMC capabilities that are proving highly attractive to Our story ideas come from automakers. None of this is surprising, because the composites CW’s editors and writers, who accrue leads from a variety of industry has always worked hard to respond to customer needs. sources. In the past few years, story ideas have focused on some What is impressive is the speed of the response, a nice fit for an attention-worthy topics: thermoplastics, fast-cure thermosets, auto supply chain that appreciates fast-paced innovation. HP-RTM, compression molding, preforming, design simulation, Also in the automotive vein is this issue’s “Thermoplastic fiber/tape placement, out-of-autoclave curing, process auto- composites: Occupant protection in transportation” (p. 38). It mation and Industry 4.0. Occasionally, we’ll look back at topics falls into the “substantial groundwork” story category I referenced covered previously to see if an update is in order. We did this above. The part, a thermoplastic firewall for a Renault truck, I first very thing a year ago and decided that sheet molding compound saw at JEC World 2015. It won a JEC Innovation Award in 2016, (SMC) deserved to be revisited. and it’s taken us two years to pull technical information together This was not a difficult decision. SMC has enjoyed somewhat and get approvals from all parties involved in the firewall’s of a renaissance, particularly in automotive applications, where development. This structure is significant because it embodies SMC now competes well against aluminum. This is thanks mainly a multi-material/multi-process strategy (in this case, compres- to new low-specific gravity (SG), E-coat-friendly SMC formula- sion and injection molding) that is apparently attractive to auto tions that make the material a viable option in body panels and OEMs because it offers the tailorability necessary to meet specific other semi-structural parts. In addition, the SMC manufacturing temperature, mechanical and physical loads, yet is a highly process, which relies on compression molding, is familiar to the durable, lightweight alternative to legacy materials. automotive supply chain, thereby making it easier to integrate So, as we look ahead to 2018, where will our editorial travels the material into vehicles. In short, it seemed there was enough take us? If there are materials, technologies, software, processes “meat” on the SMC bone to make for a pretty good story. It was applications or end-markets that you think deserve special atten- assigned to contributor Peggy Malnati, who has covered automo- tion next year, now is the time to let me know. Send me your tive composites for CW for many years. thoughts at [email protected]. I should not have been too surprised, then, when Peggy called . me in February and started listing all that she was learning: How SMC has been resurrected by material suppliers and fabricators to become a viable and attractive option for autocomposites. And then she told me that she’d already written 5,000 words on the subject, and thought she could produce 5,000 more. That’s why Part 1 of Peggy’s efforts, “SMC: Old dog, new tricks,” is JEFF SLOAN — Editor-In-Chief in this issue on p. 50. It is not 5,000 words (that’s what editors are

4 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld

COMPOSITES: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Process automation: A model response to Trumponomics and Brexit?

» It is, perhaps, an impossible task to reflect on where current Switzerland, possibly the world’s most expensive manufacturing global politics might take our industry, without being overtly environment, so while we have set up a low-cost manufacturing political. But whether you agree or disagree with President Trump, unit in Eastern Europe, we also dedicate a lot of resources to devel- Brexit, the southern EU debt crisis, and other tumultuous events oping and using automated manufacturing processes wherever we of late 2016, it is undeniable that the world is moving into a new can do so. political era. Before it all took place, I posed the following question Our newly developed tube manufacturing process is a case to many of my colleagues and associates: “What could Trump and in point, from which our first product to market is a new-tech- Brexit mean for the composites industry?” nology golf shaft – TPTGolf. We have seen little meaningful devel- Implied in this are more practical questions: Is it the case that opment in composite golf shaft manufacturing since the early our industry has relied too much on low-cost labor as the solution 1990s — other than to move all production, wholesale, to China to ensure that advanced lightweight structures have the best to chase cost — and so we see our new, fully automated manufac- chance of winning turing process as a model response not only to the slowly rising the material tech- labor costs in Asia, but also to the economic realities of our time. Offshoring can’t go on nology race? And if Happily, the new process also produces a shaft that plays very well. forever and a significant “yes,” how damaging Other positive examples of similar developments in our industry trend toward reshoring is could new tariffs and are press molding, long-fiber injection molding and compression probably inevitable ..... trade barriers be for molding from ATL-laid preforms. Each process is seeing intense our industry? development, with automation at its core. The instinctive reaction Could these new automated manufacturing processes arising to our new political from our new economic landscape yield a lower cost per part for order, which seems to be more inward-looking and less trade- composites, and, therefore, positively influence the market share friendly than the business environment of the recent past, is that battle against competitive materials? Consider also that due to it is probably bad for business, and that any trade barriers will new protectionist measures, the cost of producing metal parts probably damage our prospects in general. Standard-modulus could significantly increase as sources of low-cost metal produc- carbon fiber, for example, has for a long time been freely traded tion are subjected to punitive/severe levels of tariffs and, thus, with no tariffs, allowing things like sporting goods to be made at further tip the economic scales in favor of the composites industry, low cost in China and the Far East, and for such items to be freely helping us to win the “material choice” battle. traded around the globe to the seeming benefit of producers, So, while this new wave of protectionism might initially appear brands, retailers and end-users alike. So, in general, the sentiment to be bad news, if we flip the coin, it is possible to take a positive has been less than optimistic about where our industry is heading view of new political developments. For reasons other than the in this brave new world. possibility of significantly increased spending on defense and But is this really new? If access to low-cost labor countries is security, it might be a potentially positive catalyst and opportunity restricted through trade barriers, or just an increased “buy home- for those in our industry focused on innovation and automation. produced” sentiment, an obvious response is to reduce to an I do anticipate that the evolving political landscape will initiate absolute minimum the number of man hours it takes to produce a new wave of composite manufacturing process developments composite parts, and to produce locally to the market demand. to the long-term benefit of our industry, and for that reason, I And the most obvious way to do this is through automation — to continue to be optimistic and excited about the future. reduce the number of physical man hours per part rather than merely seeking the lowest cost labor. This is precisely the same challenge that composite part end- ABOUT THE AUTHOR users — such as aircraft and automotive manufacturers — have been putting at the feet of the industry for at least the past 20 years. James Austin is CEO of North Thin Ply Technology (Renens, Lausanne, Switzerland), a leading manufacturer of lightweight Our view at NTPT for a while has been that offshoring manufac- prepreg materials. He has more than 25 years’ experience in turing to China/Asia/Mexico can’t go on forever, that a significant the composites and advanced-materials industries, having held trend toward reshoring of manufacturing is probably inevitable, a variety of senior management positions in multinationals and SMEs. In previous roles, he served as an associate at strategic growth consultancy and that there may be some good business opportunities to be Future Materials Group (Cambridge, UK), chief operating officer at Gurit AG had in providing automated solutions. Our business is based in (Zullwil, Switzerland) and handled aerospace sales for Hexcel (Stamford, CT, US).

6 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld 0517 CR Onsrud.indd 1 4/4/17 12:39 PM PERSPECTIVES & PROVOCATIONS

The automotive industry’s “killer app”?

» Inspiration for the central topic of this monthly column comes structure that lies beneath the body panels. Google defines the term in multiple ways. Often, it comes from being at a significant killer app as “a feature, function or application of a new technology conference or composites industry trade show, where new tech- or product that is presented as virtually indispensable or much nologies are presented or displayed. Such is indeed the case each superior to rival products.” So, what will be the automotive killer app year when I travel to the JEC World exposition in Paris. There, in that has an outsized effect on the advanced composites industry? one location, I can see novel inventions and general trends simul- At JEC, there were numerous booths featuring structural auto- taneously. This year’s event was no exception, and I came away motive components, such as transmission tunnels, cross-car impressed by where we are as an industry and enthusiastic about beams and rear package shelves. But one application stood out, where we are going. as evidenced by the displays at well over a dozen stands: vehicle First, some general observations. There is significant coverage B-pillars made in whole or in part with carbon fiber composites. In elsewhere in CompositesWorld, so these are neither exhaustive nor automotive parlance, the B-pillar is the vertical structural member do they represent much more than highlights: behind the front doors, historically produced using thick and heavy The compos- stamped steel. This component requires exceptional stiffness, and ites industry the ability to protect passengers during a side impact or rollover Automotive is king, and the is thriving. The event, and continuous carbon fiber offers significant weight savings killer automotive app will sheer size of the over the baseline material. Even better, it does not require a diffi- be the multi-material and exhibition, and cult-to-achieve Class A finish. all-carbon-fiber B-pillar. the strong crowds In the BMW 7 Series, UD carbon fiber prepreg is molded directly during the first two onto a thinner steel stamping, providing a several kilogram weight days, presented visual savings per pillar. For the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracán, the evidence of this. In B-pillars are produced entirely in carbon fiber, without steel. On numerous meetings and conversations, I heard overwhelmingly the DowAksa stand at JEC, there was a prototype molded B-pillar optimistic opinions on the state of the market. insert, developed jointly with Ford, that is secondarily bonded Automation is breaking down barriers to high volume. It’s clear into a thinner steel stamping to provide the required strength and the composites machinery builders have listened to the market stiffness. Each approach represents a different way to achieve the and are now delivering innovative equipment to rapidly cut, result; the hybrid steel/composite designs are a bit more conser- place and consolidate continuous fiber materials, both in dry and vative and, therefore, easier to integrate into existing assembly lines. impregnated formats. I believe the B-pillar potentially represents the automotive Thermoplastic composites are gaining market share. That’s true industry killer app. It can be applied relatively quickly, even as in developmental efforts and in applications on new platforms. a running change on many existing vehicle platforms. At 2 kg of And it’s especially true for continuous fiber thermoplastics, either carbon fiber per pillar (4 kg per vehicle), this application on 20% used alone or as structural backbones in conjunction with discon- of the world’s vehicles would alone represent 80,000 MT of carbon tinuous fiber thermoplastics. I even saw examples of thermoset fiber, equal to the entire current market for all applications! That inner panels bonded to thermoplastic outer panels. would be transformative, indeed. That will require that we continue Finally, automotive is king. The vast number of automotive to drive down molded part costs, and develop a whole lot of new applications on display throughout the halls this year clearly fiber capacity. Based on the range of innovations on display at JEC, shows that most suppliers believe automotive composites are this dream seems well within reach. the future of the industry. While the allure has always been there, simply because of the very large multipliers that can be applied to even modestly sized parts, it appears that the confluence of new materials and new machines that target fast manufacture is Dale Brosius is the chief commercialization officer for the finally making this a reality. Everywhere one turned at JEC, there Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation were ample displays of shiny exterior components produced from (IACMI, Knoxville, TN, US), a US Department of Energy (DoE)- carbon fiber, including hoods, roofs, decklids and wheels. And sponsored public/private partnership targeting high-volume applications of composites in energy-related industries. He is while these will find select application on certain vehicle plat- also head of his own consulting company and his career has included positions forms, they face significant competition from aluminum and low- at US-based firms Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, MI), Fiberite (Tempe, AZ) and density fiberglass SMC. successor Cytec Industries Inc. (Woodland Park, NJ), and Bankstown Airport, NSW, Australia-based Quickstep Holdings. He also served as chair of the Society The true large-volume opportunities for carbon fiber will come of Plastics Engineers Composites and Thermoset Divisions. Brosius has a BS in from select applications into the multi-material body-in-white, or chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA.

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0517 Saertex.indd 1 3/22/17 3:38 PM 0143-16-056_03_Anzeige_214x281+5mmBleed_JEC_2017_Bel.indd 1 09.02.17 15:09 GARDNER BUSINESS INDEX: COMPOSITES

March 2017 — 55.2

As the year’s first quarter closed out, the trend was growth and expectations were that growth would continue.

» With a reading of 55.2, the Gardner A GBI reading of >50.0 indicates expansion; values <50.0 indicate contraction. Business Index in March showed that the US composites industry had grown for a fourth 60 month in a row. The industry expanded at MARCH 2017 a rate virtually identical to that recorded in GBI 55.2 February. And February’s was the fastest overall rate of growth seen since the late spring and early summer of 2014. 50 There was an expansion in new orders for a fourth consecutive month, but the rate of growth dipped slightly from that reported for February. The production subindex grew for the ninth straight month in March and did so at a slightly faster rate than in February. As 40 March closed out, the general trend for new orders and production had been positive for Jul 16 Jan 17 Oct 16 Oct Feb 17 Feb Mar 17 Apr 16 Mar 16 Sep 16 Dec 16 Nov 16 Nov May 16 May Aug 16 Aug

15 months. The backlog subindex increased in June 16 March for a second straight month. It had been trending upward since July 2015. The continu- ation in March indicated that there would be increasing capacity straight month. Both the South Central and the Southeast posted a utilization in 2017. Employment also increased, and did so for an subindex above 60. The Southeastern region grew at a robust rate eighth consecutive month. The rate of growth in employment for a fourth successive month. The North Central-West and North had been constant since December 2016. Exports decreased for a Central-East maintained their strong rates of growth. However, the second straight month in March, and supplier deliveries length- West and Northeast contracted. ened significantly during the first three months of 2017. On average, composites manufacturing facilities with more Beginning April 2016, material prices had increased at a consis- than 250 employees grew for a fourth month in a row, the last tently strong rate, and that subindex had remained just below two months with an subindex recorded above 60. Plants with 60 for most of that period. But, in February and March 2017, that 100-249 employees, at the end of March, had seen strong growth subindex rose above 70 for the first time since the GBI survey was for eight successive months. Companies with 50-99 employees first recorded in December 2011. Prices received increased at an grew for the third time in four months. Companies with fewer than accelerating rate for a fifth month in a row, increasing at their 20-49 employees expanded for a fourth straight month, and their fastest rate since September 2014. The subindex had trended up subindex was above 60 for the second month in a row. Finally, since January 2016. Future business expectations remained strong companies with fewer than 20 employees posted growth for a in March, but the subindex did dip below 80 for the first time since second straight month. December 2016. In terms of markets served, electronics posted strong growth. As March closed out, this subindex’s growth had been strong in three of the previous four months. The automotive industry grew Steve Kline, Jr. is the director of market intelligence for Gardner for a fourth straight month. In March, it grew at its fastest rate since Business Media Inc. (Cincinnati, OH, US), the publisher of December 2013. The aerospace index grew for the fifth month in a CompositesWorld magazine. He began his career as a writing row and the seventh time in nine months. editor for another of the company’s magazines before moving into his current role. Kline holds a BS in civil engineering from Regionally, The US South Central was the fastest growing in Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. March. It posted expansion at an accelerating rate for a third [email protected]

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High spots from SAMPE Europe’s Summit 17 and JEC World 2017, both held in Paris, and inside looks at potential game-changers: Teijin’s acquisition of CSP and a Victrex/Tri-Mack joint venture.

European SAMPE meeting explores composites innovation

SAMPE Europe’s one-day Summit 17 fast-tracked project included SAERTEX, Paris conference, held the day before for the carbon fabric reinforcements, JEC World 2017 opened, took place DIAB (Laholm, Sweden), for the core in the Hotel Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel material in the sandwich laminates, and penthouse meeting room, with the Reichhold (Research Triangle Park, NC, famed Eiffel Tower dominating an expan- US), for the vinyl ester resin. The vessel sive view (see photo). Its solid lineup was vacuum infused, and the carbon fiber of speakers delved into Automotive, composite design is 50% lighter than Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced legacy materials (and therefore uses less Materials and Aerospace topic areas. fuel during operation, a key project goal). In the Automotive block, SABIC’s Vision of the Fjords, powered by hybrid- (Pittsfield, MA, US and Sittard, The electric motors, won the 2017 JEC World Netherlands) Warden Schijve, chief Innovation Award in the “Better Living” scientist for composites, demonstrated category and is used for tourist excur- that the “sweet spot” for composites in sions in Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World cars could be hybrids of small but strate- Heritage-listed fjord. gically placed continuous-fiber preforms Luciana Selmi Marques, composites overmolded with chopped fiber-filled R&D project manager at Embraer SA matrices in injection molding processes, (Sao Paolo, Brazil), discussed the use of to minimize vehicle weight. He discussed Source | CW / Photo | Sara Black composites on her company’s aircraft demonstrator projects that involve such and at the company’s new composites hybrids in a cross-car beam and side door beam, both made center in Evora, Portugal. Citing 20% composites usage on by overmolding continuous fibers, pointing out that OEMs its aircraft, currently, Marques indicated that Embraer is might be willing to pay €2-€3 (US$2.15-US$3.22) per kg of considering moving to more composite elements, potentially weight savings: “Performance is not the issue,” he insisted. full fuselages and wings on some models, although final “It all comes down to cost.” decisions haven’t been made. Per Mårtensson, technical specialist for composite struc- The Boeing Co. (Chicago, IL, US) was represented by senior tures body-in-white at Volvo Car Corp. (Göteborg, Sweden), technical fellow Dr. Gary Georgeson, responsible for nonde- gave a compelling presentation from the OEM point of view structive advanced inspection research and technology. He about adoption of composites in cars. He reminded attend- emphasized that composites designers need to design not ees that steel-centric manufacturing becomes less expensive only for performance but also for inspection and inspect- as part count climbs, due to scale effects (reduction of fixed ability, and that NDI is a tool that can ultimately improve costs), but because most of carbon fiber’s production cost is manufacturing. NDI is continuing to move upstream into the the material price, there are no scale effects. For this reason, manufacturing process, for better process control, he noted. he emphasized that composites must be integrated into On the Airbus (Toulouse, France) side, Axel Flaig, senior systems. He used the Volvo glass fiber-reinforced leaf spring VP of research and technology, gave an overview and some (see CW’s coverage of this program on p. 44) as an example, examples of current Airbus initiatives that are pushing inno- which allows part consolidation and reduces the variability vation and material improvements. Programs for multifunc- seen in legacy springs. Mårtensson described a possible way tional components and structures, more out-of-autoclave forward, in a single vehicle platform with exchangeable parts processing and optimized additive manufacturing are all for model diversity: “This solves the scaling problem, since underway, as are electrical propulsion, hybrid engines and the platform would be mostly steel, made in high volume, open rotor engine designs. Structural health monitoring and whereas the lower-volume, exchangeable elements, such as full digital production for factories are also moving forward, body panels, could be made with composites.” although implementation is several years away. There is a Steven Bakker, head of R&D and application services “large design space” he noted, to go beyond merely improv- at SAERTEX GmbH & Co. KG (Saerbeck, Germany), ing the original 707 flying tube with wings — Airbus sees described the design and fabrication of the 40m-long many possible aircraft configurations. carbon composite Seasight catamaran, Vision of the Fjords, SAMPE Europe will hold its next event, Conference 2017 built by Brødrene Aa (Hyen, Norway). Suppliers for the Stuttgart, Nov. 14-16, in Stuttgart, Germany.

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Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber and Composites Inc. (Irvine, CA, US), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mit- subishi Rayon Co. Ltd. (MRC, Tokyo, Japan), has acquired all the shares of Gemini Composites (Seattle, WA, US). Gemini is a design, engineering and prototyping firm that special- izes in product development, using Forged Composite technology developed and formerly owned by Gemini’s founder Paolo Feraboli. Gemini became a subsidiary of Mit- subishi Rayon, effective March 1, 2017. “We are thrilled to add Gemini to our portfolio of highly special- ized businesses, and welcome the talented group of associates to the Mitsubishi Rayon team,” says Akira Nakagoshi, general manager The of carbon fiber and composites of Mitsubishi Rayon (Tokyo, Japan) POWER and member of the Irvine group’s board. “The Gemini team will greatly of enhance the capability of MRC to develop engineered solutions for our customers, and to assist them from PEEL PLY initial concept all the way to start- of-production using our carbon fiber sheet molding compounds (CFSMC).” MRC is, today, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of CFSMC, It takes both imagination and engineering to achieve fl ight. which is the base material used Redefi ning Today, in establishing their specifi cations, aircraft manufacturers in Forged Composite technology. The company has been proactively Structural Materials trust Precision Fabrics Group to help them think beyond existing conducting CFSMC marketing to material and processing limits. Working together, we can help automobile manufacturers in Japan, The world continues advancing and requires lighter and Germany and North America since it stronger structures. Hexcel answers those demands with you develop products for your specifi c applications. established its new SMC production innovative technologies and better production capabilities line in 2015 at its Toyohashi Produc- to support the growth of the composites industry. Hexcel is tion Center in Aichi Prefecture. the market’s most integrated composite solutions provider. For more information about PFG Peel Ply that meets aerospace “Once we laid out the background We are experienced at all stages in the composites chain, from know-how of design and engineer- specifi cations, contact Allen Leonard at 1-888-PEEL-PLY, fi ber to fabrics and resin formulation to thermosetting prepregs, ing with discontinuous carbon fibers or [email protected] with The Boeing Co. (Chicago, IL, US) new solutions for out-of-autoclave processing, molding materials, and the US Federal Aviation Admin., composite tooling, honeycomb and machined core. we saw the opportunity to expand Learn more by visiting us at the Forged Composite technology to SAMPE Seattle 2017 in booth G11, May 24-26 other products and markets,” says Feraboli. “That’s how Gemini started developing innovative aerospace, automotive and sporting products, 1-888-PEEL-PLY (733-5759) | Fax 336-510-8003 | precisionfabrics.com resulting in numerous patents for our Precision Fabrics is an ISO 9001 certified company customers worldwide.”

14 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld 8467 PFG_2017 Peel Ply Trade Ad_CompositesWorld_r1.indd 1 3/22/17 11:38 AM

0517 Hexcel.indd 1 4/10/17 12:54 PM Redefi ning Structural Materials The world continues advancing and requires lighter and stronger structures. Hexcel answers those demands with innovative technologies and better production capabilities to support the growth of the composites industry. Hexcel is the market’s most integrated composite solutions provider. We are experienced at all stages in the composites chain, from fi ber to fabrics and resin formulation to thermosetting prepregs, new solutions for out-of-autoclave processing, molding materials, composite tooling, honeycomb and machined core. Learn more by visiting us at SAMPE Seattle 2017 in booth G11, May 24-26

0517 Hexcel.indd 1 4/10/17 12:54 PM TRENDS

AEROSPACE Add class to ASTM D 8067: New standard test your career method for sandwich panels ASTM International (W. Conshohocken, PA, US), on March Advanced composite engineers and 23, issued a new standard test method for composite technicians are in high demand. We offer sandwich panels, which are used in the cabin floors and accelerated learning and active training other areas of airplanes. ASTM D 8067, “Test Method courses in engineering, manufacturing for In-Plane Shear Properties of Sandwich Panels using and repair of composites. Our 5-day a Picture Frame Fixture,” was developed by ASTM’s Committee on Composite Materials (D30). courses can provide the applicable Specifically, the standard helps determine in-plane skills needed to advance your career. shear strength and stiffness properties of sandwich panels, Learn More, Grow More, Earn More which have cores made of either continuous bonding www.abaris.com surfaces (e.g., balsa wood, foams) or discontinuous bond- ing surfaces, such as honeycomb. The “picture frame” fixture used in the test involves pinning the corners of the panel and pulling opposite corners at the same time. Versions of this test method have already been used in the aerospace industry for design and quality control. But the standard could be even more broadly applied by aircraft designers, manufacturers and suppliers and testing laboratories, according to ASTM member Stephen Ward of SW Composites (Taos, NM, US). To purchase this or other standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation, or contact ASTM +1 (775) 827-6568 • [email protected] Customer Relations, (877) 909-ASTM; E-mail: [email protected].

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JEC World 2017: Composites health, growth, and an automotive trend

JEC World, the composites world’s largest trade event, is ® for that reason a good barometer of the industry’s condi- Toolmaster Prepregs tion and future directions. The 2017 event reportedly attracted its biggest crowds and largest number of exhibi- for Composite Tooling tors yet, a sign of industry health. In terms of direction, this year was notable for the unusual abundance of composite Beta Prepreg solutions on display that were designed with the histori- Exceptionally long cally composites-wary automotive market in view. out-life Solvay Composite Materials (Tempe, AZ, US) introduced Allows a minimum of SolvaLite 730, a new thermoset prepreg comprising what 6 months storage at the company says is novel chemistry (i.e., not based on an room temperature while existing resin matrix). Designed for auto industry high- maintaining a superior Manufactured by AIRTECH using Henkel volumes and targeted to compression molding, SolvaLite Loctite® Benzoxazine resin technology tack level. CEP Excellent high temperature properties Can be used at a high service temperature (450°/232°C) ensuring long tool life.

TMFP & TMGP Matched CTE Composite molds match tool and part CTE, improving part accuracy. 730 offers low tack, a 3-minute cure at 150°C — 1 minute at 170°C — and room temperature stability for up to 6 Built in 1987 and has manufactured over 900 parts. months. Sample parts were shown in Solvay’s stand (see photo, above). LTC Similarly, Dow Automotive (Auburn Hills, MI, US) intro- duced VORAFUSE Epoxy P6300, a prepreg offered in Low initial cure conjunction with carbon fiber supplier DowAksa (Marietta, temperature Reduces thermal GA, US). Originally developed for the Ford GT, it also is expansion of master targeted to compression molding, offering a 2-minute model, improving mold cure and room-temperature stability for up to 30 days. accuracy. KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany) introduced its ther- moplastic RTM process, in which caprolactam is in-mold polymerized to create polyamide 6 (PA6). The part on Service Out-life at Product Initial Cure Temperature Resin Type Temperature 72°F (22°C) display (see photo, p. 20) was a 700g Roding Roadster 355°F (alternative 250°F) CEP Prepreg 450°F (232°C) Cyanate 20 days roof, made via injection overmolding of a glass fiber/ or 180°C (alternative 120°C) Epoxy carbon fiber preform, with a cycle time of ~4 minutes. The Beta Prepreg 425°F (218°C) 355°F (180°C) Benzoxazine 182+ days black and white striping on the part was intentional, to TMFP & TMGP show the process’ multi-fiber capability. KrassMaffei also 400°F (204°C) 250°F (120°C) Epoxy 40 days Prepregs emphasized its FiberForm process, in which glass fiber/PA LTC Prepreg 355°F (180°C) 140°F (60°C) Epoxy 5-7 days organosheet is injection overmolded with glass fiber/PA. The part on display was a Daimler AG seat shell. For more benefits and information, please view our Hexion (Columbus, OH, US) introduced, for automotive Data Sheets on our websites. use, an epoxy-based SMC that is said to be styrene- and VOC-free. Positioned as a drop-in replacement for exist-

INTERNATIONAL INC. EUROPE Sarl ADVANCED MATERIALS LTD ASIA LTD ing SMCs, it offers low viscosity and a mold cycle time of 3-5 minutes. SABIC (Pittsfield, MA, US) expanded its UDMAX prod- uct line with the addition of glass and (continued on p. 20)

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(continued from p. 18) carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes. UDMAX GPE is a glass fiber/polyethylene combination; UDMAX CPA is a carbon fiber/ polyamide combination.

ANNIV ER SABIC also featured S A R Y its UDMAX GPP 45-70 HPC (glass/polypropylene) Charter 2 Advertiser tape in a plain-weave 0 0°/90° format. DUNA-USA (Baytown, TX, US) introduced Corintho 800, a high- density (50 lb/ft3), highly conductive polyurethane tooling board with a CTE comparable to aluminum (see photo, p. 21). RocTool (Charlotte, NC, US) attracted much attention to demonstrations of its Induction Dual Heating (IDH) auto- mated manufacturing cell. At JEC, the cell was used to simultaneously compression mold and overmold a 14-inch- long, 1-mm-thick computer cover in 1-minute cycles. In the process, thermoplastic sheets were placed directly in the mold — without preheating — and then formed and over- molded in one step. See a video of the system online | www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQPBj_ZY_WQ

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20 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld JEC World 2017 HighlightsNEWS

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The L&L Products Inc. (Romeo, MI, US, and Molsheim, France) stand featured a new multi-material-capable, heat-activated, fast-cure, one-component, structural epoxy film adhesive, optimized for an induction welding process. The film reportedly guarantees a correct bond line (0.1-0.4 mm thickness) and an integral fiberglass veil provides protection against galvanic corrosion due to metal/composite contact, for inductively welded small • INTEGRATED DUST CONTROL fasteners or larger components heated using other meth- • TOTAL ENCLOSURES WITH AIR FILTRATION ods. The company says that at a bonding temperature of 190°C, complete cure is achieved in 45 seconds with • DUST REMOVAL DIRECTLY AT THE SPINDLE 28-30 MPa lap shear performance. The company is work- • MAINTAIN AN IMMACULATE ENVIRONMENT ing with automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, and the • DRASTICALLY REDUCE MACHINE MAINTENANCE Audi R8 chassis (see photo, p. 22), which was on display at the SGL Technologies GmbH (Meitingen Bayern, Germany) NOT ONLY THE FASTEST & MOST ACCURATE stand, incorporates the product. BUT CLEAN & DURABLE TOO! Action on other fronts included aerospace innovations. 203.988.9426 [email protected] Perhaps the most intriguing was a new main rotor hub www.geiss-ttt.com for the composites-intensive Airbus (continued on p. 22)

CompositesWorld.com 21 TRENDS

(continued from p. 21) that it is providing recycled carbon fiber for a semi-structural car part H160 medium-duty, twin-engine built by Tier 1 supplier Sanko Gosei helicopter. Shown at the Porcher (Skelmersdale, UK), using rein- Industries (Badinières, France) forced thermoplastic compounds stand, the H160’s new Spheriflex from Albis (Knutsford, UK). hub is a carbon fiber-reinforced Adesso Advanced Materials polyetheretherketone (PEEK) (Wuhu, China and Monmouth part, with high toughness and Junction, NJ, US), partnered with fatigue resistance, resistance ELG and with Chery New Energy to aviation fluids, end-of-life Automobile Technology Co. Ltd. recyclability, and reportedly (All Photo’s) Source | CW / Photo | Jeff Sloan (Wuhu, China), offers a recyclable three times the lifespan of legacy thermoset resin technology called metal and previous thermoset composite solutions. Porcher Recycloset. The resin will be combined with ELG’s recycled developed, with Airbus, new carbon fiber-reinforced plastic carbon in the Chery eQ1 electric vehicle, to replace aluminum. (CFRP) prepreg tapes with controlled fiber sizing, along Also of interest were new companies, with large stands, with a special weaving and high-temperature impregnation entering the composites space. Notable was Kangde process. The part, which undergoes tremendous flexion in Composites Co. Ltd. (KDC, Beijing, China), which exhibited its service, has passed rigorous testing and has received the vertically integrated capabilities, including ZAX Technology, a go-ahead for production by Airbus Helicopters. carbon fiber production plant with a reported annual carbon Recycling of composites was more in evidence this year, fiber capacity of 5,100 MT, located in Langfang, China. Also and significant announcements were made. Following up on the stand was KDX Europe Composites R&D Center and on its strategic investment in Carbon Conversions Inc. (CCI, KDX Roding Europe Automobile Design Centre (the latter Lake City, SC, US) this past December, Hexcel (Stamford, CT, located near Munich), involved with composites design and US) showed CCI’s recycled carbon fiber products at its stand, research. KDC says it plans to build a huge “Industry 4.0” including nonwoven mats from 100-500 g/m2 in weight, plant, with an annual capacity of 1.5 million CFRP parts. high-loft, 1,200-1,400-g/m2 products made with CCI’s 3-DEP Read more online about Industry 4.0 and its potential water-based slurry process, and nonwoven, commingled impact on composites in “Get ready for Composites 4.0” | hybrid blends. ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. (Coseley, UK) revealed short.compositesworld.com/Comp40

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22 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld 0517 IACMI_1.indd 1 4/6/17 11:15 AM TRENDS

ENERGY We transform the world of... First tidal energy turbine Engineered Thermoplastics deployed off Scotland coast and Thermoset Composites Atlantis Resources Ltd. (Edinburgh, UK) deployed off the coast of Scotland in early March its AR1500 tidal energy turbine, which features composite turbine blades as well as new technology devel- oped by its partner since 2013, Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, MD, US). The 1.5-MW turbine hit full Source | Atlantis Resources Ltd. power following instal- lation and by the third week of the month was already exporting electric power to the grid. The three rotor blades were manufactured in house by A C Marine & Composites (Gosport, UK). The AR1500 launch is the latest development in the MeyGen project, currently the largest planned tidal energy project in the world. The site, in the Pentland Firth, HyComp specializes in injection and only 2 km from Scotland’s northeast tip, covers some of compression molding thermoplastics the UK’s fastest flowing water. Atlantis has a goal to deploy nearly 270 turbines, harnessing the motion of the tides to and thermoset composites. generate about 400 MW of clean, sustainable, predictable electric power — enough to power 175,000 homes. Material Solutions The turbine was designed by Lockheed Martin under contract to and in partnership with Atlantis. In addition to Injection: Compression: system design, Lockheed Martin developed, manufactured PAI Polyimides and delivered two innovative subsystems, the Yaw Drive PEEK Thermoplastics System (YDS) and the Variable Pitch System (VPS), two PEI Epoxies elements that enable the turbine to rotate autonomously PC Polyester around its base, so it always faces into the tidal flow. The PPS Phenolics pitch angle of the turbine blades also adjusts to optimize the power generation in a given tidal stream. Installation and connection of the AR1500 was com- Let our solutions-based sales approach pleted in less than 60 minutes, representing a significant and over 30 years experience support time reduction compared to similar systems. The operation your composite material goals. marks the first time a tidal turbine has been installed and connected to the shore instantaneously. AS9100C, ISO9001, ITAR “This project has been significant for us, and has provided a platform for the future of ACM&C by enabling us to HyComp LLC purchase purpose-built machinery and further strengthen 17960 Englewood Dr. our supplier relationships,” says Alex Newton, director at A Cleveland, OH 44130 C Marine & Composites. “We look forward to continuing to support Atlantis with what promises to be a groundbreak- T: +1 (440) 234-2002 ing project.” F: +1 (440) 234-4911 “These design requirements are similar to the reli- www.hycompinc.com ability and durability needs of many of our aerospace programs,” says Frank Armijo, vice president of Lockheed Martin Energy. “With innovations in advanced manufactur- ing and materials, and experiences gained in the design and production of undersea systems, space projects and aeronautics, we’re now helping to make tidal energy more reliable and effective.”

24 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld

0517 OSG.indd 1 4/6/17 11:19 AM 0517 OSG.indd 1 4/6/17 11:19 AM TRENDS

MONTH IN REVIEW

Notes on newsworthy events recently covered at the CW Web site. For more information about an item, key its link into your browser. Up-to-the-minute news | www.compositesworld.com/news/list.

Argosy opens new composites facility in Taiwan Satair Group opens new Airbus aftermarket kitting center The configuration of the new space will allow the company to provide composite This consolidates kitting activities formerly conducted at all Airbus European sites aerospace manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific region with composite kitted solutions. into one centralized location in Hamburg, Germany. 04/10/17 | short.compositesworld.com/ArgosyTW 04/10/17 | short.compositesworld.com/SatairKit Triumph to supply composite rudder components for Airbus A350 XWB Safran Nacelles launches new automated NDT platform The contract, valued at approximately US$26 million, covers the delivery of 700 This process, which combines infrared thermography and augmented reality, was shipsets of rudder component kits over the next 5–7 years for the A350 XWB. devised for the A320neo and A330neo, LEAP­1A and Trent 7000 nacelle programs. 04/10/17 | short.compositesworld.com/Triumph350 04/07/17 | short.compositesworld.com/SafranNDT CH-53K King Stallion program achieves Milestone C Lanxess supplies Tepex composite sheet for door module carrier Production Readiness Reviews in 2016 established for low rate initial production. The component is produced in a hybrid molding process, using forming and back- 04/10/17 | short.compositesworld.com/CH-53K-C injection of Tepex directly in the injection mold. 04/07/17 | short.compositesworld.com/TepexDMC Hexcel to supply carbon NCF to Mubea Carbo Tech for new supercar To support the contract, Hexcel will invest in a new non-crimp fabric line at its Armacell begins PET foam core production in Canada Leicester, UK site. To celebrate the launch of the PET foam production line, the company hosted a 04/10/17 | short.compositesworld.com/HexcelMube ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Brampton, Ontario, plant. 04/07/17 | short.compositesworld.com/ArmaPET-CA Orbital ATK making progress on the launch vehicle program A 60,000-ft2 building, equipped with automated tooling, cranes and other machinery, Toray to consolidate North American composites businesses will enable manufacture of large-diameter composite-case rocket motors. The company’s operations in Tacoma, WA, and Decatur, AL, have been consolidated 04/10/17 | short.compositesworld.com/ATKLaunch into one entity: Toray Composite Materials America Inc. 04/03/17 | short.compositesworld.com/TorayNA1

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The Molded Structural Composite Cold Chain Series refrigerated van offers 25% better thermal efficiency than conventional vans, yet is 20% lighter than those now in use, says Wabash president and COO Brent Yeagy. “We see this TURN TECHNOLOGIES product as an increased value proposition for our customers,” he says, point- INTO SOLUTIONS ing out, “We currently have four customers signed up, and we are ramping WITH MECANUMERIC up production.” The trailer is manufactured with all-composite sides and top, using a sandwich technology first revealed in late 2015 and outlined in the CW Blog (see endnote). But Yeagy and Robert Lane, VP of product engineering at Wabash, and Scott Lewit, president of Structural Composites (Melbourne, FL, US), a consultant on the project, told CW that what makes this van unique is its innovative floor. Instead of a typical steel cross-member structure with an attached insulated floor attached, Lewit explains that the Cold Chain design is a co-molded and co-cured assembly of hollow aluminum extrusions (which allow cold air to flow through the floor) with composite structure A NEW GENERATION OF laminated directly onto the metal. Structural Composites’ CoCure Strain CNC MACHINES Tunable Resin, a mixture of commodity polyester with varying percentages Source | Wabash of polyurethane, has been formulated for compatibility with the metal. The hybrid metal/composite structure is laminated and cocured as a single, 53-ft (16.15m)-long part. “This is a multifunctional blending of materials, which gives us the abil- ity to best use the properties of the composite and the metal,” says Lewit. Although reinforcement details weren’t disclosed, the three affirm that carbon fiber can be used in the floor structure where needed, to meet customer specifications. A combination of glass with small amounts of carbon fiber helps keep cost down and, adds Lewit, “The metal provides 3 AXIS MILLING some extra modulus.” MACHINE The innovative co-molded floor structure is about 11 cm thick, compared to the conventional refrigerated van’s 22-cm floor. (continued on p. 30)

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CompositesWorld.com 29 TRENDS

(continued from p. 29)

More importantly, the new design provides a 50% increase NEW Smart Cauls in floor rating, that is, how much fork lift load it can support. A standard refrigerated van floor is rated at 16,000 lb. Low capital solution for Currently, “dry” (unrefrigerated) vans are rated at 20,000 lb. “This new floor has a 24,000 lb rating,” Yeagy claims. “There composite part manufacturing is no other 24k fork lift-rated reefer van out there today. This is a real breakthrough.” Lane adds, “You’re getting a 50% Enables: increase in floor rating, with a much thinner structure.”

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Lower Cost gives shippers more “backhaul” opportunities (a greater · likelihood of finding goods to carry on a return trip), which improves profitability. For more information visit: Yeagy says 100+ trailers will be built during the coming smarttooling.com/product/smart-caul 18 months, with much of the production taking place at the company’s recently-acquired composites manufacturing facility in Little Falls, MN, US, a former Larson Boat plant (see endnote). Concludes Yeagy, “We’re very optimistic about the new trailer, and we think we have generated a lot of buzz in the industry.” Adds Lewit, “Wabash has the commitment to push through new technology and disrupt the industry — there are a lot of breakthroughs here.” TOOLING Read online about the Wabash trailer’s sandwich composite design | short.compositesworld.com/CAMXredux [email protected] Read more online about the Wabash acquisition of the Larson Boat plant | short.compositesworld.com/WabashMinn

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30 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld 0517 IACMI_2.indd 1 4/6/17 11:17 AM TRENDS

Victrex, Tri-Mack aim high with TxV Aero Composites

CW sat down at JEC World 2017 with Tim Herr, aerospace director at Victrex (Thornton-Cleveleys, UK) and Tom Kneath, director of sales and marketing for Tri-Mack Plastics Mfg. Corp. (Bristol, RI, US) to discuss the formation of TxV Aero Composites, a joint venture between the two companies, for which Herr and Kneath are also directors. Herr said that Victrex and Tri-Mack will conduct business as usual. TxV Aero Composites, operating as a standalone, near Providence, RI, will focus on large-scale, higher-volume applications of polyaryletherketone (PAEK) materials in the commercial aerospace market, producing custom laminates, formed composites that other injection molders can use as inserts, and finished thermoplastic composite and hybrid molded parts that readily replace metals and ther- Material Testing Technology mosets in loaded bracket-type applica- Wheeling, IL USA www.mttusa.net tions. TxV Aero’s first parts will be for Ph (847) 215-7448 applications that require continuous  fiber-reinforced laminated parts and   hybrid overmolded parts.   What prompted the joint venture? “Thermoplastic composites has been ‘the next big thing’ for 30 years,” quipped Herr. “More recently, the commercial aerospace market has signaled that thermoplastic compos- ASTM D6641 ites are the material of the future that will enable them to achieve neces- ASTM D7249 sary cost reduction via highly auto- mated production systems.” He added, “Manufacturers have made it clear to us that their throughput rate must be ASTM D7264 ASTM D3410 higher than it is today.” ASTM D695 Kneath held up as an example Boeing’s push for “ramp 60” on its 737 — targeting a production rate of 60 ASTM C393 aircraft per month to reduce its order backlog. “Thermoplastic composites   are the only materials technology with multiple processing options that offers  the cycle time as well as performance to  replace thermosets and metals at these accelerated build rates,” claimed Kneath. “Market estimates state that the commercial aerospace industry will utilize 5,000 MT of thermoplastic composite materials per year by 2026 ASTM D5379 and Victrex has the resin capacity to meet this demand,” said Herr, “but ASTM D3039 as we began conversations with the commercial aerospace manufacturing base, we began looking at the supply chain challenges.” Herr continued, “What exists now ASTM C297 in this type of parts manufacturing? ASTM D4255 ASTM D2344 ASTM D7332 Primarily Tri-Mack,” he claims, “but it isn’t scaled for this type of volume.” Kneath picks up the narrative, “TxV COMPOSITE TEST FIXTURES Aero Composites will play an impor- tant role in the supply chain, providing

32 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Victrex, Tri-Mack Joint VentureNEWS

needed capacity to meet the projected volumes of ther- moplastic composite parts.” Herr noted that a lot of exist- Hufschmied USA ing companies will have to reinvest or companies must be 203.988.9426 created if expected demand from airframe manufacturers www.hufschmied.net and tier suppliers is to be met. “Multiple suppliers in multi- ple geographies will be involved, eventually,” he predicted. “All OEMs want dual sourcing. TxV Aero Composites will be creating a market for other parts manufacturers. We intend to bring the whole industry along.” The two said that TxV Aero is going to demonstrate its ability to make products at this industrialized rate. “We intend to drive market adoption of our materials with these types of parts,” said Herr. “We will not produce small lots of highly customized parts,” he pointed out. “Our focus is larger programs with significant impact on cost reduction and throughput improvements.” So far, feedback from OEMs is positive, although Herr noted that the PAEK composite material systems still must • Quality without secondary be qualified. “Tier suppliers are already engaged with us. operations We’ll walk away from JEC with even more trial programs • High abrasion resistance on top of what we’ve already started arranging.” TxV • Extremely long service life Aero will install a new Fiberforge tape laying system from • Highest process stability – Dieffenbacher (Eppingen, Germany). Kneath said that roughing and finishing in one notice of the TxV Aero facilities location and more equip- single step ment purchases will follow soon. • Extreme improvements in Read more online in “Victrex, Tri-Mack joint venture to cycle time accelerate PAEK composites” | short.compositesworld.com/TxVAero Read more online in “Plant Tour: Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing” | short.compositesworld.com/Tri_MackTR

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CompositesWorld.com 33 TRENDS

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Three Full Days of Business, Content and Networking, gathering leaders and decision makers This rather extreme example of from the Composites, Construction and Civil engineering industries. bio-mimicry — that science based on looking to nature for clues to more efficient industrial design — might not have produced a car everyone would want to drive to the grocery store, but it certainly called attention to the imagina- tive ways that the lightest of light- weight reinforcement fibers can be used in the automotive world. And the makers of McLaren’s 570GT, already a US$198,000 buy billed as an “ultimate sports car,” got the Sponsored by: opportunity to play an ultimate April Fool’s joke and buy themselves a bit of priceless publicity in the process. In any case, it’s a reminder that where auto design is concerned, imagination recognizes few limits.

34 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Inside the Teijin/CSP MergerNEWS

A tsunami of growth: An inside look at the CSP/ Teijin merger

At a recent open house and celebra- tion of the acquisition of Continental Structural Plastics (CSP, Auburn Hills, MI, US) by Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), executives from both companies answered questions about what the merger might mean for the future. Dr. Jun Suzuki, president and CEO of Teijin Ltd., and Akio Nakaishi, general manager of Teijin’s compos- ites business unit, told CW that several factors drove the decision to acquire CSP: “The first is that CSP is the largest such company in North America. Another reason is that they have many automotive customers, including the US Big Three, Toyota North America, and Honda North America, for example. And, the company is growing. CSP’s Class A automotive outer panels technology is currently the best, even before they introduced their new TCA Ultra Lite product. Their customers have accepted the SMC body panels, and trust CSP’s reliability, in volume,” said Suzuki. About the rise of carbon fiber SMC, he added, “As to growth, it is very difficult to come up with specific numbers, but this market is going to grow, for sure. The reason I say this is that I believe that composites are the best means for automotive weight reduction or lightweighting. In terms of our future growth, CSP will play a big part in our transformation and growth strategies, for automotive. The two companies will work together to make various parts for lightweight solutions. We will do everything we AEROSPACE SHIP BUILDING can, working together.” “Carbon fiber SMC will be growing,” Nakaishi affirmed, but noted, “On the other hand, the combination of performance and cost makes hybrid forms of SMC a good option, where WIND ENERGY TRANSPORTATION carbon fiber can be combined with other fibers, including glass and Engineering Services Complex Shapes 5 Axis NC Milling aramid.” Large Facilities High-Precision Equipment Suzuki stressed that Teijin’s acquisi- tion of CSP isn’t an attempt to reduce its workforce nor its technology www.janicki.com investment. Rather, both will increase. 360.856.5143 “Teijin and CSP (continued on p. 36)

CompositesWorld.com 35 TRENDS

(continued from p. 35)

are moving in the same direction — we are the ‘dream team.’ Creating a future world and future markets are very important. In order to do that, Choose we are going to create things in which people will find value. To achieve that, we will not reduce R&D, we will grow it.” Your Solution Suzuki and Nakaishi told CW that by the end of 2017, they will make +1-716-856-2200 decisions about fiber tow size, modulus and other specifics of the company’s new carbon fiber production plant in South Carolina. “We are not excluding the possibility of large-tow production at the plant. As for applications, we are pretty sure we’ll be making products Automated Cutting Systems for aircraft. How much product for automotive applications we are going to include is what we are discussing now,” Nakaishi revealed. “Obviously, carbon fiber composites growth in the market is something we will watch carefully, because, as I said, the market is growing, but we don’t know the speed.” Suzuki explained that Teijin’s Medium-Term Management Plan will transform its business model from one in which it supplies customers with materials to one in which it operates close-to-customer businesses that develop composites that incorporate multiple materials, which will better enable them to gain market share against other materials. Teijin’s Seerebo, the company’s chopped carbon fiber/thermoplastic material brand and molding process, will play a big role in that strategy. Design and Cut Software Toward this end, Teijin’s Advanced Composites America group, already established in Michigan, will be combined with CSP. In a separate interview, CSP’s chairman and CEO Frank Macher, who at CW presstime announced his retirement, and executive VP Eric Haiss expanded on the significance of that proposed business model, explain- ing that by acquiring CSP, Teijin is now a Tier 1 supplier of automotive parts. “We’ve always been a Tier 1 supplier,” Macher said, but pointed out, “Teijin has been, in many ways, a Tier 2 supplier, in that they sell raw Manually-Operated materials, except in the medical market, of course. They sell resins and Cutting Machines fibers, polyesters, polycarbonate, aramids. Now, with the acquisition, they have become Tier 1. They intend to utilize those Tier 2 materials to increase our flexibility by providing those same materials to us, so that we can now start conversions to parts and expand the Tier 1 position that we’re currently in.” Haiss added, “Teijin’s goal with Sereebo all along was to become a Tier 1 parts supplier, and was well on the way to doing that, but the oppor- tunity with CSP came up, which allowed us to jump-start that process. There’s a lot of interest from various companies in Sereebo’s energy absorption and other qualities for high load/heavy impact parts.” Material Feeding In terms of where on an automobile Sereebo will be used in the future, and Handling Equipment neither would give details, because of client confidentiality agreements. But Macher told CW, “Just imagine areas where you have heavy loads, and heavy impact.” Haiss elaborated, “We’ve designed Sereebo to be a material suitable for primary structures of mainstream automobiles. It may not take the place of ultra-high-performance thermoset prepreg, with really high fiber volumes, but because it’s a 1-minute takt time, with very good proper- ties, better than other thermoplastics in the market today, it is suitable for those higher-volume applications.” He added, “CSP is very strong in glass and has worked with carbon fiber, and we recognize that material SAMPE Demos Booth B30 solutions or hybrids are necessary and really important, going forward. Long term, we think carbon fiber has a great growth trajectory, but it’s going to take time to get past that gap between glass and carbon, and mixed-material solutions are going to help us bridge that gap.” CSP and Teijin contend that CSP’s thermoset SMC can withstand an www.eastmancuts.com E-coat oven, providing a Class A finish, dimensional stability, and with virtually the same orange peel ratings as a steel or aluminum part. CSP

36 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Inside the Teijin/CSP MergerNEWS

has worked with several auto OEMs to improve SMC properties after E-coat processing, which provides a marked advantage over other materi- als (e.g., thermoplastic olefin). Macher said CSP is working on a material matrix that will allow customers to easily choose from a variety of composite materials for their applications: “We’re ultimately going to come up with a ‘plug-and- play’ concept, wherein along one scale you will have aramid, carbon fiber and glass, and with the resins defined, a customer can say, I want 50% carbon fiber, so we can say, ‘Here’s what it will weigh and here’s what it will cost.’ They may say, ‘What if we put in 10% glass and take out some carbon?’ We’re trying to create that matrix, which gives virtually an infinite number of approaches to the mix, thanks in part to the sizing tech- nology of the two companies.” Macher says the future will see a dramatic increase in interest in composites for pickup boxes: “It’s a very, very exciting area for change. We will see significant change over Composites World 1-3 p Ads 17:Composites World 1/3p Ads '17 1/5/17 10:49 AM Page 1 the next five years, it’s something that is most tsunami-like.” CSP’s Mike Siwajek, VP of R&D, emphasizes that the company has World Class 5-Axis invested in a world-class polymer Composites Machining Centers composites laboratory that goes far beyond SMC formulation. An array www.quintax.com of equipment has enabled CSP, and now Teijin, to test new materials and molding processes — including 3D printing, which CSP is investigating for printing of mold tools and more. Said Macher, “We’ve grown from almost nothing to what we are today over the past 6-7 years. With the synergy and technical support we now have from Teijin, we have the opportunity to continue to grow, exponentially — growth that was a challenge under private ownership.” Teijin has announced it will make a US$3 billion investment, a significant portion of which will be allocated to automotive programs. The combined company appears ready to signifi- cantly advance autocomposites. Read the full report online in the CW Blog, titled, “A tsumani of growth: An inside look at the CSP/ Engineering, Performance & Support all from the Tejjin Merger” | U.S.A. • [email protected] • ph: 330.920.9200, ext 137 short.compositesworld.com/CSPTejinIN

CompositesWorld.com 37 WORK IN PROGRESS

Critical engine compartment/vehicle occupant shield A four-year European research project involving members of the trans- portation-composites supply chain validated a thermoplastic composite bulkhead as a replacement for a stamped-steel version on on mid-size commercial truck. Virtual prototyping was a key enabler, especially during materials selection and process development. It ended with molded parts being subjected to a battery of challenging tests (as indicated in this photo and those on p. 42), all of which were passed.

Source | Renault Trucks

Thermoplastic composites: Occupant protection in transportation

European consortium » A European transportation-composites consortium, led by OEM Renault develops, validates Trucks (Saint-Priest, France) and materials supplier Solvay (Brussels, Belgium), designed, produced and validated a thermoplastic composite unique hybrid process engine-compartment bulkhead to replace a multi-piece stamped-steel for a glass/PA6 engine- assembly on a mid-size commercial truck. The project was noteworthy compartment bulkhead because bulkheads, which separate the engine compartment, with its heat and aggressive chemicals, from the passenger compartment, provide to replace stamped steel occupant protection. Further, the structural assembly is mounted to the on commercial trucks. body-in-white (BIW) and plays a safety role during crashes as well, making its performance both critical and challenging, given the vehicle’s size and weight. The bulkhead also plays roles in vehicle durability and in damping By Peggy Malnati / Contributing Writer noise/vibration/harshness (NVH). The four-year program ended in 2015 and involved significant use of virtual prototyping, plus materials and process development. Molded parts passed a battery of rigorous physical tests.

Teamwork key to successful development Program success is attributed to focused effort by members of the European transportation-composites supply chain. Renault Trucks provided design work and supplied models for simulation, including full-scale designs of the complete truck, simulations for NVH and static and dynamic crash loads

38 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Glass/PA6 Truck BulkheadNEWS

The target: 21-piece steel bulkhead assembly The consortium faced the prospect of replacing, in the same tight package space, this 1-mm-thick, 21-piece, stamped-steel assembly featuring multiple spot welds and fasteners (shown here on both sides) while halving part count and reducing mass by 25%, yet improving performance and either reducing or maintaining part cost in a 3-mm-thick assembly.

Source | Renault Trucks

on the full truck. The company also provided interface-fastening development, supported Tier 1 manufacturing, and evaluated and tested full-size prototypes for front crash, durability and NVH, using its own verification and vali- dation cab test rigs. Tier 1 integrator/molder HBW-Gubesch Thermoforming GmbH (Wilhelmsdorf, Germany) contributed thermoplastic compos- ites design expertise and processing recommen- dations to ensure part feasibility and manufactured all physical in La Ravoire, France) made recommendations and supplied prototypes. It also developed the innovative molding process fasteners for the program, and provided additional prototyping that ensures short molding cycles and reasonable tooling costs. support. Additionally, the company repurposed a compression press, built tooling and developed fixtures for post-mold bonding. Material/process selection and design validation Solvay, through its R&D center in Saint-Fons, France, supported As is often the case when composites must replace stamped metal OEM design and full-scale static and dynamic crash simula- at lower weight but comparable or higher mechanicals, consor- tions and process feasibility work, contrib- tium members were restricted to the uted advanced material models, simu- basic geometry and design/packaging lated mechanical performance as well space of the benchmark bulkhead. as bonding/assembly, and performed Unable to adopt a clean- Therefore, they were unable to adopt correlation studies to validate simula- a “clean-sheet” approach that could sheet approach, they were tion accuracy vs. physical parts. Further- take full advantage of the lightweighting, more, Solvay developed and supplied nevertheless able to cut toughness, rapid-cycling, functional inte- two composite materials specifically weight by 25%. gration/parts consolidation, cost-cutting formulated for the molding process. and recycling benefits of thermoplastic Adhesives supplier Sika AG (Baar, composites. Nevertheless, the program’s Switzerland) contributed adhesive goals were ambitious: Within the same tight material models for Solvay’s simulation work and specified and space, replace the 1-mm-thick, 21-piece stamped-steel assembly supplied adhesive to ensure compatibility between composite (including multiple spot welds and fasteners) with a 3-mm-thick and chassis components. By bonding the module to the chassis, composite assembly that halves part count, reduces mass by 25%, fastener part count and part weight were reduced, and internal improves performance and either reduces or maintains part cost. part stresses were reduced. Fastener supplier Wilhelm Böllhoff To meet performance and cost targets using a thermoplastic GmbH und Co. KG (Bielefeld, Germany, through its subsidiary within the package space (which limited wall thickness), an

CompositesWorld.com 39 WORK IN PROGRESS

The result: Compression molded, glass fiber/PA6 assembly A low-cost, hybrid compression molding process was developed to form a three-piece composite bulkhead. The process had to accommodate a low-flow, flat organosheet base (main photo) and two high-flow ribbed sections in short-glass resin (ribbed pieces, at lower right) in the same press with tooling that was changed to mold each piece separately. After demolding and trimming, the three pieces of the bulkhead were bonded together with metal inserts (inset image, at lower right) that facilitated attachment to the truck.

Source (main photo) | CW / Photo / Jeff Sloan Source (insets) | Solvay

impact- and chemical-resistant, thermally stable but cost-effec- and ribbed sections used 30% (by weight) short-glass, high-flow, tive polymer, such as polyamide (PA), made more sense than impact-modified Technyl C246SIV30 PA6 resin. either lower performing olefins or higher performing specialty To meet its 20,000-units/year production target without polymers. Because much of the bulkhead’s design was a flat increasing part costs, the consortium needed a fast-cycling panel, sheet-form composites were a place to start. To maximize process. A modified compression molding process was selected laminate stiffness/strength and impact-resistance at reasonable because it can form parts with design complexity: It could shape cost, continuous glass fiber reinforcement was selected. However, and consolidate the organosheet and form the intricate ribs to meet mechanical performance in critical areas without signifi- without excessive machine or tooling costs. But because the team cantly increasing wallstock, ribs were crucial. Unfortunately, wanted to mold the organosheet (characterized by limited resin continuous fiber materials don’t penetrate ribs well, so a second, flow) and the high-flow, short-glass rib material in one process, discontinuous/chopped-fiber composite, which offers high impact an intermediate processing step was needed to convert the pellet- resistance and high flow, was necessary. To ensure both compos- ized short-glass rib material to a form that would work in the ites were compatible, similar resin systems were used in each. press. Adding an extruder to the press to plasticize the short-glass Although organosheets don’t require a high-flow resin, one was material, however, was too costly. Even if it weren’t, the high- used to ensure compatibility with ribbed sections. In the end, flow compound would be difficult to handle and control in the the panel’s main (flat) portion used 50% by volume balanced- tool. Instead, pelletized short-glass plates/plaques were injec- weave glass fabric-reinforced Evolite high-flow PA6 organosheet, tion molded separately, then reheated (via infrared oven) and

40 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Glass/PA6 Truck BulkheadNEWS

transferred to the press to mold each ribbed section. (During the extended to approximately 5 minutes — but was well within project, robots moved the organosheet from oven to press, but the production targets. With a larger press, multi-cavity hard tooling injection molded plaques were moved and placed by hand.) and increased automation, the process reportedly could support Because the development program’s tooling budget was limited, series production of 100,000 assemblies/yr. aluminum was used to build three two-sided tools. (One tool for To connect the module to the truck’s BIW, Sika’s surface treat- the flat/organosheet portion, plus one each for ment and adhesive were again used. the upper and lower ribbed sections, which The adhesive joined the bulkhead to were shaped differently. During part devel- the left and right A-pillars, chassis/ opment, the molder’s press dimensions A larger press, multi-cavity side member, floor, windscreen, limited tool size, so each part was molded hard tooling and increased cross-car beam and instrument panel. separately.) automation could turn out For extra crash protection, bolts join To connect the three moldings the bulkhead to the cross-car beam. To to each other and to metal inserts 100,000 assemblies/yr. integrate the bulkhead with truck cabin (which help join the composite components (e.g., pedals, steering column, module to the truck BIW), an attach- wire harnesses, etc.), the team used struc- ment method capable of managing coefficient of thermal expan- tural Rivkle SFC (Smart for Composite) blind rivet nuts, which are sion (CTE) differences between the thermoplastic and steel specifically designed for composites, and nonstructural Onsert was necessary. A surface treatment and one-part polyurethane hybrid fasteners, which join mechanical fasteners to non-weldable adhesive from Sika were used. materials, both supplied by Böllhoff. The resulting hybrid process — high-flow material plaques Multiple iterations were done before simulation and testing injection molded offline, then reheated, combined and remolded predicted the ultimate design/material/process combination together in the compression press — produces large, complex that would meet project goals. To check the correlation between parts at low cost. Although each press cycle required only 1 simulations and test results, a quarter-scale mini-prototype was minute, the final process, including preheating and bonding, evaluated at Solvay’s lab. The adhesive assembly method also was

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CompositesWorld.com 41 WORK IN PROGRESS

checked. Results showed bonding contributed to crash perfor- mance and was critical to success, so the analyst worked closely with Sika to define an adhesive numerical model that improved analysis accuracy. To ensure anisotropic fiber distribution and high strength in ribs, microtomography was used to view fiber orientations. Data from this analysis were fed back into material models to increase simulation accuracy. Positive results led to production of full-size parts, which were assembled on a prototype truck and subjected to NVH, durability and crash testing. Again, results were compared to simulations to ensure correlation.

Tests for technical readiness The bulkhead has passed frontal crash tests (ECE-29 regulations for homolo- gation of vehicles for passive safety) and meets Renault Truck’s NVH and durability requirements. It has, thus far, achieved a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 ­— indicating that the part has demonstrated good technical maturity and capabilities but is not yet commercial-ready. That said, Renault Trucks is pleased with the results and target costs. Source | Renault Truck

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42 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Glass/PA6 Truck BulkheadNEWS

Promising results The final part featured a rear organosheet panel measuring 1,980 mm wide by 1,200 mm high by 2.8 mm thick, plus short-glass Contributing writer Peggy Malnati covers the automotive and infrastructure beats for CW and provides communications fiber-reinforced upper and lower ribbed plates, each approxi- services for plastics- and composites-industry clients. mately 360 mm wide by 100 mm high by 5 mm thick. The bulkhead [email protected] passed frontal crash tests (ECE-29 regulations for homologation of vehicles for passive safety) and met Renault Truck’s NVH and durability requirements, achieving a component Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 — not yet ready for commercial deploy- ment but demonstrating technical maturity and high capability. Further, it met stated program goals, achieving a 25% weight reduction, halving overall (composite/ metal insert) part count, and coming in with acceptable costs. The part is not yet commercial — it is not E-Coat compatible and, therefore, would need to be installed on the BIW late in assembly. For now, researchers continue BOOTH C24 to evaluate ways to add it to the current vehicle assembly process and examine alternative designs. Nonetheless, Renault Trucks is said to be pleased with the program results and target costs. And the ADVANCED NONWOVENS FOR Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/RTbulkhead COMPOSITES project won a 2016 JEC Innovation Award in FROM TECHNICAL FIBRE PRODUCTS INC. the Automotive Structural Parts category. “This project showed just how critical MULTIPLE BENEFITS FROM USING A SINGLE MATERIAL! accurate design and simulation work is to fulfill OEM requirements for lightweight High Quality Surface Finish • EMI Shielding • Adhesive Carrier applications,” explains Cécile Demain, Resin Flow Media • Electrical Conductivity • Fire Protection Solvay’s senior development engineer Corrosion Resistance • Fracture Toughness Improvement and consortium project manager, who Abrasion Resistance • Galvanic Corrosion Prevention conducted Solvay’s simulations. “This work was vital for building OEM confidence in the capabilities of the final composite [email protected] • 1 518 280 8500 design so the project could progress to full- WWW.TFPGLOBAL.COM size prototype testing.” “This project was a completely successful story with our partner, Solvay,” adds Sylvain NEW! Delaire, BIW engineer, Renault Trucks. NANO- “We know this composite material has very good mechanical properties and signifi- COATING cant weight-saving opportunities compared CAPABILITY to steel. We now have much better knowl- edge about tooling simulation and how to achieve more accurate results with this new TECHNICAL FIBRE PRODUCTS IS PART OF JAMES CROPPER PLC composite material.”

CompositesWorld.com 43

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BENTELER-SGL develops » Founded in 2008 as a joint venture between automotive Tier 1 supplier fully automated HP-RTM BENTELER Automobiltechnik (Paderborn, Germany) and fiber-based solu- tions provider SGL Group (Wiesbaden, Germany), BENTELER-SGL (Ried production of the weight- im Innkreis, Austria) manufactures a variety of fiber-reinforced automotive and space-saving composite composites, including side blades and pillars, doors, spoilers and seats. But leaf spring for Volvo’s its most noteworthy achievement, thus far, is its expertise in mass produc- tion of composite leaf springs. Since it acquired the automotive business unit multi-model SPA global of Fischer Composite Technology, also located in Ried im Innkreis, and built platform. a second composite parts plant in nearby Ort im Innkreis in 2012, the company has innovated its way to Ramping up to meet long- term needs By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor unprecedented autocomposites production capability. Volvo’s (Gothenberg, Sweden) new XC90 crossover SUV is the first vehicle produced By 2013, BENTELER-SGL had on the automaker’s new global Scalable replaced the then typical epoxy Product Architecture (SPA) platform, which matrix and demonstrated a glass will eventually include yet-to-come S60, S90, fiber/polyurethane front-axle leaf V60, V90 and XC60 models. BENTELER-SGL’s spring for Daimler’s (Stuttgart, (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) production of the glass fiber/PU rear-axle leaf spring for all Germany) Mercedes-Benz Sprinter SPA models is achieved via a fully automated van, which slashed weight 65% HP-RTM production line capable of ramping vs. steel (6 kg, down from 15 kg). up to 500,000 parts/yr in 2018. Source | Volvo

44 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Glass/PU LeafNEWS Spring

Working with Henkel’s (Düsseldorf, Germany) fast-curing LOCTITE MAX 2 polyurethane (PU) resin and the high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) process, BENTELER-SGL was able to achieve production volumes of 100,000- 150,000 parts/yr (see Learn More, p. 48). The company is preparing to raise the bar again as it ramps production of a glass fiber/ PU rear axle leaf spring for Volvo’s (Gothen- berg, Sweden) new XC90 crossover SUV, the first vehicle produced on the automaker’s new global platform, called Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). As an integral part of SPA, the spring also will be used on the S60, S90, V60, V90 and XC60 and any larger model that might be developed. “This is the highest volume composite parts project in the automotive industry, reaching 500,000 parts/year in 2018,” claims BENTELER- SGL managing director Dr. Robert Ernst-Siebert. “In addition to the comprehensive expertise of Designing a material for the application our partners BENTELER and SGL, a strong part- SGL (Wiesbaden, Germany) was a key partner in the Volvo leaf spring program, designing glass nership with the customer as well as with our fiber textiles that not only met functional requirements but also provided the foundation for a stable resin supplier has been key, as we adapted our preform that enables glitch-free automated processing. Source | SGL Group existing HP-RTM and preforming process into a fully automated production line with no manual steps. We have developed a process that was not existent in the marketplace.”

Multi-model design As BENTELER-SGL worked with Volvo on the SPA leaf spring design, it drew from a wide range of experience. “We had capability from the Sprinter van leaf springs but also with other suspension system components via the BENTELER Automo- tive group,” explains Ernst-Siebert. “All of this was incorporated into the Volvo leaf spring program.” The design of each leaf spring is determined by its function and requirements, explains Frank Fetscher, business development director of FRP chassis applications for BENTELER Automotive. In turn, this design determines the leaf spring performance and cost. The leaf spring design for Volvo uses up to 60 plies of glass fiber unidi- rectional fabric, which according to Fetscher, meets performance, durability and cost require- ments, as well as very tight package constraints. Although the composite spring is roughly the same size as the previous metal version, it enables elimination of coil springs and suspen- sion struts so that the axle protrudes less into the Equipping the production line trunk area, freeing up cargo space. The two new presses used for Volvo leaf spring production in Ort im Innkreis are comparable to this “Based on the material properties, there were twin-shuttle 1600-ton press used in BENTELER-SGL’s R&D center in Ried im Innkreis. limits to the design,” he explains. That said, the Source | BENTELER-SGL

CompositesWorld.com 45 WORK IN PROGRESS

Multiplying the cycle- time benefit The Volvo leaf springs are produced in a multi-cavity tool similar to this one, which was used in prototyping. The cavity quantity of production tools depends upon the program’s current volume rate.

Source | BENTELER-SGL

performance and package needs of all models, from the luxury that demonstrates the production control system. “We have full XC90 down to the compact X60, had to be met in one leaf spring control of the line, including automated inspection,” Ernst-Siebert design, of one length and one width — 1,200 mm by 60 mm. explains. “There are different quality assurance steps throughout the However, the weight of the SUV vs. the smaller sedan models can line — not only visual inspection but also automated mechanical vary significantly. Thus, three variations in curvature were designed testing. Every leaf spring is tested.” Fetscher adds that this testing to enable the appropriate spring per vehicle weight. The main checks spring stiffness and 100% function of the part, a standard targets of lift force and stiffness for different vehicle variants can be practice for this type of application. adapted by moving the upper and inner bushings outward on the Crucial to a stable, robust process and reproducible parts, insists one hand and by using different spacers at the end of the spring on Ernst-Siebert, is what he calls inline parameter control of all mate- the other, offering additional ability to tune the spring performance rials. Fetscher gives an example: “In the case of a preform where for each model’s needs while keeping the production process as one ply is out of place, the system detects this mismatch between simple as possible. Thus, BENTELER-SGL was able to manage a inspected and programmed parameters, so that we know imme- significant amount of applications complexity. “Volvo developed diately the location of the problem. We then remove the non- with us this ability to adapt the spring rate across the different conforming part and make modifications to ensure that part of the models,” says Fetscher. line is corrected.” He says that in the future, BENTELER-SGL will Validation of the design and of the final production process was move toward a self-controlling line, “This is our first step in that achieved per the Volvo-supplied specification. “We supported direction, toward an integrated Industry 4.0 system.” them with ideas on how to verify and validate,” says Fetscher, Preforming is done in the automated line’s next section. The adding that those involved both computer-aided engineering plies of UD fabric are first stabilized, using industry state-of-the-art (CAE) and physical testing. “We also transferred their specifica- epoxy- or polyurethane-based powder binder. Heat and pressure tions into our CAE fatigue programs and physical fatigue testing.” are applied to melt the binder so that the preform is stabilized as it He notes this includes dynamic fatigue load cases derived from cools. Multiple preforms, one per spring, are then transferred simul- road load data cases, as well as static load tests, all of which are taneously by robot into the multi-cavity lower tool in the HP-RTM performed under different environmental conditions. Fetscher press. “We have developed special grippers for all such transfer steps adds that comparable testing is completed for all BENTELER Auto- as part of our proprietary internal development,” notes Fetscher. motive and BENTELER-SGL chassis components, such as anti-roll “Thanks to SGL, we have performed a great deal of R&D to define bars or lower control arms, and provides a good prediction of the the best material concept for this specific leaf spring application, part’s service life. including textiles and binders,” Ernst-Siebert points out. “It’s not as simple as it looks. Only certain textiles perfectly fit. The material Precision preforming combination for the leaf springs developed by SGL, for example, was Produced in the Ort im Innkreis facility via HP-RTM, the Volvo specifically designed not only to maximize the part’s ability to meet leaf springs use the LOCTITE MAX 2 polyurethane resin. But the functional requirements but also to provide a stable preform.” higher annual production volume target necessitated a new level of automation. “The raw materials come in, and all of the process Refining resin injection steps are automated, without manual intervention,” Ernst-Siebert When the preforms are placed, the tool is closed and resin injection reiterates. “This line was developed in-house and is key to our begins. However, achieving the final robust automation of HP-RTM success in achieving high quality in the final component.” As such, required significant development. “The key is optimization of the it is understandable that BENTELER-SGL is not ready to reveal process,” Ernst-Siebert asserts. “You must have deep understanding many details. of the resin, which we have through Henkel, and also the textile, The first part of the line comprises automated cutting and which we have through SGL. So we know how to adjust the param- preforming of the unidirectional reinforcements. It is also an area eters to meet the cycle time and achieve production.”

46 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Glass/PU LeafNEWS Spring

“There were two key challenges,” says Frank Kerstan, global program manager in the Adhesive Technologies business unit at Henkel, “mechanical performance and process. This leaf spring must be very tough and have the durability to withstand hundreds of thousands of dynamic loads under varying condi- tions. However, the large production volume requires very fast injection and cure.” He sees polyurethane as ideal for this appli- cation. “It has a very rigid and dense network, similar to epoxy, which provides high strength,” Kerstan explains, “but it also has a secondary network structure, which gives high elongation and toughness. Both were key for this application.” “There are numerous resin suppliers out there, offering epoxy, vinyl ester and polyurethane,” notes Fetscher. “However, for our specific project, Henkel was able to best meet the cycle time and cost structure at this high rate of industrialization.” Kerstan explains that because the glass fiber content in the final part is relatively high, at 55%, “the trick is to inject very fast, but also in a way that does not cause fiber displacement and yet is reliable, part after part.” The viscosity of the LOCTITE MAX 2 resin Supplier expertise on the matrix side at room temperature is 200-300 mPa or cps (millipascal-second BENTELER-SGL optimized HP-RTM parameters in the Volvo leaf spring process and centipoise units are equivalent), but at 90°C it drops to 10 thanks in part to Henkel’s (Düsseldorf, Germany) polyurethane resin expertise, cps. “This allows reliable, fast impregnation of the fibers without much of which was gained at its Heidelberg, Germany, composite lab, shown here. moving them,” says Kerstan. Source | Henkel BENTELER-SGL uses a variety of equipment in its Ort im Innkreis facility, including a Streamline machine from Hennecke (Sankt Augustin, Germany) equipped with a custom mixhead, by mass flowmeters, with data fed into the control system. Should a KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany) mixing and metering unit, a deviation from specified values be detected, the system imme- a Dieffenbacher (Eppingen, Germany) press for HP-RTM, and a diately manages the parameters of the relevant dosing pump to Cannon Afros custom-designed dosing unit for HP-RTM with two restore the desired output in real time. A 90m2 area was designed specialized FPL14 mixing heads. to house the various resin component storage, conditioning and For the Volvo leaf spring, the main components of the PU resin pumping devices. are degassed to avoid formation of air bubbles in parts, recircu- lated in heated enclosures and maintained at temperature through Limiting mold cycle time heated piping before they are metered into the two mixing/injec- Just as heating the resin is necessary to optimize flow and impreg- tion heads. The pressure in the mixing heads is 120-140 bar, and nation of the preform, a heated tool is key to curing the composite. each can inject 11 kg of resin in 22 seconds. So is a multi-cavity tool configuration. Although previous reports Typical of most high-end meter/mix/dispense machines (see have cited 8-10 or even 12 cavities, the actual number used, says Learn More), each component’s output is continuously monitored Ernst-Siebert, depends on the volume rate of the program. “This

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CompositesWorld.com 47 WORK IN PROGRESS

can change, depending upon what the customer needs and the that external or internal mold release can be used. “Whether or not part design,” he says, adding, “To meet the customer’s required you use external or internal mold release depends on the cycle time cycle times, we use a multi-cavity tool, with molding completed and downtime in your parts program and process,” he explains. in 10 minutes.” Although this does not include preform insertion However, he cautions that because the leaf spring is a dynamically or part extraction, both loaded part, and internal release agents can affect part properties, operations are auto- “it is very important that auxiliary products, such as binders, catalyst mated and designed and internal release agents, match the resin chemistry.” Kerstan Read this article online | to meet part volume also notes that the shape of the tool is a critical factor in defining the short.compositesworld.com/500000 requirements. best mold release approach: “If it has undercuts and difficult release Read more online about this topic in “Composite leaf springs: Saving weight In order to accom- angles, then external mold release may be required.” in production suspension systems” | modate the three varia- Two new presses are used in the fully automated production lines short.compositesworld.com/leafspring tions in spring curva- for the Volvo leaf springs. “We’ve set up a second automated line to Read more online about MMD ture, three different reach the peak volume,” reports Ernst-Siebert. Because of the high equipment in “Meter/mix/dispense upper molds were degree of automation, he points out that only a few technicians are machines: Doubling down on control” | short.compositesworld.com/MMD developed. Three lower required to operate the lines. “We currently run two shifts, and can Read more online about Surface RTM in molds were developed run three if needed,” Ernst-Siebert relates. “We are very flexible in “HP-RTM on the rise” | for each upper mold, order to meet our customers’ demands. We can run these lines 24/7, short.compositesworld.com/RTMup enabling varying spring if necessary.” thickness. Thus, nine The production presses are comparable to the twin-shuttle 1,600- different bottom molds ton press used in BENTELER-SGL’s R&D center in Ried im Innkreis. may be used in production as dictated, eventually, by the mix of Ernst-Siebert stresses the importance of the relationship between incoming model orders. this “tech center” and the Ort im Innkreis production floor, “We have There also are additive options. Kerstan explains that with the an automated pilot line in the tech center that is small-scale yet can LOCTITE MAX polyurethane systems, catalyst can be added to simulate the full process. As we set this up in the prototyping phase, further reduce curing time, depending on part size. He also notes we tried to get very close to how we would actually make the parts

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48 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Glass/PU Leaf NEWSSpring

in production.” He adds that the team also great potential for weight reduc- receives simulations of machinery concepts tion at a reasonable cost per saved from BENTELER, and material analyses kilogram of mass,” Ernst-Siebert CW senior editor Ginger Gardiner has and simulations via SGL’s experts. “This explains. an engineering/materials background and more than 20 years of experience is how we further enhance our processes For its part, Henkel is targeting in the composites industry. to move quickly through the HP-RTM numerous other automotive appli- [email protected] development.” cations, including structural body “We also apply this to the dosing unit components and exterior paintable parts, such as roofs using Surface RTM (see Learn and injection of the resin,” says Fetscher. More). It has also developed a suitable high-temperature (Tg>200°C) epoxy resin system “Early involvement of resin partners like for high-volume production of carbon fiber-reinforced wheels. Henkel is key in order to identify issues and make improvements early in the process development.” Ernst-Siebert agrees. “This is impor- tant because the process is too complex to adjust just one thing to achieve each necessary improvement — you have to adjust several parameters at a time.” SMC After the parts have completely cured, they are robotically transferred from the REQUIRES HP-RTM presses to automated milling cells, where they are trimmed and holes are drilled in the ends of each spring. CME Fetscher considers this automation as standard in the industry, but notes that BENTELER-SGL’s fixture is special and its trim process has no manual steps.

Future developments With the Volvo rear leaf spring program on schedule to meet peak volume in 2018, BENTELER-SGL is already setting its sights on more. “We have identified other rear leaf spring opportunities and are Innovative • Automotive working to develop further applications • Aerospace with OEMs,” says Fetscher. “The motiva- Hydraulic tion and market drivers remain the same Compression • Medical and future alternative vehicle architectures • Marine might offer further potential for this kind of Molding application.” • Industrial Kerstan agrees, “Other vehicle makers Solutions have indicated their intention to adopt this same, lightweight composite leaf spring concept. I am also convinced that the American Made compactness of this leaf spring axle design is a good fit for electric vehicle body/ Today’s SMC challenges require the utmost Compression Molding Expertise. chassis concepts.” Greenerd has the engineered application solutions you need to succeed. Further, BENTELER-SGL has trans- ferred its transverse leaf spring design and production know-how into applications for longitudinal glass fiber-reinforced springs. Scan to visit our Pressing for the best solution Compression Molding “The replacement of steel leaf springs 800-877-9110 • www.greenerd.com Applications Showroom! with composites to maintain the same or even slightly improved function offers a

CompositesWorld.com 49 SMC: Old dog, new tricks

A sheet molding compound renaissance highlights new reinforcements, new fillers, new matrices, new opportunities.

By Peggy Malnati / Contributing Writer

» Sheet molding compound (SMC) has been commercially  Data, data and more data available since the early 1960s. For much of that time, it has been Laura Littlejohn, a scientist at Ashland LLC (Columbus, OH, US), conducts dynamic well used and well understood in the transportation market, in mechanical analysis (DMA) testing on thermoset composite samples to measure passenger vehicle, truck and bus, recreational vehicle (RV), agri- viscoelastic properties of stiffness modulus and energy dissipation as a function of temperature. DMA data identify modulus retention, thermal transitions and cultural, lawn and garden equipment and even aviation applica- the effect of cure state on measured properties — all of which are used in R&D to tions, as well as in the marine and building/construction sectors. screen for process optimization and end-use performance criteria.

Common transportation uses include a wide range of semi-struc- Source | Ashland LLC tural and structural components: body panels, pickup boxes, tonneau covers, front-end modules, cowling, air deflectors, under- body shields, aero skirting, floors, skins for panelized siding on truck trailers and RVs, valve covers, oil pans, and electric vehicle Unusual among composites, however, SMC could be formulated (EV) battery covers/boxes. to survive auto industry E-Coat (electrophoretic rust preventa- Throughout most of its history, SMC was defined as a compres- tive) and paint-line temperatures, enabling assembly line workers sion moldable, sheet-form, B-stageable thermoset composite — to mount Class A and structural SMC parts to a vehicle’s body-in- essentially a specialized form of prepreg, with many of the storage white (BIW) and let them travel through the normal production and shelf-life limitations that define prepreg products. The earliest process rather than installing them at a later stage, at increased SMC formulations featured matrices of unsaturated polyester cost and labor (see Learn More, p. 58). (UP), and, later, the option to upgrade to higher performing but more costly vinyl ester (VE). Later still, VE/UP blends, with and Recession, revision, reformulation without polyurethane (PUR), were developed by a number of SMC’s use in automotive, still its largest market, reached its zenith suppliers. This hybrid matrix offered performance and cost inter- during the late 1990s, when unprecedented high fuel prices in the mediate between the UP and VE SMCs. Classic SMC also featured US brought equally unprecedented pressure to reduce vehicle additives and mineral fillers — typically calcium carbonate mass. SMC had expanded into many applications on numerous

(CaCO3) — plus discontinuous/chopped-glass reinforcement. The vehicle platforms and was suddenly exposed to a much broader latter made SMC good at filling ribs and other fairly complex part range of E-Coat and paintline temperatures at plants owned by design features, but tended to keep it out of truly structural appli- multiple automakers. There followed the much publicized blis- cations because it lacked the high stiffness and strength provided tering and “paint-pop” issues that developed at many plants. by the continuous fiber reinforcements used in “true” prepreg These became such a problem that several OEMs threatened to materials. stop using the material. Focused and rapid R&D work within the

50 CompositesWorld SMC Renaissance,NEWS Part 1

transportation-composites supply chain produced chemistry innovations that solved the problem between 2001-2003 (see Learn More). This led to a toughened type of SMC initially devel- oped by ThyssenKrupp Budd Co. (now Continental Structural Plastics, CSP, Auburn Hills, MI, US) and AOC LLC (Collierville, TN, US), and soon offered by major resin suppliers and compounders. Unfortunately, SMC already had been cancelled on many vehicle programs. By the time it was ready to be specified on the next launch cycles, the industry was in freefall during the 2008 recession. When automakers returned to profitability and higher vehicle builds in 2012, tougher government fuel economy and/ or tailpipe emissions mandates were phasing in across North America, the European Union and other key markets for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. Suddenly, OEMs were as inter- ested in lightweighting as they were in reducing costs. That created new opportunities for composites and newer lightweight metals. “This time, when SMC’s use picked up again, it wasn’t enough to be lighter than steel,” recalls Robert Seats, North American tech- nology director, Ashland LLC (Dublin, OH, US). “You also had to be lighter than aluminum and magnesium.” Suppliers also had to contend with an auto industry move toward greater standardization across reduced numbers of global platforms — which meant materials had to be available in multiple locations and had to meet the applicable regulatory mandates in  Developmental SMC compounding line each of those geographies. SMC formulators also had to contend This small-scale production machinery at the Ashland R&D campus enables this with the emerging “green movement,” which had created interest supplier to contribute to SMC product innovation. Historically defined as a sheet- in low- and no-VOC formulations, biopolymers, recyclability and form, B-staged, compression moldable thermoset composite, SMC first featured lifecycle management. matrices of unsaturated polyester. Research expanded recipes to vinyl ester and, The response to these pressures led to the development of a more recently, blends of the two. Together with advances in reinforcements, fillers, and the compounding and molding processes, SMC’s definition is on the remarkable range of new SMC technologies that are now effec- verge of changing. Source | Ashland LLC tively reinventing this workhorse composite. In fact, as these advances continue to be commercialized, the line between prepreg and SMC is blurring — so much so that industry leaders are discussing the need to redefine both terms. What follows (Part that the short-fiber SMC can fill ribs and other complex design 1) is an exploration of the reinforcement and filler innovations. features that continuous-fiber reinforcement tends to bridge, Part 2, CW’s discussion of resin, compounding and molding inno- but the presence of continuous fiber enables mechanical perfor- vations, will follow in a subsequent issue of CW. mance approaching that of true prepreg, and do so at a lower cost and without investing in specialized processing equipment. New reinforcements: Furthermore, this can be done without sacrificing SMC’s parts Higher mechanicals, thinner parts consolidation benefit or its capacity to form complex 2.5D geom- An important change to the conventional SMC recipe is that it etries — more complex than can typically be molded in prepreg. is no longer defined by chopped glass fiber. Compounders and An example of a continuous-fiber SMC part is the Chevrolet Spark molders are exploring carbon fiber and even basalt fibers and are electric vehicle (EV) battery box (see Learn More) from General moving from chopped-fiber formulations into those that selec- Motors Co. (GM, Detroit, MI, US). An SMC part that combines tively use continuous-fiber reinforcements. The latter include both continuous and discontinuous reinforcements is the struc- not only unidirectional (UD) rovings, but also biaxial and triaxial tural underbody from the U.S. Council for Automotive Research weaves and non-crimp fabrics (NCF) to produce greater stiffness, (USCAR, Southfield, MI, US) (see Learn More). strength and impact properties in parts that must nevertheless As carbon fiber prices come down and more suppliers offer weigh less than standard SMC. As a side benefit, in many cases heavy tows (50K and 25K, used primarily in automotive and part walls also can be made thinner. industrial applications), interest in “Carbon SMC” has definitely Continuous-fiber SMC often is combined with conventional ramped up. Carbon fiber-reinforced SMC has been commercial, discontinuous/chopped-fiber SMC, a technique that researchers if not in widespread use, in automotive since it formed struc- at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (F-ICT, tural fender supports launched on the 2003 Dodge Viper from Pfinztal, Germany) call “tailored SMC.” The advantage here is then DaimlerChrysler (now FCA US LLC, Auburn Hills, MI, US).

CompositesWorld.com 51 FEATURE / Advances in SMC

 Fiber wetout in carbon fiber SMC Thorough fiber impregnation (wetout) is a challenge in the thick paste systems typical of SMC. One way around the problem is to split fiber bundles to aid wetout and improve mechanicals, particularly with the large-tow carbon fiber typically used in the automotive industry. The Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research (London, ON, Canada) uses a fiber spreading system to filamentize fiber bundles from 50K down to 3K tows in its direct-SMC process. Reportedly, these smaller bundles wet out more easily, form a more uniform material and result in a exponential increase in strength. In the images above, standard chopped carbon fiber is shown on the right and standard chopped carbon fiber that has been spread first is shown on the left. Source | Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research

Molded by now-defunct Meridian Automotive Systems Inc. (Allen London, ON, Canada). “As a result, people are finding ways to Park, MI, US), a pair of supports in 50% chopped carbon fiber split fiber bundles to aid wetout and improve mechanical proper- with a VE matrix consolidated 15-20 previously metal brackets ties. With large-tow carbon SMC, you typically get half the strength and saved 40 lb/18 kg vs. stamped steel. And carbon fiber fabric- of a similar glass fiber SMC, although you do get a boost in stiff- reinforced SMC reportedly was used in Europe on locomotive ness. It’s hard to cost-justify carbon [fiber], when your tensile covers in the early 1990s. strength values are only 100-150 MPa vs. upwards of 300 MPa with Today, many compounders and molders are offering SMC-type glass. We’ve addressed this in our direct-SMC process [D-SMC] by materials reinforced with various carbon fiber forms, but there are adding a fiber spreading system to filamentize the fiber bundles several challenges to marrying these materials. The first is finding from 50K down to 3K tows. It gives us fiber bundles that are easier carbon fiber sized for VE and VE-hybrid to wet, a more uniform material, and matrices, rather than typical epoxy or an exponential increase in strength. urethane, to ensure good bonding between That’s the reason multi-end glass matrix and reinforcement. The dearth of As carbon fiber prices have rovings” — twisted rovings made from such offerings has led to a new project of come down, interest in much finer glass yarns that exhibit the Institute for Advanced Composites “Carbon SMC” has definitely faster, more thorough wetout — “are used Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI, ramped up. in SMC, but those products aren’t avail- Knoxville, TN, US) involving Zoltek: A able yet in carbon.” Toray Group Co. (St. Louis, MO, US), The wetout issue requires processors of Michelman Inc. (Cincinnati, OH, US) heavy-tow carbon fiber SMC to create work- and Ashland. arounds. “Carbon SMC is our material of choice for structural “We think the chemistries are different enough, and the chal- and semi-structural applications where previously we might lenges significant enough, that we need the industry to come have used prepreg,” reports Andrew Swikoski, global product line together,” notes Ashland’s Seats. “How hard is it to change sizings? director – lightweight composites, Magna Exteriors (Troy, MI, Manufacturing changes are a big deal.” US), who explains the company currently has two carbon fiber- The second, and somewhat related, challenge is achieving good based products, both in modified-VE matrices: a chopped-fiber fiber wetout in the thick paste systems typical of SMC. “Carbon grade called EPICBLEND CFS-Z, and a 0°/90° NCF grade called fiber wetout in the SMC process is notoriously difficult, especially EPICBLEND CFS-Z Continuous, which is used with the chopped with large-tow fibers,” explains Daniel Park, research engineer, grade as a reinforcing patch for areas of parts that require higher Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research (FPC, mechanicals.

52 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld SMC Renaissance,NEWS Part 1

 Fiber distribution in carbon fiber SMC Magna Exteriors (Troy, MI, US), has developed carbon fiber SMC formulations for its own use, with modified vinyl ester matrices. A chopped-fiber grade called EPICBLEND CFS-Z, shown in the micrographs above with smooth (left) and two types of grained surfaces (right) is said to provide better wetout, compaction and consolidation thanks to a unique manufacturing process that yields an anisotropic fiber distribution. The material flows longer with greater consistency, enabling parts with reduced wallstock (in steel’s 1.2-1.0 mm range) at significant cost advantages. Source | Magna Exteriors

“The way we manufacture our chopped carbon ‘prepreg-esque’ that came to be called Forged Composites. Calloway subsequently material means we get better fiber wetout, compaction, and used Forged Composites for its Diablo Octane drivers and Lambo- consolidation,” says Swikoski. “The way we chop, spread and loft rghini used it on various components for several concepts as well the fiber is a little different than anyone else, allowing us to present as Sesto Elemento, Aventador J, Veneno and Huracan supercars. finer fiber to the cutter, and to vary fiber length and fiber distribu- “More recently, Callaway asked for a similar product that was tion on the SMC line, which helps with orientation and flow.” Fiber even thinner and stronger for its Big Bertha Fusion drivers,” recalls bundles contain fewer filaments. More smaller-diameter bundles Douglas Gries, A. Schulman’s director – market development tend to wet out, separate and flow more readily in the matrix. “Our (composites). “The only way we could do that was with a contin- fiber is very random, not the ‘ribbons’ that others have. That gives uous fiber system. Fortunately, we’d already done some work with us a significant cost advantage, and also allows us to reduce [part] woven carbon [fiber] fabric, so we developed a new material to wallstock and flow longer with greater consistency.” meet Callaway’s structural and visual requirements. Now we’re Swikoski notes that the chopped fiber SMC does not produce showing it to automakers and they’re very interested, too.” a Class A surface. “It’s always used as an inner panel. It can be The product, which A. Schulman calls Forged Preg, was intro- grained, but already has a very ‘technical’ look to it, making it duced at CAMX 2016 and has expanded to three grades, each in ideal for a B surface like the inner panel of a hood, door or liftgate.” proprietary hybrid-VE resin systems: 8575 uses a 3K tow triaxial He also says that Magna can change back and forth between braid, 8585 uses a 12K tow biaxial fabric, and 8595 features 60K all-carbon and a mix of glass and carbon. “We’re looking for the unidirectional tow. lowest mass and the thinnest wall. We currently can get down Glass fiber technology is advancing as well. Chongqing to 1.2 to 1.0 mm, which is in steel’s territory. However, we offer a Polycomp International Corp. (CPIC, Chongqing, China), which flowable material that’s capable of parts consolidation — some- bills itself as the world’s third-largest glass supplier based on thing stamped metal can’t offer.” capacity, reports having several grades specifically sized for SMC. Compounder A. Schulman Inc. (Fairlawn, OH, US) has several Perhaps the most interesting and unique offering is a flat fiber new takes on carbon fiber SMC. Its subsidiary, Quantum Compos- said to offer more isotropic dispersion and significantly reduced ites Inc. (Bay City, MI, US), has developed and commercial- warpage in thin-walled parts. In all other properties, the flat strand ized chopped carbon fiber SMC since 1987 — initially in epoxy is said to be equivalent to conventional round E-glass fiber. The matrices and later, VE. Starting in 2006, Quantum worked closely company also offers conductive sizing systems and an HL grade with Callaway Golf Co. (Carlsbad, CA, US) and shortly thereafter, with a lower dielectric constant than conventional E-glass. Also, Automobili Lamborghini SpA (Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy), to CPIC recently commercialized its HT and TM grades, which develop a chopped-carbon fiber material in a modified-VE matrix have been designed to provide higher modulus. The TM grade is

CompositesWorld.com 53 FEATURE / Advances in SMC

 Continuous carbon fiber SMC Quantum Composites Inc. (Bay City, MI, US) has introduced, under the name Forged Preg, three new continuous carbon fiber-reinforced SMC materials that can be compression molded like conventional SMCs. All three grades feature a propri- etary hybrid vinyl ester matrix. Grade 8575 uses a 3K tow, triaxial braid (right/ bottom plaque in right photo — braided fabric alone shown in left photo) and provides tensile modulus values of 33,090 MPa at 50 wt%. Grade 8585 uses a 12K tow, biaxial fabric (middle plaque in right photo) and provides tensile modulus of 55,150 MPa at 55 wt%. The third grade, 8595, features 60K unidirectional tow (left/top most plaque in right photo) and provides tensile modulus values of 99,300 MPa at 55 wt%. Source | A. Schulman Inc. / Quantum Composites Inc.

reportedly the highest tensile modulus E-glass fiber available on The development of high-strength microspheres, by 3M Co. (St. the market, at 88-92 GPa for impregnated strands (1,700 m, 2400 Paul, MN, US) and others, is credited as an important break- tex roving, per ASTM D 2343). The HT grade is said to have even through that made lower density SMCs possible. higher tensile modulus (92-96 GPa), with values roughly halfway In 2015, SMC compounder and molder, CSP made a mid- between E- and S-glass, but at lower cost than S-glass. program running change on painted, Class A, bonded body panels on Chevrolet Corvette sports cars from GM (see Learn More). The New fillers: Reduced weight, improved functionality company’s 1.2 SG TCA Ultra Lite (in AOC’s UP resin) reportedly cut Another important area of work in the SMC field has been the up to 9.5 kg out of as many as 21 panel assemblies (depending on continuous quest to reduce SMC’s specific gravity (SG) and, vehicle model) vs. CSP’s own 1.6 SG mid-density TCA Lite grade, therefore, final part weight. Historically, SMCs achieved an SG no which it replaced. Not only was no change required to tooling, part less than 1.9, but over the last few years suppliers have mounted thickness or process settings, but the results also were achieved efforts to bring mid-density grades in the 1.6 to 1.4 SG range. Those without sacrificing mechanicals and at costs less than aluminum. materials have subsequently been put on diets, thanks to replace- According to Dr. Mike Siwajek, CSP VP R&D, the company has

ment of traditional CaCO3 fillers with lighter glass microspheres, attacked the lightweighting challenge on multiple fronts to reduce driving densities down into the 1.2 to 1.1 SG range. AOC, Ashland weight without negatively impacting mechanicals, surface appear- and A. Schulman all report having 1.2 SG or lighter commercial or ance or processing. He credits the success to three changes: developmental grades. Today, some compounders offer grades at 1)  The use of a tougher, higher performance 3M microsphere 1.0 or even sub-1.0 SG. (new to automotive) with better crush strength. The transition from inexpensive but heavy ground minerals 2)  A proprietary sizing that CSP developed for the microspheres. to lighter, but more costly and fragile microspheres has not been 3)  The use of ME1975, a high-strength, corrosion-resistant without its challenges. Earlier generations of microspheres had to multi-end glass roving from Owens Corning (Toledo, OH, be handled very carefully during compounding to avoid breakage. US), which is specifically formulated for UP matrices.

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 Flat fibers for more stable thin-wall SMC Glass fiber technology might be the established reinforcement tech- nology, but it is not without its advances. One example is Chongqing Polycomp International Corp.’s (CPIC, Chongqing, China) unique flat glass fiber (pictured in the micrographs here) is said to facilitate more isotropic dispersion within the matrix and significantly reduce part warpage in thin-wall SMC parts. Source | CPIC

Terrence O’Donovan, VP marketing and sales at compounder and molder Core Molding Technologies Inc. (Columbus, OH, US), says his company has successfully commercialized mate- rials at 1.2 SG, which he calls the “new standard in density.” He reports that Core has products for both Class A and struc- tural applications that maintain mechanicals very close to mid-density grades. “Interestingly, surface quality [in terms of waviness] on our Class A MIRILITE SMC is actually a bit better than that on our standard-density SMC, which is a testament to the development efforts of the whole supply chain,” he explains. O’Donovan also says that this past October, Core commercial- ized its lowest density HYDRILITE SMC at 0.98 SG. “We continue to work on pushing the envelope for lower density materials because our customers ask for them,” says O’Donovan. However, he does caution that as density goes lower, it’s harder to achieve automotive Class A surfaces, although the majority of Core’s customers are in commercial trucks. He also

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56 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld SMC Renaissance,NEWS Part 1

notes that it is typical to adjust process conditions like pressure and speed of press closing, but that no major changes to hard assets or tooling are needed when processing these very low- density grades. Given the number of new nanoparticles introduced each year and the plethora of work going on in thermoplastic nanocom- posites, has anyone evaluated nanominerals as an alternative to glass microspheres? Nearly all the primary resin suppliers and a few of the compounders and molders say they have assessed nanotechnology, but few reported much success. According to Steven Hardebeck, technology director North America – composites, at Reichhold LLC (Durham, NC, US), “We get approached monthly to try new particles and we do evaluate a lot of them — everything from graphene and nanosilica to nano- zinc and core-shell rubber. Typically, we’re looking to improve toughness without impacting Tg [glass transition temperature] or other properties. Some of them show promise, but others don’t seem to offer the same benefits they do in thermoplastics.” He acknowledges that the key with all nanoparticles is exfolia- tion and preventing re-agglomeration, and says that’s where they don’t seem to translate well to fiberglass or carbon fiber- reinforced materials. He also wonders if SMC’s different fracture mechanics vs. epoxies or thermoplastics may be a factor. “Nanoclays were originally of interest in SMC lightweighting efforts before it became apparent that glass microspheres were a more effective and economical approach,” adds Core’s

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CompositesWorld.com 57 FEATURE / Advances in SMC

O’Donovan. “Our company spent six months looking at carbon-based nanomaterials, FPC’s Park predicts, “When you get but in the end, we didn’t identify any benefit to mechanical performance and we aban- down to SG values of 1.1 and 1.0, you’re doned our efforts.” He does admit to some misgivings on the subject. “I sometimes really starting to fight against the density wonder if it was just that we didn’t figure out how to process them and some beautiful of the glass fiber itself and the need result was waiting for us if we’d stuck with it a bit longer.” to maintain stiffness and strength in your part — even with the switch from How low can you go? minerals to microspheres. From there With SMC density now at or below the 1.0 SG barrier, the question is, How low can it go? on, it’s going to take carbon instead of The consensus seems to be that from this point, a lower SG triggers several sacrifices or glass fiber to keep pushing density lower,” significant changes. he argues. “However, in Class A appli- cations, glass fibers are not likely to be replaced anytime soon.” Laura Gigas, Ashland’s senior product manager – transportation, has a different take: “If we [as an industry] could get higher modulus SMC, the OEMs wouldn’t even look at carbon fiber as the www.wickert-usa.com risk is lower if you stay with technology you’re already using rather than investing in new technologies.” She notes that SMC keeps getting tougher and stronger as COMPOSITE MANUFACTURING more people invest in more technolo- “Solutions for components gies. “Depending on material, we’ve boosted modulus 20-40% vs. traditional beyond standard” low-density SMC of just five years ago. These products are out for sampling with customers and we’re actively looking for new programs to commercialize them.” John Young, technology manager, AOC, Your (Materials/Parameters) + Component Engineering = Turnkey Modular System Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/OldDog Read more online about SMC’s role in Class A applications on the automotive BIW in “Composites in Class A body panels: Evolution continues” | short.compositesworld.com/ClassAEvol Get background on “paint pops” online in “SMC resin and primer advances prevent paint pops” | short.compositesworld.com/Yv0eFO1y Read more online about the SMC used in the Spark battery enclosure in “Onboard protection: Tough battery enclosure” | short.compositesworld.com/SparkBEV Read more online about USCAR’s combined contact: use of continuous and discontinuous Wickert USA reinforcements in SMC in “Automotive composites: Structural underbody” | 2195 Arbor Tech Drive Visit us at SAMPE Seattle short.compositesworld.com/SJJzMDKr Hebron, KY 41048 May 22 - 25, 2017 Read more online about the recent 859 525 6610 x157 Booth #B14 reductions in SMC specific gravity in [email protected] “Low-density SMC: Better living through chemistry” | short.compositesworld.com/CSP-LDSMC

58 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld SMC Renaissance,NEWS Part 1

adds, “We have 1.0 SG systems on the drawing board, but physics does become an issue and you may not be able to overcome stiff- ness losses in such panels with design alone. You can create such Contributing writer Peggy Malnati covers the automotive and products in the lab, but will anyone be willing to use them on a car? infrastructure beats for CW and provides communications That’s a different story. I think we’re going to see a pause at the 1.2 services for plastics- and composites-industry clients. level for the time being.” He also describes a trend toward the use of [email protected] low-density SMC for outer panels of bonded assemblies, but use of a higher density grade in thinner walls on inner panels. Young also argues that what already has been achieved might be sufficient: “If we can finally get to a 1.2-plus-1.2 sandwich while maintaining stiffness on the inner panel, then we’ll really be able to compete with aluminum on a weight, cycle time and tooling cost basis.” In a similar vein, CSP’s Siwajek explains that the push for ultralow-density panels can be counterproductive. “If someone goes to 1.0 SG but loses stiffness and strength, then they have to add thick- ness back in,” he says. “Sometimes you get more lightweighting by using a slightly higher density material, with better stiff- ness and strength in a thinner part.” “On the other hand, just a year or two ago, we saw 1.0 SG as an unreach- able target, yet today we’ve crossed that Phil Johnson line,” counters Core’s O’Donovan. “Given –Master the advances in our industry in the last Tool Grinder several years, it would be foolish,” he contends, “to bet that someone won’t beat 0.98 SG in the near future.”

Room for SMCs of all densities Given the pressure transportation OEMs feel to reduce vehicle mass in the face of government mandates to improve energy efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions, expect a lot more activity in this area. But those in the know say those heavier conventional grades are unlikely to suffer obsolescence. Most see them finding use PRECISION AMAMCO Tool developed this in applications where lightweighting is TOOLING compression router for high- less important than project budgets. “In performance F-35 fighter composites. industries like building and construction AT THE and agricultural equipment where mass It completes an entire wing with just reduction is less a focus, the older mate- SPEED OF two tools. rials work just fine,” observes Ashland’s SOUND That means more speed, less waste, Seats. “Plus, the older materials are a better fit for cost-sensitive applications in fewer tools—and major cost savings. any industry.” In a future issue, we’ll explore SMC innovations from the perspectives of the resin matrix and the compounding and 800.833.2239 www.amamcotool.com molding processes.

CompositesWorld.com 59 Composites for builders: Establishing structural foundations

Doors open to composites » Since the 2009 update to the International Code Council’s (ICC) Interna- tional Building Code (IBC), which explicitly permits the use of fiber-reinforced in residential and light polymer (FRP) in the construction of interior and exterior building struc- commercial construction, tures, architects have taken notice. The building and construction landscape has begun to change, if slowly, in some big ways (see Learn More). A similar above and below ground. phenomenon has taken hold in the residential construction realm. Compos- ites have been a fixture in a variety of residential construction amenities: bath By Michael LeGault / Contributing Writer Challenging concrete’s fixtures — shower surrounds, bathtubs, residential stronghold hot tubs for decades — and fencing, Since its introduction in 2014, decking and handrail products are just Composite Panel System’s 100% two of the ubiquitous applications. But composite foundation wall system, until recently, residential structure —the EPITOME has been installed under about 50 homes in Wisconsin and eight other concrete foundation, and the “two-by” US states, making it a likely first fully wood frame and gypsum board exterior commercial composite structural appli- and interior walls — were unassailable. cation in the North American residential That is no longer the case. construction market. Source | CPS

60 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Residential Structural CompositesNEWS

Different, yet not so different Comparable to or better than concrete Composite Panel System’s (CPS, Eagle River, WI, US) ground- The CPS wall system can accommodate a variety of standard basement configura- breaking composite foundation wall system, trademarked tions, putting it on par with concrete and pre-cast concrete wall systems. It EPITOME, for residential houses was first written about in this reportedly will not crack (avoiding a common issue with concrete) and comes magazine in July 2014, after it was unveiled at the American standard with a vapor barrier and an R16.5 insulation rating. Additionally, during installation, per industry standard, it is secured to a concrete footer and a Institute of Architects Expo in Chicago. There, it won the show’s standard wood top plate and seal is provided for attachment of the ground-level top innovation award. Much has happened since then. CPS has floor. Source | CPS worked steadily to refine and fully commercialize its patented wall system. The results can be measured today in real-world instal- lations — more than 50 and counting — making CPS perhaps manufacturer, Shiffmann leveraged his background in construc- the first fully private enterprise in North America to successfully tion to conceive a foundation wall design that not only incorpo- design and sell a 100% composite solution for a structural applica- rated the advantages of composites, but also fit within the conven- tion in the residential construction industry. tional, residential house design and building process, making A key to its success, thus far, is that EPITOME is engineered to it easy for contractors to understand and install. Compared to present features very familiar to construction personnel accus- a concrete wall, the composite wall will not crack and provides tomed to conventional foundation materials and methods of home buyers with an as-installed vapor barrier and an R16.5 insu- construction. Its 3 3/8-inch thick by 24-ft long by 9-ft tall wall lation value, vs. an R1.5 rating for a concrete wall. comprises a foam-cored fiberglass composite panel, including an Mike Wallenhorst, director of product management for Ashland interior system of reinforcing glass webbing and integral (and US Performance Materials (Columbus, OH, US), the supplier of the construction-industry standard) 3 5/8-inch wide studs, spaced grade of Modar, the modified acrylic resin used to infuse the wall’s 16 inches on center along the wall’s length (see photos, p. 62). glass laminate, says Shiffmann’s builder experience and its influ- Including the studs, the total wall system thickness is 7 inches. ence on the design of the EPITOME foundation system is one of Glenn Schiffmann, CPS president and EPITOME’s inventor, the keys to the product’s early success and long-term promise. was aware of the inherent benefits of composites through his “Over the years, structural composite housing systems in one form father’s work as an airplane designer. As a house component or another have been made and marketed probably a dozen or

CompositesWorld.com 61 FEATURE / Composites in Construction

more times, and they have all mostly failed because they’ve been Ready-to-finish capability, built in designed by a composites expert, not a building expert,” Wallen- Inventor Glenn Shiffmann says the integrated 3 5/8-inch long by 1 5/8-inch thick horst recalls. Although previous composite systems might have studs spaced 16 inches on center, provide the structural stiffness necessary to provided hosts of benefits, he notes, they fell short in mitigating meet allowable deflection limits under the heaviest soil backfill loads permitted by code and mimic the standard wood framing system that, in concrete base- contractor concerns related to installation, personnel training and ments, typically provides the means for installation of mechanicals, additional selling the systems. insulation and drywall or other wall coverings used to enclose finished living Schiffmann reports that designing a structural insulated panel spaces. Source | CPS (SIP) system from composites that would meet building code requirements and be practical to manufacture entailed a lengthy trial-and-error process. The foundation wall’s key structural interior and exterior barrier are 4-inch thick by 6-inch long blocks performance parameter is its ability to meet deflection criteria of closed-cell polyurethane foam. Each section of foam is sepa- when backfilled with 9 ft/2.74m of the heaviest soil allowed per the rated by a 1/8-inch gap to accommodate glass webbing that building code. connects the inner and outer walls. The 3 5/8-inch wide studs inte- The problem boiled down to designing a cored laminate that grated into the interior wall face on 16-inch centers are foam-cored could carry those allowable transverse and axial loads and achieve and nominally 1 5/8 inches thick, like the conventional wood studs fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) ratings, yet ensure that during they mimic (see photos, above). infusion, total wet-out of the entire glass schedule was feasible. Dan Wojtusik, director of product development at CPS, says the The final SIP design consists of a 3/16-inch thick outer wall barrier studs serve a two-fold purpose. First, in concert with the internal or skin and a 3/16-1/4 inch thick inner barrier made of woven glass webbing or “mini I-beams” that connect the interior and roving supplied by ValuTex Reinforcements Inc. (Washington exterior walls, they are the critical structural features that impart Court House, OH), a sister company to the manufacturer of the the extreme stiffness and rigidity necessary to withstand the wall, Fiber-Tech Industries Inc., located in the same city. loading of soil on the exterior foundation wall (see Table 1, left). To Owens Corning (Toledo, OH) supplies the glass, an Advantex calculate the allowable deflection for a panel, for example, under single-end, SE 1200 Type 30 roving. Sandwiched between the the International Building Code’s L/240 deflection standard, one divides the wall length (L = 9 ft X 12 inches = 108 inches) by 240, thus 108 inches/240 = 0.45 inch allowable deflection under 249 lb/ 7-inch overall thickness – Deflection Standard 2 Panel Length (ft) ft of load or force. L/180 L/240 L/380 Wojtusik reports that the 9-ft EPITOME panels’ actual deflec- 9 326 lb/ft2 249 lb/ft2 168 lb/ft2 tion is about 0.187 inch, under full backfill height, or less than half the allowable deflection limit. Wojtusik notes that side-by-side *Testing conducted by NTA Inc. (Nappanee, IN, US) tests of 4-ft wide by 9-ft tall specimens show EPITOME can with- stand more than two times the lateral force before failure that can TABLE 1: Calculating allowable foundation be withstood by an 8-inch thick, 9-ft tall concrete wall reinforced wall deflection prescriptively with #5 rebar at 40 inches on center, vertically, and 3 EPITOME studs impart the rigidity necessary to withstand soil loading on the exterior foundation wall. Allowable deflection under the International Building Code’s L/240 ft, 5 ft and 8 ft horizontally. deflection standard is calculated by dividing the wall length in inches by 240. The Second, the studs provide a built-in means to accommodate quotient is the allowable deflection under 249 lb/ft2 of soil load. the piping and electrical conduit, extra insulation and dry wall

62 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Residential Structural CompositesNEWS

Exterior walls, above ground Composite Panel Building System’s C-SIP wall system is in the final stages of certifica- tion and, at CW press time, was to be intro- duced commercially to several markets in Texas. The walls consist of a 4-1/8-inch thick polyurethane core sandwiched between 3/16-inch biaxial glass-mat skins infused with an iso-polyester thermoset resin. The walls are designed to replace conventional wood-stud framed wall systems comprising up to 6 different materials and provides a continuous vapor and insulation barrier with a rating of R-25. Source | CPBS

or other wall finishing material necessary to provide a finished driven, in part, by a construction labor shortage in the US brought living space. “The stud is the key to our panel system and what on by the 2008 housing crash, which forced many companies out of makes it work for a builder,” Wojtusik says. “Having the stud inte- business. Currently, house component manufacturers build floor, grated into the wall 16 inches on center, the foam insulation, vapor roof and even concrete foundation walls off site, which are then barrier and top plate and seal, all in one, streamlines the installa- transported to the build site for installation. tion process.” By contrast, he notes, a builder installing a concrete One of the most frequent questions contractors ask about foundation typically has many additional steps to execute to get EPITOME is how is the wall attached to the foundation footer? to the installation starting point inherent in the Wojtusik says the answer is in the fact that EPITOME wall system. although the wall is different, the footer Such construction site utility demanded is identical to the one used for concrete that the EPITOME SIP wall be both a large CPS’s foundation is part of foundations. First, the wall is placed and a complex part. Infusing it, then, on the footer and pinned into place a trend toward panelized presented some unique problems that along its bottom flange with Simpson were solved by the SIP’s manufacturer, construction that has been L-brackets. The wall is then mechanically Fiber-Tech Industries. Wojtusik calls growing for many years. attached to the concrete via nails impelled the method now used to manufacture into the concrete by a RAM nail gun. The it a “hybrid process” that employs wall is permanently locked into place when compression and vacuum-assist. the basement’s concrete floor is poured in a Because of the part’s thickness, and the intricacy of the laminate slurry that covers 3-4 inches of the wall’s base. The house flooring schedule, Ashland supplies a low-viscosity grade of Modar to system is attached to a traditional wood top plate, which along wet-out all the glass in the skin and webbing. Additionally, the with the seal, is integrated into the top of the wall. Adjoining walls 1200 SE sizing on the Owens Corning glass roving is formulated to are connected via pultruded fiberglass connection profiles and facilitate fast, uniform wet out. Fiber-Tech uses in-house equip- mechanical fasteners. ment to blend a fire-retardant additives package into the resin. Each 24-ft SIP section can support 600,000 lb (272,155 kg) of Terry Keegan, Fiber-Tech’s president/COO, reports the company downward load, which translates to a maximum allowable house has been in business for 25 years and specializes in making large load of 8,900 lb per lineal ft (13,120 kg per lineal meter), with a parts, primarily for the truck transportation market. He says his safety factor of three applied. The composite panels also meet the company manufactures the composite SIP to CPS specifications, NFPA 286 room corner burn test and consequently do not need to noting that despite the part complexity, the process is relatively be covered with a thermal barrier, such as drywall, prior to occu- straightforward. “All the materials are pre-cut and pre-assembled pancy, providing the homeowner the flexibility of finishing the before we start the lay-up process,” Keegan notes. basement later. Because the SIP is manufactured in a standard length, CPS Builder-friendly system is key employs a customized panel saw and a continuous “kitting” Although CPS’s composite foundation wall system is a radical process to build SIPs to various wall-section lengths. The saw, a PS departure from the conventional concrete wall, in the bigger 1024V Vertical Panel Saw supplied by Midwest Automation (Minne- picture, the product is part of a trend toward panelized construc- apolis, MN, US), is designed to cut the EPITOME 7-inch thick wall tion that has been growing for many years. The trend has been panels in vertical and horizontal directions to accommodate

CompositesWorld.com 63 FEATURE / Composites in Construction

specific wall lengths and heights. The saw also plunge-cuts for company has been active at local, state and national trade shows, window and door openings. If, for example, a foundation wall such as those organized by the Wisconsin Builder’s Assn. (Madison, must be 30 ft in length, says Wojtusik, then two 24-ft panels are WI, US). CPS also has engaged local media; in one case a TV news connected by pultruded profiles, and the now 48-ft section is cut crew filmed a wall installation. “It’s really been a grassroots effort to 30 ft. The remaining 18-ft section is then connected to another to get the word out,” he says, noting the company does not have 24-ft section and can be cut to achieve the next required length. a war chest of money budgeted to run an expensive advertising This process is repeated until the wall sections for a given base- campaign. ment’s design are produced. The company selected a pilot market close to its home base in Schiffmann says that from the home-buyer’s perspective, a northern Wisconsin for the initial installations, which enables it to chief selling point of EPITOME is that the composite wall system monitor the work, and advise and support contractors as needed. provides a well-insulated space and the 16-on-center framing The information and feedback they’ve received during the process necessary to finish the basement as a comfortable living space. has, in turn, been used to make improvements in the wall system. The builders who say “deeper is cheaper,” meaning above-ground The first installations also demonstrated the capabilities of the finished square-footage is more expensive, are especially correct product — information vital to attracting investors and partners. here. “The EPITOME wall eliminates the dampness, mold and A key strategy is to create a distribution chain throughout the chill associated with a concrete-walled basement and turns it into US Midwest’s “basement belt.” Here, CPS is seeking partners that totally livable space from day one of the move in,” says Schiffmann. manufacture house components, such as roof and floor trusses. He notes, also, that the 7-inch wall provides up to 100 ft2 of addi- Component manufacturers, Schiffmann reports, are well suited to tional space compared to a 12-inch thick concrete wall. distribute and sell the product because they already have relation- ships with the target customers, such as general contractors and Stiff competition lumber yards, and they also have the materials handling capabili- Although it’s still in the early stages of commercialization, the ties, such as cranes, necessary to deliver SIPs to build sites. Schiff- clear-cut performance and practical advantages of the EPITOME mann notes, “Our wall system does not add too much overhead to wall system are significant in an intensely competitive industry their operation, but it does add another dimension to their product that, by nature, is inherently conservative. CPS has implemented portfolio.” CPS also is open to dealer partners outside the compo- a step-wise strategy for launching, marketing and growing aware- nent manufacturing industry who show potential for being a good ness of, and customers for, the product. “As with any new product, fit for distribution. you have to start by creating awareness,” says Schiffmann. The CPS also is benefiting from its relationships with its materials supplier. Greg Shymske, Owens Corning program director, strategic growth – North America, says the company’s partnership with CPS goes beyond supplying glass. “This is an application we strongly SIDE STORY believe in,” Shymske says. “We felt that with our integration within The RESNET Home the building industry, there was a great opportunity to create syner- Efficiency Rating System gies and get the word out to the building community, ‘Hey this is a great product and something you really need to look at.’” The Residential Energy Services Network’s (RESNET) Home Efficiency Currently, the installed cost of the EPITOME wall system is Rating System (HERS) Index Score was created to provide homeowners generally about 20% more than a conventional poured concrete and buyers a standard by which they could measure the energy efficiency wall with stud framing, top plate and seal, insulation and vapor of homes. Like the auto industry’s fuel efficiency MPG sticker, HERS scores barrier. This cost differential reportedly shrinks, however, if the are used by homebuilders to market their properties. To calculate a home’s concrete wall is similarly insulated as the EPITOME wall, i.e., with HERS score, a certified RESNET Home Energy Rater does a home energy continuous foam insulation. However, the EPITOME wall is gener- rating and compares the data against a “reference house” — a designated ally in line with the cost of other foundation systems — for example, model home of the same size, shape and type. As such, HERS is a relative insulated concrete forms and pre-cast concrete distributed by a index rating on a scale from 0 to 150, and the lower the number, the better variety of companies. Further, costs can realistically be expected to the energy efficiency. A typical new home built in 2006 has a HERS rating of about 80. By decline in the future as EPITOME volumes grow and the manufac- comparison, houses built 40 years ago are typically rated at about 130, turing process becomes more efficient. Fiber Tech’s Keegan reports which means they are about 50% less energy efficient. The IECC 2015 that there has already been at least a 50% improvement in manufac- Energy Code requires all new homes finished on or after June 1, 2016 to turing efficiency in the time since the first walls were produced for have a HERS rating of 52 or less, and the expectation within the building commercial installation. industry is that the regulatory bodies will inevitably move towards adopting a HERS rating of 0 for newly built houses. Composite wall system aims to push envelope “You can build homes that will meet these new energy efficiency levels above ground using conventional materials, but it takes a lot more materials and labor,” In the final stages of certification, a new structural composite says Composite Panel Building Systems’ principal Vince Nastri. wall and structural composite sheathing system is targeting not only mainstream residential housing but also light commercial

64 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Residential Structural CompositesNEWS

applications. Composite Panel Building Efficiency Rating System (HERS) Index Score (see the Side Story titled, “The RESNET Systems’ (CPBS, Robstown, TX, US) Home Efficiency Rating System,” on p. 64). Composite Structural Insulated Panel CPBS principal Vince Nastri says the C-SIP system meets and exceeds these standards (C-SIP) wall panel system is targeted by integrating glass-reinforced structural skins with continuous polyurethane foam, to go head-to-head with conventional providing an insulation rating of R-26 that significantly reduces air and water penetra- above-foundation structural materials, tion. He notes that houses built with traditional materials can meet these standards, including wood studs, plywood, and but do so only at the cost of significantly more materials and labor, with a much shorter oriented-strand board (OSB) and house- guaranteed lifetime. “Any wood product absorbs moisture, which makes it susceptible wrap in the North American market. to mold and rot.” The C-SIP wall panel development CPBS’s C-SIP is intended to be an alternative to plywood or OSB and housewrap on process has been ongoing for about five conventionally framed wood or metal structures, and meets the continuous insulation years, and CPBS has already built a fully operational production facility, equipped with two production lines. Each line is capable of producing 10 cured wall panels per hour. The company used its production tooling to manufacture the panels and sheathing tested to a host of material and wall assembly stan- dards, including a third-party quality assurance Label and Listing program, Used between a mold and a carbon-fiber composite following International Codes Council (ICC) guidelines — the final phase of the product’s development cycle — overseen by the Southwest Research Institute (San Antonio, TX US) Q.C. Program. The company’s C-SIP system consists of a 4 1/8-inch thick closed-cell, rigid Used as an alternative to sanding polyurethane foam core sandwiched and painting Used as peel-ply on molds between two 3/16-inch skins made from biaxial fiberglass mat infused with an iso-polyester thermoset resin, a layup DeWAL PTFE Tapes & Films — the company refers to as fiber-reinforced thermoset (FRT) to distinguish it from for tighter vacuum seals thermoplastics. Total panel dimensions and cleaner mold separation. are 4 1/2 inches thick by 47 7/8 inches DeWAL’s pressure-sensitive PTFE tapes and films are known for wide by one of three standard lengths — tightly sealing carbon-fiber composites and cleanly releasing 8 ft, 1 inch, 9 ft, 1 inch or 10 ft, 1 inch. parts from molds. The C-SIP system is designed to Use them to separate epoxy resins from laminates or to seal DW 134 replace conventional 2x4 or 2x6 wall vacuum bags up to 500°F. framing systems that comprise as many DeWAL PTFE tapes and films offer minimal elongation and as six materials: Conventional wood or temperature-resistant silicone-based adhesion. UL-recognized metal stud framing, foam or fiberglass 204-HD films are both skived and tensilized for higher tensile insulation, exterior sheathing, vapor strength, lower elongation and higher dielectric strength. 204-HD DW 204-HD retarder, moisture barrier and house films range from 0.5 to 21.5 inches wide and are as long as 108 wrap. Development of the wall system, feet, with tensile strength up to 13,000 psi at 500°F. They are as well as the sheathing, has been driven in stock in 2, 3 and 5 mil thicknesses, as are other 36” width DeWAL tapes and films for composites. in great measure by a number of new, more stringent house-rating, energy- Whether you are doing open DW 202 & DW 2000 or closed molding, whether efficiency standards, such as those of the your process is lay-up, 15 Ray Trainor Drive International Energy Conservation Code compression molding, Narragansett, RI 02882 [email protected] (IECC) 2015 Energy Code (required by resin transfer or continuous 800-366-8356 the US government to be adopted by all lamination, DeWAL will share International: 001-401-789-9736 US states by June 2016), and the Resi- a solution with you. dewal.com dential Energy Services Network’s Home

CompositesWorld.com 65 FEATURE / Composites in Construction

requirement in the 2015 IECC. The sheathing system comprises an exterior, 3/16-inch joint is then sealed with 3M’s 4-inch FRT skin identical to the skins for C-SIP system, chemically bonded to polyurethane wide 8067 All Weather Flashing tape. foam insulation. The 47 15/16 inches wide sheathings are manufactured in a thickness of Nastri reports that the sheathing is 1-1/8 inches, providing R-6 insulation, and 2 1/8 inches, providing R-12 insulation. designed to be used on new houses and In combination with a traditionally framed 2x4 stud wall with R-15 insulation, the as part of exterior energy retrofits on 1 1/8 inches sheathing system delivers a total insulation value of R-21, a level that can be existing properties, a potentially large reached with conventional sheathing materials only by the additional space permitted market. “The US Department of Energy for insulation through the use of more expensive 2x6 stud framing. estimates fewer than 20% of the homes The sheathing is attached to the frame using standard dry wall screws and 2 3/4-inch built before 1980 are properly insulated self-tapping screws. The 1/8-inch gap between C-SIP FRT skins is filled with 3M’s (St. and have major air infiltration,” he says. Paul, MN, US) 4000UV Adhesive Sealant, which bonds the skins together, and the entire CPBS manufactures wall panels and sheathing, using composite molds conveyed along a computer-controlled, seven-stage production line. These are, in production sequence order: resin mixing and slurry application, glass-mat application, foaming core station, curing oven, cooling chamber, demolding and mold cleaning. The manufac- turing technique is technically an open molding process. On large, mobile flat tool surfaces, 4-inch-high aluminum frames are used to set panel bound- aries in terms of height and length. The aluminum frames can be adjusted to change panel length. Two molds are used to lay up the FRT skins for each panel. The skin layups are then joined together with a foam core sandwiched between them. One unique aspect of the process is that, unlike many wood or foamed-core SIP production systems, no adhesive is used to bond skins to core, which reportedly can delaminate due to moisture infiltration. Instead, when the mold arrives at the foaming station, the composite skin is still in a gel state. A two-part polyurethane foam is injected into the mold, generating an exotherm that causes the foam to chemically bond to the skin. One of the key design features of the C-SIP wall is a 0.25-inch wide by 1.5-inch deep FRT channel or groove located between the FRT skin and foam core. The groove runs the entire perim- eter of the wall panel, along both front and back sides. The FRT groove in the panels’ bottom and top sides mates with a 4-inch wide composite channel anchored with bolts to the foundation and attaches to the roof trusses with screw fasteners and clips. The materials for the channel and H-stud are manu- factured by Bedford Reinforced Plastic

66 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Residential Structural CompositesNEWS

Inc. (Bedford, PA, US). The C-SIP panels believe builders and home- are attached to all the channels with buyers are savvy enough to self-tapping fasteners supplied by ITW recognize that the composite Michael R. LeGault is a freelance writer Buildex (Itasca, IL, US). The 0.25-inch foundation wall system offers located in Houston, TX, US, and the former editor of Canadian Plastics magazine wide channel face groove is filled with benefits, both during and after (Toronto, ON, Canada). 3M’s 4000 UV sealant. The filled joint is, in installation that are simply not [email protected] turn, covered with 3M’s 4-inch wide 8067 possible with concrete. All Weather Flashing Tape, sealing over In both cases, success in the end will depend on application of the lessons learned as screw heads and bonding to the adhesive each works closely with contractors and suppliers who use their products and work to sealant creating an air- and water-tight narrow the cost gap between composites and legacy materials. joint over the H-stud connection. CPBS’ Nastri says the company plans to commercially introduce the wall panel and sheathing systems this spring to three local markets in Texas — San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. He reports the company plans to eventually qualify We create its wall systems in more than a dozen chemistry North American regions, all of which have their own unique standards criteria, to build such as those for freeze/thaw cycles and wind loadings. lightweight space saving interiors. Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/Compin Read more about how composites are finding use in construction since the changes in the IBC in “Architectural composites: Rising to new challenges” | short.compositesworld.com/ArchComp

What’s next? Market-aware design and careful manu- facturing engineering have marked the launches and progress, thus far, of two composite structural systems that offer builders the opportunity to re-imagine residential homebuilding. EPITOME has attracted a lot of attention and made a creditable start. Both it and the Composite Structural Insulated Panel are finding an audience through carefully orchestrated, step-wise marketing plans. But will the US construction industry take to materials so radically different from familiar plywood, Achieve a higher level of efficiency with innovative materials from BASF. Labor fir studs, gypsum board and concrete? and cost savings, increased passenger Ultimately, it will take some time for comfort, and design flexibility are just a few of the ways we deliver solutions to the EPTIOME system to realize its poten- the entire value chain. tial and reveal the extent to which it will At BASF, we create chemistry. displace conventional materials and alter aerospace.basf.com modes of operation within the construc- tion industry. But Schiffmann says the product’s early success leads him to

CompositesWorld.com 67 BASF 8278 Aerospace (Half Page Island) Ad for Composites World_R1.indd 1 1/31/2017 1:06:53 PM INSIDE MANUFACTURING

Automating NDT for CFRP aerostructures

Robotic laser shearography enables 100% inspection of complex, flight-critical composite structures.

By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor

» Laser shearography as a nondestructive testing (NDT) method Shearographic inspection: Fast and revealing has been used in a production environment for composite struc- Modern automated laser shearography systems use rail-mounted 6-axis robotic tures for two decades and on a variety of aircraft, including the arms for rapid scanning of large structures and advanced software which improves F-22 stealth fighter jet, the F-35 Lightning II, the Cessna Citation X, image quality and defect characterization. Source | Dantec Dynamics the Raytheon Premier I, a variety of Airbus aircraft and the NASA Space Shuttles. As a noncontact NDT method, laser shearography is well-suited to automation. In fact, an automated shearographic defects inside of a composite “react so that you can ‘see’ them system was installed almost two decades ago at Airbus Helicopter on the surface,” says Andreas Welz, general manager for Dantec (then Eurocopter) in La Courneuve, France. Supplied by Dantec Dynamics. The “laser” part of the technique is not a means of such Dynamics (Ulm, Germany) in 1998, it was used to inspect heli- excitation, but instead is used to illuminate the part surface to copter rotor blades made from composites and was reportedly the enable visual capture of the surface deformation landscape and first such system used for production control in Europe. subsequent translation of that visual image into digital data. This technology has since been modernized, using modular The system installed at Airbus Helicopter La Corneuve and, sensors on computer-controlled robotic arms and advanced more recently, components Dantec supplied for an automated software, enabling improved detection, image analysis and defect laser shearography system at Textron Cessna (Wichita, KS, US), characterization. These advances offer rapid, 100% inspection of both use vacuum as the means of excitation. The latter uses a complex composite structures — including helicopter rotor blades, legacy 1.8m by 1.8m by 6m vacuum chamber, supplied by Laser aircraft sub-assemblies and space system components — and Technology Inc. (LTI, Norristown, PA, US). enable identification of a wide range of defects: disbonds, delami- The basic concept behind shearography as a means of testing is nation, cracks, wrinkles, crushed core, fluid ingress, repair defects, to compare an image of the unexcited/unloaded part with one of it voids, foreign objects and barely visible impact damage. excited/under load, and analyze the difference in surface deforma- tion (Fig. 1, p. 69). Welz explains, “If you apply vacuum pressure to How shearography works a part, an air bubble inside the laminate, for example, will expand Originally developed in the late 1970s and first used in the 1980s differently vs. the surrounding material.” As the laser illuminates for inspection of B2 Stealth Bomber composite structures during the inspected surface, a camera records the light reflected from it. its production, laser shearography employs some type of excita- “The reflection pattern of the laser light is like a fingerprint of that tion — e.g., heat, sound, vibration, vacuum pressure — to make surface,” says Welz. Within the camera, a beam splitter and two

68 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld AutomatingNEWS NDT

mirrors create two separate images of the illuminated test area. FIG. 1 Multiple means expose many defect types The position of one image with respect to the other is “sheared” by Laser shearography uses heat, pressure or other loading to expose anomalies a prescribed direction and amount (parameters that determine the in a composite part. By comparing surface deformations captured by laser light instrument’s defect sensitivity). The interference pattern between reflections from the loaded vs. unloaded surface, a wide range of defects can be identified and measured. Source | Dantec Dynamics these two images is called a “speckle” and is projected onto the camera’s charge coupled device (CCD), which transforms photons into digital data. The resulting interferometric images and data are used, first, to record the part in an unloaded state, including construction of the Visby Corvette, a Swedish military ship. “They surface roughness and shape. It then records the part after it is have inspected the entire ship using shearography,” he points out, loaded, excited or stressed. “though at the time, it was not automated. They liked it because These two images (interferometric fingerprints) are subtracted shearography showed the defects well in the CFRP sandwich, from each other to produce a shearogram, in which surface defor- which is difficult to do with ultrasonic testing [UT].” Van den Bos mation is depicted based on the speckle information. Ordinary explains that UT struggles with defect detection in bondlines surface roughness is neglected ad hoc in the subtraction process. because the soundwave reflection from the core when the bond is Nonhomogeneous areas in the part will present as nonuniform not good is too similar to that of a good bond. deformation on the surface — a sort of defect topography. “Your “Shearography is one of the few NDT methods that is active, defects will be seen as ‘hills’ popping out of the plane,” says Welz. meaning you are stressing the part,” he observes. “So you are He adds, however, that only gradients are measured — that is, the stressing this bondline, and can see a difference between good slopes (i.e., first derivative), not the absolute height of the hills, as bonds and bad, including defects like kissing bonds.” is done in holography. “But this enables quantifying the in-plane Van den Bos first started using shearography at a company size of the defects.” called CSM Materialteknik (Linköping, Sweden). “A manufacturer of underground trains for the Stockholm metro came to us with an Shearography as a solution inspection request,” he recalls. The manufacturer wanted to create Barend van den Bos is an NDT engineer and project manager with an entirely adhesively bonded structure, using sheet steel skins DEKRA Industrial (Linköping, Sweden) who has extensive experi- and foam core, and the structure required 100% NDT inspection. ence with shearography and composites. He notes that shearog- “We tried different technologies but shearography was the only raphy has been used on the carbon fiber/foam cored sandwich one that showed all of the defects they wanted to see,” says van den

CompositesWorld.com 69 INSIDE MANUFACTURING

FIG. 2 Compact, modular sensor technology Bos. So CSM developed the technology and then performed the The latest shearography sensor heads comprise a CCD camera surrounded by inspection work. 8 laser diodes, and are streamlined — they no longer require the external heat This is also when van den Bos started working with Dantec. frame shown on the head in Step 3 (p. 71), but are now able to integrate multiple “The technology was not automated then,” he notes, “but we had modular excitation tools via plug-and-play software. Source | Dantec Dynamics many square meters to inspect, so we put the equipment on a mobile platform to further increase the inspection speed.” Van den Bos also saw shearography used for production inspection of aluminum honeycomb sandwich rudders for the Saab Gripen fighter jet. “A modification had been made to a section of the rudder which made inspection difficult, and UT was not effec- tive,” he explains, adding that shearography is one of the few NDT methods well-suited for automation. It is a noncontact tech- nique that does not require a water or gel couplant like most UT methods, nor the associated cost and time of couplant applica- tion, cleaning and drying of inspected surfaces. “Shearography is also used because it gives results very quickly,” says van den Bos, “often within seconds.” According to LTI president John Newman, shearography’s inspection speed is between 3 and 100 times faster than UT. “We’ve demonstrated 100% inspection of an 11m rotor blade within 10 minutes at the Airbus Helicopter facility,” adds Welz, but he points out that the elapsed time can vary, based on the part composition and defect resolution. “The size of the

The time required for an operator to become pro- ficient in shearography is much less than that for UT.

defects that automated shearography systems can find depends upon the threshold set by the operator,” Welz explains. “A common threshold is 25 mm. You can go lower, but less than 8 mm requires a smaller area of detection, so it would take longer.” Newman asserts further that the time required for an operator to become proficient in shearography — i.e., able to precisely determine defect size, area and location immediately on the test part — is much less than that required for UT. Van den Bos agrees in general, but cautions that formal requirements for NDT training are nevertheless generally very strict, and although certification as a level 2 inspector in shearography requires 20 fewer hours than that for UT, both certificates require 800 hours of experience.

Updated inspection According to Welz, developments in shearography over the past 20 years have significantly improved defect detection, large-area scanning speed and interactive control and analysis of measurements for more detailed defect characterization. It also has become an increasingly resilient process. As described above, shearography’s defect visualization relies on interferom- etry. “There are many interferometry technologies, such as

70 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld AutomatingNEWS NDT

1 In preparation for the shearography process, the helicopter blade or other 4 This process of capturing visual data for both unloaded and vacuum- composite structure to be inspected is loaded into the vacuum chamber. loaded images from part surface areas at program-determined locations is repeated down the entire length of the structure. Source (all step images) | Dantec Dynamics

2 The operator calls up the specific part inspection program, which then sets the inspection process parameters.

3 When the robot has confirmed the part’s identification and all measure- 5 As the areas are inspected, automated detection software processes the ment locations, the operator initiates automated inspection at an initial unloaded/loaded image data and locates and identifies defects. surface area location, determined by the software program for the part. An unloaded image is taken first. Next, partial vacuum pressure is applied in the chamber and a loaded image is taken.

CompositesWorld.com 71 INSIDE MANUFACTURING

holography, which can be sensitive to vibrations,” notes van den Bos. “However, the The robot’s end-effector is a shearog- ‘double image’ method used in laser shearography, together with state-of-the-art fast raphy sensor head comprising a CCD processors, takes care of this so that modern systems can be used in a wide range of camera surrounded by eight Class 3R laser industrial settings, including in-field use.” diodes (Fig. 2, p. 70). Commonly used in The latest automated laser shearography systems use a 6-axis robotic arm mounted a variety of industries, diode lasers offer on a rail for rapid scanning of large structures. Because vacuum is one of the most improvements in power and accuracy and common excitation methods, the robot arm and rail often reside inside an appropri- emit light over a larger area vs. previous ately sized vacuum chamber, for example, 11m long, 5.5m wide and 2m high for heli- solid-state lasers. They also are less copter rotor blades. The Windows-based computer-control terminal sits outside. expensive and, because they are safer to use, eliminate previously required safety measures that include operator goggles and system interlocks. The automated robotic arm that Dantec • Over 40 types of Dynamics supplied to Cessna (opening yoming fixtures in stock, W image and Step 3, p. 71) uses a shearog- ready to be shipped. est • Expert consultation raphy sensor within a large heat excita- T with Dr. Adams tion frame, which can apply up to 3 kW of • Email or call today heat in addition to the vacuum chamber Fixtures to discuss your fixture pressure. Thus, two excitation methods INC. and custom design needs. can be used. More recently, Dantec’s robotic systems integrate an even larger FLEXURE FIXTURES FOR EVERY SPECIMEN SIZE variety of excitation tools that are external to the shearography head — modular Long Beam Flexure tools that “plug and play” through system Fixture software. w/Alignment Rods Inspection using a vacuum chamber and Bearings ASTM C 393, D 7249 begins by positioning the structure on a carrier, where it is affixed with automatic clamps. The operator pushes a button to move the carrier into the vacuum chamber (Step 1, p. 71) and then closes Three and Four the chamber door. When the operator Point Flexure has called up the program for the specific ASTM D 790, part (Step 2), the system loads all inspec- Miniature D 6272, D 7264 tion parameters and releases the robot to Flexure identify the specimen, either by reading Fixture a bar code or confirming an operator- entered part number. The robot then moves to the first location to be inspected, shines the lasers Three and Four Point and takes an image of the unloaded part Short Beam Fixture ASTM D 790, D 6272, (Step 3). It then applies a partial vacuum D 7264, D 2344 Reversed Cycle Flexural Fatigue of less than 50 mbar. “If you have a thicker part or if you’re looking for a deeper We provide quotes for a variety of grips, fixtures, and jigs. We carry over 40 types of fixtures in stock, available for immediate delivery. defect, you will need more pressure Email or call us today. We look forward to hearing from you. difference or heat to provide sufficient excitation,” explains Welz. “If the operator Dr. Donald F. Adams 2960 E. Millcreek Canyon Road doesn’t need to know as much, then he or President Salt Lake City, UT 84109 she can set the parameters accordingly.” 50 years of Phone (801) 484.5055 He also notes that material construction Composite Testing Experience Fax (801) 484.6008 plays a factor, “For example, glass and email: [email protected] carbon fiber monolithic structures often www.wyomingtestfixtures.com require heat excitation, while sandwich

72 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld AutomatingNEWS NDT

construction responds well to pressure overlaps, splices, stringers loading.” and ribs, etc. After vacuum excitation is applied, the As composites manufac- CW senior editor Ginger Gardiner has an engineering/materials background and has robot again shines laser light on the surface, turing matures and produc- more than 20 years in the composites industry. measures the reflection and saves the data. tion rates continue to [email protected] The operator then can interact with the increase, NDT systems that excitation tools and sensor head to fine- can be integrated inline and tune the stress applied, images received achieve 100% inspection will be key. Automated laser shearography offers a poten- and resulting defect characterization. The tially efficient and customizable means to attain that capability. robot then moves on to the next position and repeats the procedure until unloaded and loaded images have been captured and compared for all surface locations in the selected part program (Step 4). We create chemistry

Read this article online | that makes countless short.compositesworld.com/AutoNDT products love added

During this process, if a defect is performance detected, a laser pointer on the robot will show where the defect is on the actual part. The operator then can enter the vacuum chamber and mark that area. This function also can be automated. For example, Carl Zeiss Optotechnik (Neubeuern, Germany) can reportedly integrate a laser tracker so that positional data is incorporated into the laser shearography scan, documenting defect locations.

Digital development Continued advancement in digital tech- nology is making laser shearography systems even easier to use on complex composite structures in a production envi- ronment. For example, Dantec Dynamics’ most recent Istra4D software provides improved image filtering and image quality for unambiguous results that are easily reproducible, and new post-treatment features allow for more detailed defect information. It also is possible to design BASF high performance polyurethanes and engineering plastics bring extraordinary innovation to everyday life. standard reports, into which recorded These breakthrough materials make vehicles lighter and system parameters and results from more fuel efficient, buildings and infrastructure more durable inspection sessions are loaded automati- and energy efficient, manufacturing process and products more efficient, and a myriad of consumer dramatically cally. Thus, new inspections can be auto- better. Big ideas. Small environmental footprint. matically compared with previous inspec- Because at BASF, we create chemistry. tions and results included in the templated www.performance-materials.basf.us report. The system also can be trained to intuitively evaluate the structural integrity of composites with ply drops, bulkheads,

CompositesWorld.com 73 Higher performance in composite DATE AND TIME: May 10, 2017 manufacturing with laser projection 12:00 PM EST

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Collaborative Composite Aerostructure DATE AND TIME: Development Workflow May 24, 2017 2:00 PM EST EVENT DESCRIPTION: The aerospace industry continues to mature new approaches to PRESENTED BY: composite aerostructure development. Novel assembly approaches combined with the increasing use of composite materials have uncovered challenges whose solutions are leading to strong competitive advantages for companies that employ them. This presentation reviews approaches for solving these challenges for assemblies and composites. It will illustrate how specialized software can achieve a step change in the ease of definition and improve collaboration within design teams and data exchange across the supply chain. For composites, powerful part-type specific design JOHN O’CONNOR Director of Product approaches that capture the essential definition of a composite part and Market Strategy give design and manufacturing engineers significant advantages in SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE speed and quality. For assemblies, understanding the interaction of siemens.com/plm composite part structure with the assembly structure offers an opportunity for improved efficiencies as well. It’s free. It’s remote. Exciting new capabilities in these areas make aerostructure It’s informative. development more controlled and robust, which ultimately leads to the faster and more profitable delivery of industry leading products. It’s convenient. REGISTER TODAY FOR WEBINAR AT: SIGN UP TODAY! Reg Link: http://short.compositesworld.com/SIEMENS524

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Composites Events May 2, 2017 — Troy, MI, US June 14-15, 2017 — Rosemont, IL, US Sept. 6-8, 2017 — Novi, MI, US 12th Annual AutoEPCON amerimold 2017 SPE Automotive Composites Conference and eiseverywhere.com/ehome/197676?eb=330521 amerimoldexpo.com Exhibition (ACCE) speautomotive.com/acce-conference May 8-11, 2017 — Pittsburgh, PA, US June 20-22, 2017 — Chicago, IL, US RAPID + tct The Future of Composites in Construction Sept. 11-14, 2017 — Orlando, FL, US rapid3devent.com jeccomposites.com/events/the-future-of- CAMX (Composites and Advanced Materials Expo) 2017 composites-in-construction-2017 thecamx.org May 10, 2017 — Coventry, UK Composites UK Annual Conference June 27-29, 2017 — Orlando, FL, US Sept. 18-20, 2017 — Toulouse, France compositesuk.co.uk/events/annual-conference-2017 Refocus: Sustainability and Recycling Summit SpeedNews 18th Annual Aviation Industry Suppliers refocussummit.org Conference in Toulouse May 10-12, 2017 — Beijing, China speednews.com/aviation-industry-suppliers- SAMPE China 2017 July 4-7, 2017 — Bologna, Italy conference-in-toulouse nasampe.org/events 3rd International Conference on Mechanics of Composites (MechComp 2017) Sept. 19-21, 2017 — Tampa, FL, US May 16-17, 2017 — Stade, Germany events.unibo.it/mechcomp3 IBEX 2017 CFK-Valley Stade Convention ibexshow.com/show-info cfk-convention.com July 16-22, 2017 — Rome, Italy ICCE-25, 25th Annual International Conference on Sept. 19-21, 2017 — Stuttgart, Germany May 22-25, 2017 — Seattle, WA, US Composites and Nano Composites Europe 2017 SAMPE Seattle 2017 icce-nano.org composites-europe.com nasampe.org/events July 17-20, 2017 — Ottawa, ON, Canada Oct. 4-5, 2017 — Los Angeles, CA, US May 22-25, 2017 — Anaheim, CA, US CANCOM 2017 SpeedNews 22nd Annual Business & General Aviation Windpower 2017 Conference and Exhibition cancom2017.org Industry Suppliers Conference windpowerexpo.org speednews.com/business-and-general-aviation- July 24-30, 2017 — Oshkosh, WI, US May 23-25, 2017 — Guangzhou, China industry-suppliers-conference 2017 EAA AirVenture 2017 Global Conference on Polymer and Composite eaa.org/en/airventure Nov. 28-30, 2017 — Charleston, SC, US Materials (PCM 2017) CompositesWorld’s Carbon Fiber 2017 cpcmconf.org Aug. 20-25, 2017 — Xi’an, China ICCM21 – 21st International Conference on Composite carbonfiberevent.com June 6-8, 2017 — London, UK Materials Offshore Wind Energy 2017 iccm21.org offshorewind2017.com

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CompositesWorld.com 75 APPLICATIONS

BIO-COMPOSITE › Surfing equipment manufacturer Future Fins (Huntington Beach, CA, US) has a passion for surfing, and produces a wide range of surfboard fins SURFBOARD from composites, styled for every level of ’boarder ability and performance. Although the company makes thousands of composite fins every year, it is also FINS deeply connected to the beach and ocean. Seeing trash and plastic waste wash up on the beach was more than bothersome for Future Fins’ owners, who felt such a responsibility to protect the environment that they took aim at a new fin New materials trim product that would reduce landfill waste and be as Earth-friendly as possible. weight, add sustainability Toward that end, they collaborated with Green Dot Bioplastics (Cottonwood Falls, KS, US) to introduce a fin formed from bio-composites and bio-plastics. The key was achieving adequate stiffness for the new fin, designed for stand-up paddleboards (SUPs). Futures Fins came to Green Dot looking for an environmentally friendly material with the natural aesthetics of wood that also met the performance requirements of the engineering-grade plastics normally used for fin applications. One of Green Dot’s trademarked Terratek wood-plastic composites, a blend of reclaimed wood fibers with recycled polypropylene (PP) plastic, was the right solution. Future Fins had tried bio-composites previ- ously, including mushroom foam, hemp, flax, soy-based items and others. Ultimately, these materials presented molding challenges and did not meet the required performance levels. By contrast, Terratek WC100300, which blends pine wood fiber and PP at 30% wood fiber by

Source | Mike Muir weight (although loading can be as high as 60%, depending on customer specs), fit the bill. With a density of 1.02 g/cm3, it delivers a tensile modulus of 399,000 psi, yet has the look and feel of wood. The injection molded RWC (reclaimed wood composite) Keel fin reportedly performs at the same level, or better than, many of the fiber-reinforced composite fins that Future Fins manufactures for SUPs, in terms of flex (stiff- ness), rake and flow (drag) characteristics, but at a reduced weight. Future Fins says the material is easy to mold, and creates a fin that’s ~35% lighter than standard products of engineered plastic. Further, the wood composite molding material can be modified by adjusting the wood species, size and concentration of wood particles in the formulation to create performance enhance- ments, while maintaining sustainability. Future work includes bio-composites for long-board and twin-fin surfboards, and perhaps even a short- board surfboard, where aggressive riding styles Source | Future Fins demand very high fin performance.

76 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld NEW PRODUCTS

New Products

» THERMAL PROCESSING & CONTROL EQUIPMENT High-performance heat gun Master Appliance Corp. (Racine, WI, US) offers a complete line of industrial heat tools, including electric heat guns, butane-powered torches, soldering irons, glue guns and more, for adhesive, plastic, composites, packaging and welding applications. The company recently introduced its trademarked Master Proheat 1600 STC heat gun for composites. Unlike heat guns that display only the temperature at the nozzle, the Master Proheat » PROCESS CONTROL SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS STC senses, displays and controls the actual surface temperature on Measurement software updated the part. Further, when the target surface temperature is reached, the Verisurf Software Inc. (Anaheim, CA, US) has introduced Verisurf heat gun automatically regulates its performance to maintain that 2017, the latest release of the company’s measurement software for target temperature, and compensates for changes in its distance from advanced surface analysis, quality inspection, assembly guidance and the work surface by automatically adjusting temperature output. This reverse engineering. The new release includes many enhancements and new technology, says the company, enables safe heating without going added capabilities, including: above a composite material’s Tg. The device can reach a maximum air • The Verisurf User Interface (UI) has been entirely reorganized with temperature of 538°C, heating surfaces to 260°C; maximum output is updated icons and enhanced “tool tips” to streamlines workflows, 1300W. www.masterappliance.com make applications easier to learn and maintain compliance with the latest Windows standards. • Programmers now can create custom apps, using any common programming language, with the rollout of Verisurf Software » METER, MIX & DISPENSE MACHINERY Development Kit (SDK). Material dispensation monitoring system • Power Surface, the new Verisurf CAD modeling tool, adds the ability Graco Advanced Fluid Dispense (AFD, North Canton, OH, US) has to fill holes or fit CAD surfaces through point clouds and meshes, with introduced the Graco Dispense Analyzer monitoring system for previously nonexistent capacity for fine-tuning, control and image detecting errors in material dispense for a wide variety of applica- fidelity. tions. The new system reportedly tracks and monitors each dispense • Improved Scan Data Management with a spectrum of new tools for “signature” with a degree of precision greater than other approaches, managing, displaying, editing, and enhancing scan and mesh data. including vision-reliant inspection systems. It uses a variety of sensor SDK apps can run locally, over intranets or the public Internet data to define a baseline dispense signature, and then determines with Verisurf running minimized or as a background process. whether each production dispense has been completed in accordance Verisurf SDK can streamline sequences of Verisurf tasks and is with the baseline signature, such that it will result in a good part. designed for manufacturing organizations that need to inspect If it is outside of defined parameters, the Dispense Analyzer can large volumes of the same part or assembly on an ongoing provide actionable information to define a course of action – rework, basis. Power Surface includes controls that provide the user with retouch or scrap. It can record and analyze the signature for each flexibility to develop a variety of surface profiles and boundaries. dispense, and can detect defects associated with air bubbles, bead Power Surface even displays statistical metrics that characterize size, dispense pressure, flow rate, consistency and temperature of the quality and fit of created surfaces. Scan Data Management dispense, as well as a variety of custom attributes. If a problem is includes new, granular settings for the collection and display of found in finished parts, users can return to stored data to identify the scan data, including Max scan rate, Max scan inspect rate and Max root cause and use waveform analysis to more accurately determine scan angle. Users can assign color based on the angle between how to correct it. When required for quality or regulatory purposes, the scanner and the part to assess scan data quality and filter out that stored data also can be retrieved in detail. www.graco.com scan data in areas where point clouds overlap. www.verisurf.com

CompositesWorld.com 77 NEW PRODUCTS

» FIBERS & FIBER REINFORCEMENT FORMS » MOLDING PRESSES, EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES Food-safe rovings for SMC, chopped strand mat Johns Manville (JM, Denver, CO, US) reports that its MultiStar 264 rovings for sheet molding High-temperature vacuum compound (SMC) reinforcements comply with regulation (EC) No. 10/2011 (plastics regula- heating presses tion) and are suitable for use in materials and Wickert Hydraulic Presses (Landau, Germany, articles intended to be used in contact with and Hebron, KY, US) has developed a line of food. MultiStar 264 roving is used for low- precision high-temperature vacuum heating shrink and low-profile SMC applications based (HTVH) presses suitable for thermoplastic on polyester resin where high mechanical composites. The HTVH press vacuum, heating, performance is required. Also new from JM is ThermoFlow 641 chopped strands for reinforcement of poly- propylenes. Designed to provide superior as-molded mechanical performance in poly- propylene, the product also has high detergent resistance in applications such as washing tubs in appliances. The improved color performance and low yellowness enables compounders to further increase the use of polypropylene in general-purpose consumer applications. Finally, JM says its StarRov 090 roving is now available in North America and Europe. It is designed for use as the reinforcement in pultruded profiles where excellent surface finishing and color impregnation is required. www.jm.com

parallelism and controls are designed to offer excellent out-of-autoclave (OOA) results with faster turn times. Maximum product dimensions that can be accommodated are 1,100 mm by 1,100 mm. With a heat output of 2x 50 kW, the maximum temperature of 425°C reportedly can be ramped quickly from room temperature because the press features a tightly focused heating area. Both heating plates are equipped with six-zone temperature control designed specifically for this purpose, allowing easy material-specific adjustments. The control accuracy of the heating element zone monitoring system is +1.0°C. The contact heating press can be time- or temperature-controlled, to enhance system consistency. All process data are logged, including target/actual tempera- tures of the heating plates, mold, product temperatures, ramp/hold times and the entire pressure cycle. Materials suitable for this press include PPS, PEI or PEEK, or conductive polymers including structures made from thermoplastic prepreg UD tape, or specialized plastic or elastomeric components where high processing temperatures and improved A/B surfaces are critical. www.wickert-usa.com

78 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld NEW PRODUCTS

» VIRTUAL TESTING & SIMULATION SOFTWARE » THERMOSET RESIN & ADHESIVE SYSTEMS Composite design/modeling High-performance marine gel coats software update Ashland Performance Materials (Dublin, OH, US) has introduced Altair (Troy, MI, US) has released HyperWorks 2017, with the following Maxguard SCP, a new line of high-performance marine gel coats new functionalities: that reportedly deliver multi-functional benefits, including • Model-based Development Suite: solidThinking Activate, excellent weatherability and dependability. Ashland says the Compose and Embed capabilities encompassing concept studies, Maxguard SCP line of marine gel coats exhibits great depth of control design, system performance optimization and controller color and provides unparalleled levels of UV-, blush- and blister- implementation and testing are now part of the platform. resistance. The gel coats are also said to offer good application • Electromagnetics (EM) Analysis and Design: Flux for EM simulation of properties, great reparability and outstanding crack resistance. static and low-frequency applications, and WinProp for propagation www.ashland.com modeling and radio network planning are added as complements to FEKO, focused on high-frequency EM simulations related to antenna design, placement, radiation hazard and bio-electromagnetics. • Material Modeling and Manufacturing: Multiscale Designer is a tool for » THERMAL PROCESSING & CONTROL EQUIPMENT development and simulation of accurate models for heterogeneous New dilatometer product lines material systems, including laminated composites, honeycomb cores TA Instruments (New Castle, DE, US) manufactures dilatometers, and reinforced concrete. Manufacturing offerings now include solid- high-precision systems designed to measure dimensional changes Thinking “Click2” products for extrusion, casting and metal-forming of a specimen brought about by dynamic thermal events. TA has process simulation. added three dilatometer product lines to its 800-series platform: • Usability and Efficient Model Management: HyperMesh now offers the DIL 820, the DIL 830 and the ODP 860. Each instrument a complete solution for assembly and model variants management, features TA’s reportedly exclusive True Differential technology, expanding the part library and configuration management which results in measurements 10 times more accurate than the capabilities. Important new features for crash and safety users have closest competitor’s system. The new dilatometers are based on also been implemented. A new desktop tool called ConnectMe has patented optical sensors that can analyze samples with a resolu- been developed to efficiently manage, launch and update all the tion as fine as 1 nm. Each system features a new high-speed, no products within the HyperWorks suite. temperature-gradient furnace that is said to guarantee optimum www.altair.com temperature control and reduce downtime between tests. The DIL 830 family features high-resolution, horizontal push-rod dilatom- eters for the most accurate measurement of dimensional changes. The DIL 820 family is a series of vertical push-rod dilatometers for » COATINGS & COATING TECHNOLOGIES precise sintering studies. The ODP 860 dilatometers are part of a Composites-compatible paints and coatings multi-mode optical dilatometry platform for noncontact testing of Fibre Glast Developments Corp. (Brookville, OH, US) has partnered samples. with PPG Industries (Pittsburgh, PA, US) to launch the ChromaGlast line www.tainstruments.com of paint and coating products, created for use with fiberglass, carbon fiber, sheet molding compound (SMC) and other composite materials. Unlike gel coat, which is formulated to be molded into the composite polyester part, ChromaGlast paint will bond to epoxy systems and is » FIBER/RESIN COMPOUNDS & PREPREGS reportedly ideal for repair or refinishing composite parts as well as Epoxy prepregs for automotive original construction. In addition to cured composite substrates, this applications system can be used with metals (e.g., steel and aluminum). More SGL Group (Wiesbaden, Germany) has introduced a new light- than 300 single-stage, high-gloss colors, including base and clear weighting material toolbox that includes prepregged semi-finished coat, are now available. A full range of solid and metallic OEM and products based on a rapid-curing epoxy resin developed in-house. customer-specific colors reportedly will be available by January 2018. This E420 epoxy resin system combines rapid curing times (≤3 The company also offers ChromaGlast Gray Epoxy, a primer sealer used minutes at ≥150°C) and good storage stability (four weeks at to prepare clean composite or metal substrates prior to application room temperature). The prepregged semi-finished products also of ChromaGlast paint, and ChromaGlast High Solids Primer Surfacer/ have optimized tack for automated processing and offer a glass Sealer, a dual-purpose undercoating system that that can be sanded transition temperature of 140-150°C to enable components to be to smooth rough finishes or blend unlike surfaces of mixed materials, demolded at high temperatures. SGL Group also now offers a full and can also be used as a premium pigmented primer sealer on range of thermoplastic materials, including tapes, organosheets ready-to-coat finishes. and long fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (LFT). www.fibreglast.com | www.ppgfiberglass.com www.sglgroup.com

CompositesWorld.com 79 NEW PRODUCTS

» FILAMENT WINDING EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES Robotic 3D winding machine Cygnet Texkimp Ltd. (Northwich, Cheshire, UK) has launched what it says is the world’s first robotic, high-speed, 3D winding machine capable of making curved composite parts. The 3D Winder is a robot- mounted rotary winding machine capable of creating complex parts with a non-linear axis and with varying cross-sections. The company reports that the system can produce parts measuring up to 10m in length and with a profile up to 500 mm wide. The full scale of the parts the system is capable of producing is said to be limited only by the application. The machine is designed to lay down multiple tows of up to 50,000 filaments at once, and trials reportedly have shown it has the potential to wind a single-aisle aircraft spar in a few minutes. It can create a wide range of components, from composite fuel pipes to structural beams and aircraft fuselages for the automotive and aerospace markets. The technology was developed as part of Cygnet Texkimp’s KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) with specialists from the Northwest Composites Centre at the University of Manchester (UK). It is based on the 9-axis robotic winding concept originally developed by Professor Prasad Potluri, head of the Robotics and preforms. Dry fibers are wound at high speeds and laid up to build 3D Textile Composite Group and director of research at the Northwest structures that are subsequently infused with resin. Prepreg tape also Composites Centre. Instead of feeding fibers onto a rotary mandrel, can be used. The static mandrel may become part of the final composite Cygnet Texkimp’s winding machine uses a rotating mechanism that structure or be removed to leave a hollow core. moves around a static mandrel and winds fibers in to create curved www.texkimp.co.uk

HYDRAULIC PRESS MANUFACTURER High Temperature Bond Tools STANDARD DESIGNS • BMI CUSTOM SOLUTIONS • Epoxy Mill Fixtures Pressure Intensifiers / Cauls COMPRESSION PRESSES Backup Structure Materials • Panels, Tubes, Angles TRANSFER PRESSES Backup Structure Kits

PLASTICATOR

SAMPE Booth #B34 6262 W. 34th Street South ● Wichita, KS 67215 Contact Shelly Wolf or Adrian Drewitz (920) 347-1983 Phone: 316-946-5900 ● Email: [email protected] COMPOSITE TOOLING TOOLING COMPOSITE www.lmgpresses.com

80 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld NEW PRODUCTS

» THERMOPLASTIC SEMI-PREG & THERMOSET RESIN WABASH, The Leader Engineered PAEK, aerospace-grade epoxy in Composites Molding TenCate Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, CA, US) has introduced CETEX TC1225, a new range of engineered polyaryletherketone WABASH MPI (PAEK) thermoplastic composite materials. The new PAEK composites produces a wide are available in carbon fiber-based UD tape, continuous carbon range of hydraulic fiber-reinforced laminates and in semi-preg formats. As a matrix presses for com- pression molding material, the CETEX TC1225 series is said to offer the high performance in composites mechanics necessary for demanding applications in the aerostructures, applications. We aircraft interiors and medical markets, yet reportedly can be processed offer standard and at comparatively lower temperatures without the need for postcure custom designs and minus the out time concerns associated with thermoset prepregs from 15-1000 tons and semi-pregs. Suitable for overmolding with neat or short-fiber- with various heated reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK), the PAEK has a Tg of 147°C, a platen sizes and Tm of 305°C and a processing temperature of 325-350°C. control options. 400 Tons Also new from Tencate is TC380, a new epoxy resin system Down-acting, Visit our website developed to meet the need for fracture toughness and impact 120" x 60" Platens to learn more. resistance in the aerostructures manufacturing market. This ISO 9001:2008 thermoset system offers compression after impact (CAI) of 289 Certified MPa/42 ksi, open-hole compression strength of 310 MPa/45 ksi and reportedly excellent hot/wet strength retention at 121°C service temperature. TC380 adapts for either vacuum bag only or www.wabashmpi.com autoclave processing and offers 28 days out time. Tel: 260-563-1184 www.tencateadvancedcomposites.com [email protected]

CompositesWorld.com 81 MARKETPLACE / ADVERTISING INDEX

MANUFACTURING SUPPLIERS

Diamond and Solid Carbide • Technical Advice • Rotary Drills/Routers • C’sinks/Hole Saws • Stock and Specials Available in various temperature ranges Used world wide by composite manufacturers Designed For Composites www.starliteindustries.com Distributed by: 800.727.1022 / 610.527.1300 AIRTECH INTERNATIONAL INC. Tel: (714) 899-8100 • Fax: (714) 899-8179 Website: http//:www.airtechintl.com Vacuum Tables for Composites Manufactured by: • Work Holding applications ® • Eliminates clamps/adhesives PO Box 3855, City of Industry, CA 91744 • Reduces set-up time 800-762-1144 • 626-961-0211 • Fax 626-968-5140 • Retrofits all machines Website: http//:www.generalsealants.com • OEMs and Dealers Wanted E-mail: [email protected]

VacuumTables.com • 773.725.4900 RECRUITMENT/HELP WANTED Blended Continuous Filament Thermoplastic and www.forcomposites.com Reinforcement Fibers for Composites Industry Recruiting and Placement Composites Contact Randy Spencer at COMPOSITES SOURCES 401-828-1100 ext 111 or Phone (225) 273-4001 • Fax (225) 275-5807 [email protected] P.O. Box 40086, Baton Rouge, LA 70835 www.concordiafibers.com Email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING INDEX DeWal Industries Inc...... 65 www.dewal.com A.P.C.M...... 28 Dexmet Corp...... 47 www.prepregs.com www.dexmetmaterial.com A&P Technology Inc...... 5 Eastman Machine ...... 36 www.braider.com www.eastmancuts.com Abaris Training ...... 16 Ferry Industries ...... 37 www.abaris.com www.quintax.com Airtech International ...... 18 Fives Cincinnati ...... 11 www.airtechintl.com www.fivesgroup.com Aligned Vision ...... 37 Geiss LLC ...... 21 www.aligned-vision.com www.geiss-ttt.com Altair ...... 13 General Plastics Manufacturing Co. Inc. . . . 22 www.altair.com www.generalplastics.com AMAMCO Tool ...... 59 Greenerd Press & Machine Co. Inc...... 49 www.amamcotool.com www.greenerd.com Anderson America Corp...... 57 Gurit ...... 35 www.andersonamerica.com www.gurit.com BASF Corp...... 67 Hexcel Composites ...... 15 www.aerospace.basf.com www.hexcel.com BASF Corp...... 73 Hufschmied USA ...... 33 www.basf.com www.hufschmied.net Burnham Composite Structures ...... 80 HyComp Inc...... 24 www.burnhamcs.com www.hycompinc.com C.R. Onsrud Inc...... 7 IACMI ...... 23, 31 www.cronsrud.com www.iacmi.org CAMX ...... 27 Interplastic ...... 30 www.thecamx.org www.interplastic.com A leading manufacturer of 3D woven materials. 3D woven CGTech ...... Back Cover Janicki Industries ...... 35 and resin film infused joints, 3D woven thermal protection www.cgtech.com www.janicki.com systems (TPS), 3D woven and resin infused via RTM near-net-shape structures/systems such as aircraft elevator, Chem-Trend Inc...... 17 JEC ...... 34 3D woven aircraft engine parts such as fan-blades, outlet www.chemtrend.com www.jeccomposites.com guide vanes (OGV) and 3D woven/braided aircraft engine casings. Carbon, ceramic, quartz, phenolic and SiC fibers are Coastal Enterprises Co...... 48 Laser Technology Inc...... 66 used in 3D woven structures. www.precisionboard.com www.laserndt.com and ertified Composites One LLC . . . .Inside Front cover LMG ...... 80 Contact: Leon Bryn Bally Ribbon Mills www.compositesone.com www.lmgpresses.com Phone: 610-845-2211 ext. 3053 23 N. 7th Street West Coast: 310-277-0748 Bally, PA 19503 Desma ...... 58 LMT Onsrud ...... 26 Email: [email protected] USA www.wickert-usa.com www.onsrud.com

82 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Toolmaster® Prepregs for Composite Tooling

Beta Prepreg CEP

BENEFITS BENEFITS

• Exceptionally long out-life • Excellent high temperature properties Manufactured by AIRTECH using Allows a minimum of 6 months Henkel Loctite® Benzoxazine Can be used at a high service temperature storage at room temperature resin technology (450°/232°C) ensuring long tool life. while maintaining a superior tack level. • Ease of use • Excellent post machining quality Epoxy like processing, easier to use than BMI. SHOWCASE / ADVERTISING INDEX Allows machining of complex geometry and accurate • Low moisture details with low spring back and residual stresses. absorption • Outstanding toughness & Tg Cured laminates Tough, high Tg (484°F / 251°C) Benzoxazine resin retain less moisture, ensures stability at high temperature and enables reducing risk of long tool service life. porosity in parts. SHOWCASE TMFP & TMGP LTC

BENEFITS BENEFITS ® • Matched CTE Stretchlon• Low initial700 cure For Bonding and Sealing Composite molds match tool and part CTE, Vacuum improving Bagging temperature Film part accuracy. Reduces thermal expansion of master model, improving mold accuracy. • Lower thermal mass than metal tools EP46HT-1AO Epoxy • Allows faster heat up, shorter cures & greaterFlexible - High• elongation Cost effective filmoption avoids bridging in productivity. corners and improvesLower cost, part low quality. temperature master model materials can be used. • Excellent adhesion • Durable - Chemically resistant film avoids blown • Thermal conductivity: 9-10 BTU·in/(h·ft²·°F) Can also be used for bags with aggressive• Excellent resins. laminate quality • Electrically insulative reinforcing Airpad • Save Money - AvoidGood surfacecost of finish scrap and and low rework void content on produces Rubber tooling. longer life molds. complex phenolic parts. • Serviceability: -100°F to +550°F • Tg > 215°C Built in 1987 and has manufactured over 900 parts.

INTERNATIONAL INC. EUROPE Sarl ADVANCED MATERIALS LTD ASIA LTD

INTERNATIONAL INC. EUROPE Sarl ADVANCED MATERIALS LTD ASIA LTD More than a manufacturer... A technical partner! +1.201.343.8983 • www.masterbond.com More than a manufacturer... A technical partner!

AT_Prepreg_Full_Page_04.inddComposites 1 Testing WMT&RWMT&R 3/23/17 8:59:20 PM Bearing Strength Compression Fatigue Flexure Mechanical Testing Peel Resistance Physical Properties Thermal Analysis World Leaders in materials testing WESTMORELAND MECHANICAL TESTING & RESEARCH [email protected] 724.537.3131 www.WMTR.com

Magnolia Advanced Materials Inc. Smart Tooling ...... 30 ...... Inside Back Cover www.smarttooling.com www.magnolia-adv-mat.com Superior Tool Service Inc. . . . .33 Machining & Testing Magnum Venus Products Inc. . . 28 www.superiortoolservice.com www.mvpind.com Technical Fibre Products Ltd. . . 43 CINCINNATI of Advanced Matec Instrument Co...... 75 www.tfpglobal.com Composite Materials www.matec.com TenCate Advanced TESTING Material Testing Technology . . .32 Composites USA ...... 3 LABORATORIES Comprehensive Testing Expertise www.mttusa.net www.tencateadvancedcompos- • Mechanical • Physical • Thermal ites.com McClean Anderson ...... 57 • Enviromental • Fatigue www.mccleananderson.com Thermwood Corp...... 81 MMC,CMC, & PMC Experience www.thermwood.com McLube ...... 34 www.mclube.com TMP ...... 78 A Subsidiary of Email: [email protected] www.frenchoil.com Metcut Research Inc. www.cintestlabs.com Mecanumeric ...... 29 1775 Carillon Blvd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 www.mecanumeric.com Torr Technologies Inc...... 20 Phone: 800/811-9220 • Fax: 513/851-3336 www.torrtech.com Mokon ...... 29 www.mokon.com Unitech Aerospace ...... 41 www.unitech-aerospace.com Nordson Sealant Equipment Engineering, Inc...... 20 Wabash MPI ...... 81 www.sealantequipment.com www.wabashmpi.com Omax Corp...... 19 Walton Process Technologies, www.omax.com Inc...... 42 www.autoclaves.com OSG USA Inc...... 25 www.osgtool.com Web Industries ...... 16 www.webindustries.com Pacific Coast Composites . . . . 2 www.pccomposites.com Weber Manufacturing Precision Fabrics Group . . . . . 14 Technologies Inc...... 56 www.precisionfabrics.com www.webermfg.ca Pro-Set Inc...... 21 Wisconsin Oven Corp...... 55 www.prosetepoxy.com www.wisoven.com SAERTEX USA LLC ...... 9 Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. . . . 72 www.saertex.com www.wyomingtestfixtures.com

CompositesWorld.com 83 FOCUS ON DESIGN

Maximum flexibility and speed of delivery CIKONI (Stuttgart, Germany) took cues for its rack design from natural structures. The result (left) optimizes weight and performance by fully employing composite anisotropy. The rendering in the inset (above) shows the flexible spacing permitted by companion load carriers used in the racking system, which can accommo- date as many as 115 parcels.

Source (all photos) | CIKONI

Modular racking system expedites delivery

Bionic design and anisotropic elements enable this multi-material storage concept to fulfill last-mile delivery goals.

By Karen Mason / Contributing Writer

» Drones might be the parcel delivery technology that captures or innovative manufacturing principles. We think that composites the public’s imagination, but to engineers, what might prove have to be more than just lightweight materials. We have to take all more captivating is the composites technology that helps move a the fascinating freedoms of composite design into account.” package from the distribution center to the drone launching point. Leveraging the design freedom of composites to minimize At least, this is how CIKONI (Stuttgart, Germany) co-founder Dr. weight while meeting all functional requirements for the racking Farbod Nezami describes his consulting firm’s goal for its light- system took CIKONI far afield from quasi-isotropic “black metal” weight designs. designs. It also led to a combination of materials and material An engineering venture that specializes in innovative, light- forms, as well as manufacturing and integration techniques, that weight and composite solutions, CIKONI was enlisted by pushed the state of the art in design for manufacture. Mercedes-Benz Vans (Stuttgart, Germany) to design the racking The Vision Van concept vehicle embodies new thinking about system and shelves for a concept delivery vehicle, the Vision Van. how parcels are delivered — especially in the “last mile” of urban On this and other projects, Nezami sets expectations high: “Our deliveries, where traffic congestion and parking are chronic obsta- main goal is to engineer lightweight products that fascinate people. cles to efficiency. Revealed at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016 (Sept. This may be due to an advanced engineering approach, the design 26-29, Hanover, Germany) and at the 2017 Consumer Electronics

84 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Delivery Vehicle Racking System

Hot-formed carbon fiber-reinforced PTFE, with galvanized rubber damping layer

Integrated friction reduction

Integrated stopper with damper and noise Fully automated, metallic cancellation locking mechanism for carrier trays

Double-wall (hollow-core) carbon fiber/epoxy Non-load-carrying areas excluded

Modular racking system Filament-wound carbon/epoxy expedites delivery truss stiffeners

CIKONI Modular Racking System for Vision Van

› Bionic design leads to shell-like variation in › FEA and virtual product development reduce › Composite anisotropy optimizes performance and topology and thickness. prototyping iterations to zero. weight for maximum cargo capacity.

Illustration / Karl Reque

Show (Jan. 5-8, Las Vegas, NV, US), the Vision Van automates the van in one action — is arguably one of the critical features of loading and final delivery of packages through its cargo space the Vision Van, because it alone is expected to significantly cut management system, for which CIKONI’s modular racking system operator time and costs at the distribution center. Yet the fully is the structural component. Each rack can hold up to 115 parcels. loaded racking system must maintain its structural integrity not The van also features two package-delivery drones, which are only during the loading procedure but also during transport, while stationed on the van’s roof and robotically loaded from below via stressed by maximum acceleration and braking, and must provide trap doors in the ceiling. (Drone delivery has prompted some to noise attenuation, essential to operator comfort and safety. call the Vision Van a “drone mothership.”) By reducing the time Parcels are robotically loaded onto the racking system in each delivery requires, this technology significantly increases the composite “load carriers,” or trays (see inset photo, p. 84), which output of each vehicle. CIKONI also engineered to accommodate strict functional and aesthetic requirements. The trays must meet low friction require- Designing for one-shot loading ments during loading and release from the racking system. They “One-shot loading” — that is, robotically sliding the shelving also must be reliably secured in place on the rack. Onboard system (which has been robotically loaded with parcels) into the van, an automated system picks the appropriate parcel for

CompositesWorld.com 85 FOCUS ON DESIGN

delivery. As with any shipping conveyance, the Vision Van requires efficient use of design phase. Brainstorming led this team to cargo space to maximize delivery output. The CIKONI design team was challenged envision “drones flying from the forest.” That is, to find the optimal combination of racking system volume and weight, while also they used the bionic design principles of genera- imparting good aesthetics to the structure. tive tree growth. On this basis, they created a bionic generic algorithm, which produced an Bionic design and virtual development initial rack design derived from the form of a tree. To address the challenge of meeting performance and aesthetic goals, Nezami (Later designs diverged to more geometric forms reports, CIKONI also involved industrial designers and artists during the conceptual to accommodate manufacturing and perfor- mance requirements.) The bionic approach develops designs from lightweight, multifunc- tional structures found in nature. Biomimicry not only helps engineers to maximize weight savings, but it also reduces development time (see Learn More, p. 87). Using bionic design, engineers analyze critical load paths and optimize topology. As a result, bionic designs typically exploit the anisotropic nature of composite materials. For example, Nezami illustrates, the fiber orientation of the rack shells is aligned with the acting load curves. “The shells are optimized in their topology and also differ at almost every area in thickness,” he explains. “It is comparable to a shell in biology where form and strength follow function and are optimized in countless ways.” CIKONI engineers next created a complex numerical optimization model to help find Biomimicry-based design concept feasible design solutions in the limited devel- opment time available. Using finite element This close-up view of the rack’s composite double-wall shell reveals the way fiber orientation is aligned with acting forces. Thickness variation and elimination of non-load carrying areas in the rack also mimic analysis (FEA) with these models, CIKONI biological structures observed by the design team. carried out performance simulations to predict mechanical behavior, including deformations under external loading or crash events. This virtual analysis and testing reduces the iterations required in the prototyping phase of develop- ment, points out CIKONI co-founder and head of simulation Jan-Philipp Fuhr. “The rack design is subject to a mix of static, dynamic and impact load models. These load cases were reexamined and estimated in a sound manner. Engineering analysis was put as first priority to maximize the lightweight potential of the structure.” CIKONI also analyzed the supporting metallic structure, built by another supplier, to generate topology and size optimization. But the analysis of composites structures presents the greater challenge because of composite materials’ aniso- tropic behavior, as well as differences created by material composition, reinforcement type and so on. Likewise, effects of manufacturing Multi-material methodology techniques on properties such as variation from The modular racking system lays claim to an optimized design through an intelligent mix of carbon/ nominal fiber orientation must be taken into epoxy, carbon/PTFE, neat PTFE and aluminum/metallic components. account. “The predictive capability of composites

86 MAY 2017 CompositesWorld Delivery Vehicle Racking System

simulation is strongly dependent on the validity of the applied numerical models,” Fuhr notes. This area of expertise is central to CIKONI’s engineering efforts. Digital prototyping included draping simulation; anisotropic part and laminate optimization for the bionic lightweight design; and crash simulation to estimate struc- tural deformation and energy absorption. Design for manufacture also played a key role. Fuhr notes that the multi-material structure includes diverse composite fabrica- tion solutions, ranging from prepreg layup to filament winding and hot forming. Metal forming and bending also had to be taken into account. CIKONI used its in-house analysis software tools to assess manufacturability, process selection and data handling. “These tools proved to be flexible enough for fast assessments and reliable enough to address common issues in composite manufacturing methodologies,” Fuhr reports.

Anisotropic, multi-material solution The finished design features an intelligent material mix of carbon/ epoxy and aluminum. The rack shells comprise carbon fiber/ epoxy walls with a hollow core, using a common automotive “double shell” design approach in which walls are fabricated in Design success is in the details mirror halves and then then bonded together. Truss stiffeners are Evenly spaced, integrally manufactured carbon/PTFE supports provide a simple filament wound and attached to the rack structure with aluminum structure for easy and flexible loading of tray carriers. Moveable square-toothed aluminum brackets secure carriers in place during transport. fasteners. Con- tainer tray sup- ports are integrally Read this article online | manufactured, in Germany and abroad helped us to find the right partners,” he short.compositesworld.com/CIKONIRack hot-formed carbon recalls. “They were able to make our design come to reality in a Read more online about bionic mimicry in “Bionic design: The future of lightweight structures” | fiber/PTFE that minimum timeframe with maximum quality.” Ultimately, UBC short.compositesworld.com/Biomimcry incorporates a GmbH (Murr, Germany) was contracted to fabricate the rack galvanized rubber shells. Hermann Blechtechnik (Schorndorf, Germany) produced layer for noise the racking system’s metal components. damping. Also integrally fabricated are the tray stops, of carbon Final delivery of the assembled shelves and carriers, ready to fiber/epoxy laminate and a galvanized rubber layer. be pushed into the Vision Van, occurred on time and on budget. Load carrier trays consist of metal handles and otherwise The short delivery timetable of 6 months from white paper to full carbon fiber/epoxy walls with topology optimized to supply assembly, Nezami believes, brought out the best in the CIKONI needed stiffness, strength and impact/crash resistance while mini- team. “The creativity, performance and mutual respect of a highly mizing weight. The tray floors are also hollow “double shell” struc- motivated young team with a start-up mentality allowed us to gain tures of carbon fiber/epoxy. Small tabs of PTFE on the tray edges an optimal solution in a short period of time and realize a ‘first keep friction low when the carriers are loaded or released from time right’ solution.” the rack. A mechanized aluminum square-toothed bracket on the As a concept vehicle, the Vision Van won’t find its way to racking system’s front side locks and unlocks the load carriers. commercial status, but many of the technologies it showcases will. Truss stiffeners are filament wound on CIKONI’s proprietary CIKONI’s automated rack system is expected to be part of a pilot complex 3D filament winding equipment. This advanced filament program in the not-too-distant future. The company is investi- winding technology enables the company to maximize compo- gating design transfer to a low-cost glass fiber RTM version with nent efficiency — that is, minimize material use and optimize load its partners. handling capability — by optimizing geometry, filament deposit path and filament spread. The mix of filament winding, hand layup, hot forming and other manufacturing technologies was “utilized to maximize perfor- CW contributing writer Karen Mason returns to the CW fold mance and design freedom,” Nezami mentions, but he adds that after a long hiatus. She has been researching and writing about composites technology for more than 25 years. it required CIKONI to organize and manage a group of partner [email protected] companies to ensure manufacturing success. “Our wide network

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