As a CAMX media sponsor, CompositesWorld reports on several new or improved developments on display, from CAMX Award and ACE Award winners, to keynote speakers and interesting technology.#camx #ndi #787
Despite the pandemic, exhibitors have come to Dallas for more than 130 presentations and more than 360 exhibitors showcasing their capabilities and the projects they have been working on.Days 1 and 2 were filled with networking, demos and unparalleled innovation.Image credit: CW
744 days after the CAMX 2019 iteration, composites exhibitors and attendees are finally able to come together.The consensus was that this year’s trade show had more attendance than expected, and that its visual aspects—such as the demo booth at Composite One (Schaumburg, IL, USA) in the center of the hall—were a hit after such a show. welcome.prolonged isolation.
Furthermore, it is clear that composites manufacturers and engineers have not been idle since the shutdown in March 2020.As a CAMX media sponsor, CompositesWorld reports from CAMX Award and ACE Award winners to some new or interesting technology showcased in CAMX Show Daily.Below is a summary of this work.
Keynote speaker Gregory Ulmer, executive vice president of Aerospace at Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, MD, USA), presented the past and future of aerospace composites in a plenary session at CAMX 2021, focusing on the role of automation and digital threads .
Lockeed Martin has several divisions – Gyrocopter, Space, Missiles and Aerospace.Within Ulmer’s aviation division, the focus includes fighter jets such as the F-35, hypersonic aircraft, and other technology developments within the company’s Skunk Works division.He noted the importance of partnerships to the company’s success: “Composites are two different materials coming together to form something new. That’s how Lockheed Martin handles partnerships.”
Ulmer explained that the history of composites at Lockheed Martin Aerospace began in the 1970s, when the F-16 fighter jet used a 5 percent composite structure.By the 1990s, the F-22 was 25 percent composite.During this time, Lockheed Martin has conducted various trade studies to calculate the cost savings of mitigating these vehicles and whether composites are the best option, he said.
The current era of composites development at Lockheed Martin was ushered in with the development of the F-35 in the late 1990s, and composites make up about 35 percent of the aircraft’s structural weight.The F-35 program also ushered in automated and digital technologies such as automated drilling, optical projection, ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDI), laminate thickness control, and precision machining of composite structures.
Another area of focus for the company’s composites research and development is bonding, he said.Over the past 30 years, he has reported success in the field with components such as composite engine intake ducts, wing components and fuselage structures.
However, he noted, “the benefits of bonding are often diluted by the high-volume process, inspection, and validation challenges.” For high-volume programs like the F-35, Lockheed Martin is also working to develop Fastener robots for automated mechanical connections.
He also mentioned the company’s work in developing structured light metrology for composite parts to compare as-built structures to their original designs.Current technological developments include fast, low-cost tools; more automated processes, such as drilling, trimming, and fastening; and low-rate, high-quality manufacturing.Hypersonic aircraft is also an area of focus, including work on ceramic matrix composites (CMC) and carbon-carbon composite structures.
It’s also new to the company, and the future factory location is being developed in Palmdale, California, U.S., and will support multiple future projects, he said.The facility will include automated assembly, metrology inspection and material handling, as well as portable automation technology, as well as a flexible temperature-controlled fabrication shop.
“Lockheed Martin’s digital transformation continues,” he said, allowing the company to focus on agility and customer responsiveness, performance insight and predictability, and overall competitiveness in the marketplace.
“Composites will continue to be a key aerospace material for future projects,” he concluded, “required for continued material and process development to achieve this goal.”
Ken Huck, Director of Product Development at TrinityRail, received the Overall Strength Award (left).The Unrivaled Innovation Award went to Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (right).Image credit: CW
CAMX 2021 officially kicked off yesterday with a plenary session that included the announcement of the winners of the CAMX Awards.There are two CAMX awards, one is called the General Strength Award and the other is called the Unparalleled Innovation Award.This year’s nominees are very diverse, covering a variety of end markets, applications, materials and processes.
The recipient of the Overall Strength Award traveled to TrinityRail (Dallas, TX, USA) for the company’s first composite primary cargo floor developed for its refrigerated boxcar.Developed in collaboration with Composite Applications Group (CAG, McDonald, TN, USA), Wabash National (Lafayette, IN, USA) and Structural Composites (Melbourne, FL, USA), laminate flooring replaces traditional all-steel construction and reduces the weight of boxcars 4,500 lbs.The design also allowed TrinityRail to innovate secondary floors for easy transport of frozen food or fresh produce.
Ken Huck, Director of Product Development at TrinityRail, accepted the award and thanked TrinityRail’s composite industry partners for their help with the project.He also described composite subfloors as “a new era of composite materials for the rail industry”.He also noted that TrinityRail is working on other composite structures for other rail applications.”We’ll have more exciting stuff to show you soon,” he said.
The Unparalleled Innovation Award went to Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (Mesa, Arizona, USA) for its entry titled “Large Volume Structural Carbon Fiber Reinforced Injection Molded ETP Composites”.Entries focused on Mitsubishi’s new injection moldable KyronMAX carbon fiber/nylon material with a tensile strength in excess of 50,000 psi/345 MPa.Mitsubishi describes KyronMAX as the world’s strongest injection-moldable material, and says KyronMAX’s performance is due to the company’s development of a sizing technology that enables short-fiber reinforcements to exhibit the mechanical properties of long fibers (>1mm).Introduced on the MY 2021 Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator, the material is used to mold the receiver bracket that attaches the roof to the vehicle.
At CAMX 2021, Gregory Haye, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Airtech International (Huntington Beach, CA, USA) outlined Airtech’s recent strategy to use additive manufacturing to enter the resin and tooling market for the CW.Airtech was using Thermwood (Dell, IN, USA) LSAM large-format additive manufacturing machines to provide tooling services before the pandemic hit.The first system was installed and operational at the company’s Custom Engineered Products division in Springfield, Tennessee, USA, and the second system was installed at Airtech’s Luxembourg facility.
Haye said the expansion is part of Airtech’s two-pronged strategy in additive manufacturing.The first and most important aspect is the development of thermoplastic resin systems specifically designed for 3D printing of molds and tools.The second aspect, mold making services, is the facilitator of the first aspect.
“We think we need to move the market forward to support the adoption and certification of 3D printing molds and resins,” Haye said.“Furthermore, the success of our tooling and resin customers with these new solutions is critical, so we go to great lengths to validate resins and finished tooling. By printing every day, we are better able to support us with industry-leading materials and process technology customers and help us identify new solutions to develop for the market.”
Airtech’s current line of print materials (pictured below) includes Dahltram S-150CF ABS, Dahltram C-250CF and C-250GF polycarbonate, and Dahltram I-350CF PEI.This also includes two purifying compounds, Dahlpram 009 and Dahlpram SP209.In addition, Haye said the company is engaged in new product development and is evaluating resins for high temperature, low CTE applications.Airtech also conducts extensive material testing to build a database of printing mechanical properties.Airtech also identifies suitable restorative materials and continuously tests compatible contact materials and thermoset resin systems.In addition to this database, the global team has conducted extensive testing of these resin systems for end-use tooling products through extensive autoclave cycle testing and part fabrication.
The company exhibited at CAMX a tool made by CEAD (Delft, The Netherlands) using one of its resins, and another tool printed by Titan Robotics (Colorado Springs, CO, USA) (see above).Both are built with Dahltram C-250CF.Airtech is committed to making these materials machine-independent and suitable for all large-scale 3D printing.
On the show floor, Massivit 3D (Lord, Israel) demonstrated its Massivit 3D printing system for the production of rapid 3D printing tools for the production of composite parts.
The goal, says Massivit 3D’s Jeff Freeman, is rapid tooling production — finished tooling has been reported in a week or less, compared to weeks for traditional tooling.Using Massivit’s Gel Dispensing Printing (GSP) technology, the system prints a hollow mold “shell” using a UV-curable acrylic-based thermoset gel.The material is water breakable – insoluble in water, so the material does not contaminate the water.The shell mold is filled with liquid epoxy, then the entire structure is baked to cure, and then dipped in water, causing the acrylic shell to fall off.The resulting mold is said to be an isotropic, durable, strong mold with properties that enable hand lay-up of composite parts.According to Massivit 3D, material R&D is underway on the resulting epoxy mold material, including adding fibers or other reinforcements or fillers to reduce weight or increase performance for various applications.
The Massivit system can also print watertight internal mandrels for the production of hollow, complex geometries tubular composite parts.The inner mandrel is printed, then after the composite component is laid up, it is broken down by immersion in water, leaving the final part.The company displayed a test machine at the show with a demo seat assembly and hollow tubular components.Massivit plans to start selling the machines in the first quarter of 2022.The system currently on display has temperature capability up to 120°C (250°F) and the goal is to release a system up to 180°C.
Current target application areas include medical and automotive components, and Freeman noted that aerospace-grade components may become possible in the near future.
(Left) Exit guide vanes, (upper right) containment and (upper and lower) drone drone fuselage.Image credit: CW
A&P Technology (Cincinnati, OH, USA) is previewing a range of projects including aero engine exit guide vanes, drone drone fuselage, 2021 Chevrolet Corvette tunnel finish and small business jet engine containment.The outlet guide vanes used to direct the airflow are a woven carbon fiber with a toughened epoxy (PR520) resin system, produced by RTM.A&P said it was a bespoke product and was jointly developed.The UAV drone body is integrally woven and treated by infusion.About 4.5 meters, it applies an unfolded tow, both aesthetically pleasing and because the fibers are said to lay flatter; this contributes to a smoother aerodynamic surface.The tunnel ends use A&P’s QISO material and chopped fibers.Pultruded parts have custom widths to avoid material waste.Finally, for the commercial part produced for the FJ44-4 Cessna aircraft, the containment has a QISO-type construction with a profiled fabric that is easy to wrap and reduces waste.RTM is the processing method.
The primary focus of Re:Build Manufacturing (Framingham, MA, USA) is to bring manufacturing back to the United States.It consists of a portfolio of companies – including the recently acquired Oribi Manufacturing (City, Colorado, USA), Cutting Dynamics Inc. (CDI, Avon, Ohio, US) and Composite Resources (Rock Hill, SC, US) – covering from Entire supply chain from design to production and assembly, and brings a holistic approach to composites; Re:Build uses thermosets, thermoplastics, carbon, glass and natural fibers for a variety of applications.In addition, the company said it has acquired multiple engineering services teams, staffing them with more than 200 engineers to design products and processes that will make the reshoring of advanced manufacturing in the United States increasingly possible.Re:Build showcased its Advanced Materials group exclusively at CAMX.
Temper Inc. (Cedar Springs, Mich., US) is showing an example of its Smart Susceptor tool, made from a metal alloy that provides efficient, uniform induction heating over large spans and 3D geometries, while also Has an inherent Curie temperature at which heating will stop.Areas below the temperature, such as intricate corners or the area between the skin and the stringer, will continue to heat until the Curie temperature is reached.Temper showcased a demo tool for an 18″ x 26″ car seat back made using chopped fiberglass/PPS compound in a matching metal tool and made with Boeing, Ford Motor Company and Victoria Stas conducts the IACMI program.Temper also showed an 8-foot-wide, 22-foot-long demonstrator section of a Boeing 787 horizontal stabilizer aircraft.Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T, Seattle, Washington, USA) used the Smart Susceptor tool to build two such demonstrators, both in unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber, one in PEEK and the other in PEKK.The part was fabricated using balloon molding/diaphragm molding with a thin aluminum film.The Smart Pedestal Tool provides energy-efficient composite molding with part cycle times ranging from three minutes to two hours, depending on part material, geometry, and Smart Pedestal configuration.
Some of the ACE Award winners at CAMX 2021.(top left) Frost Engineering & Consulting, (top right) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, (bottom left) Mallinda Inc. and (bottom right) Victrex.
American Composites Manufacturers Association.(ACMA, Arlington, VA, USA) The Awards Ceremony for the Composites Excellence Awards (ACE) competition was held yesterday.ACE recognizes nominations and winners in six categories, including Green Design Innovation, Applied Creativity, Equipment and Tool Innovation, Materials and Process Innovation, Sustainability and Market Growth Potential.
Aditya Birla Advanced Materials (Rayong, Thailand), part of the Aditya Birla Group (Mumbai, India), and composites recycler Vartega (Golden, CO, USA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on recycling and developing downstream applications for composite products.For the full report, see “Aditya Birla Advanced Materials, Vartega develops recycling value chain for thermoset composites”.
L&L Products (Romeo, MI, USA) showcased its PHASTER XP-607 two-component rigid foam adhesive for structural bonding to composites, aluminum, steel, wood and cement without surface preparation.PHASTER will not chip, but offers high toughness through a 100% closed cell foam that can be tapped for mechanical fastening and is also inherently fire resistant.PHASTER’s flexibility in formulation also allows it to be used in gasketing and sealing applications.All PHASTER formulations are VOC free, isocyanurate free, and have no air permit requirements.
L&L is also highlighting its Continuous Composite System (CCS) pultrusion product with partner BASF (Wyandotte, MI, USA) and automakers, which was recognized in the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Composite Tunnel Reinforcement , which won the 2021 Altair Enlighten Award.Stellantis (Amsterdam, Netherlands).The part is a continuous blend of glass and carbon fiber/PA6 pultruded CCS, overmolded with non-reinforced PA6.
Qarbon Aerospace (Red Oak, TX, USA) builds on decades of Triumph Aerospace Structures experience with a new investment in the processes required for next-generation platforms.One example was the thermoplastic composite wing box demonstrator on the booth, which was formed by induction welding stringers and thermoformed ribs to the skin, all made from Toray Cetex TC1225 UD carbon fiber low-melt PAEK tape.This patented TRL 5 process is dynamic, uses an in-house developed end effector, and can be blind welded without a pedestal (one-side access only).The process also allows heat to be concentrated only at the weld seam, which has been demonstrated by physical testing showing that the lap shear strength is greater than that of co-cured thermosets and approaches the strength of autoclave co-consolidated structures.
Shown at the CAMX booth at IDI Composites International (Noblesville, Indiana, USA) this week, the X27 is a Coyote Mustang sports carbon fiber composite wheel, adopted by Vision Composite Products (Decatur, AL, USA) from IDI The Ultrium U660 combines carbon fiber/epoxy sheet molding compound (SMC) and woven preforms from A&P Technology (Cincinnati, OH, USA).
Darell Jern, senior project development specialist at IDI Composites, said the wheels are the result of a five-year collaboration between the two companies and are the first components to use IDI’s U660 1-inch chopped fiber SMC.The die-molded wheels produced at the Vision Composite Products factory are said to be 40 percent lighter than aluminum wheels, and have a low density and high strength to meet all SAE wheel regulations.
“It’s been a great collaboration with Vision,” Jern said.”We worked with them through multiple iterations and material development to get the results we wanted.” The epoxy-based SMC was developed to meet high-strength requirements and was tested in a 48-hour durability test.
Jern added that these cost-effective U.S.-made products enable high-volume production of wheels for lightweight race cars, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and more.He pointed out that the Ultrium U660 is also suitable for many other types of automotive applications, including car interiors and exteriors, with many more projects in the works.
Of course, the pandemic and ongoing supply chain issues were points of discussion on the show floor and in several presentations.”The pandemic has shown that the composites industry can work together to find new solutions to old problems when we need them,” said Marcio Sandri, president of composites at Owens Corning (Toledo, OH, USA) in his plenary presentation. . . .” He spoke about the increasing use of digital tools, and the importance of localizing supply chains and partnerships.
On the show floor, CW had the opportunity to speak with Sandri and Chris Skinner, VP of Strategic Marketing at Owens Corning.
Sandri reiterated that the pandemic has actually created some opportunities for material suppliers and manufacturers such as Owens Corning.“The pandemic has helped us see the increasing value of composites in terms of sustainability and lightweighting, infrastructure, and more,” he noted, noting that automating and digitizing composites manufacturing operations can reduce exposure to labor in the manufacturing process — This is important during labor shortages.
On the ongoing supply chain issue, Sandri said the current situation is teaching the industry not to rely on long supply chains.Conversations between suppliers, manufacturers and others in the supply chain need to have a conversation about streamlining the supply chain itself and the way composites are presented to the industry, he said.
Regarding sustainability opportunities, Owens Corning is working to develop recyclable materials for wind turbines, Sandri said.This includes a collaboration with the ZEBRA (Zero Waste Blade Research) consortium, which started in 2020 with the goal of designing and manufacturing 100% recyclable wind turbine blades.Partners include LM Wind Power, Arkema, Canoe, Engie and Suez.
As the U.S. representative of Adapa A/S (Aalborg, Denmark), Metyx Composites (Istanbul, Turkey and Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S.) showcased the company’s adaptive mold technology at booth S20 as a Solutions for composite parts, including applications in aerospace, marine and construction, to name a few.This smart, reconfigurable mold measures up to 10 x 10 m (approximately 33 x 33 ft) using a 3D file or model, which is then panelized into smaller pieces to fit the mold.Once complete, the file information is fed into the mold’s control unit, and each individual panel can then be modified to the desired shape.
The adaptive die consists of linear actuators driven by CAM-controlled electric stepper motors to bring it to the desired 3D position, while the flexible rod system enables high precision and low tolerances.On top is an 18mm-thick silicon ferromagnetic composite membrane, which is held in place by magnets attached to a rod system; according to Adapa’s John Sohn, this silicon membrane does not need to be replaced.Resin infusion and thermoforming are some of the processes that are possible when using this tool.More of Adapa’s industrial partners are also using it for hand lay-up and automation, Sohn mentioned.
Metyx Composites is a manufacturer of high performance technical textiles including multiaxial reinforcements, carbon fiber reinforcements, RTM reinforcements, woven reinforcements and vacuum bag products.Its two composites-related businesses include METYX Composites Tooling Center and METYX Composites Kitting.
Post time: May-09-2022