SAMPE Wrap Up And Product Showcase
Exhibitions on both sides of the Atlantic spur optimism and spotlight innovative technology.
By Staff | July 2003
Applied Composites Engineering (Indianapolis, Ind., U.S.A.) promoted its skills as an ISO 9001- and AS9100-certified advanced composites design and manufacturing firm and as an FAA-certified repair station. Capabilities include rapid prototyping, toolmaking and full production for commercial and military aviation OEMs, as well as military land systems, automotive and motor sports components, and medical equipment. Its 1,858m2/20,000 ft2 manufacturing facility houses two CNC machining systems, an autoclave and two ovens, and a fully outfitted CAD engineering department. Select 244
For aerospace and automotive surface-preparation, BBA Nonwovens (Simpsonville, S.C., U.S.A.) offers Pre-moistened "Process Control" Wipes, packaged in multi-layer, resealable bags, which minimize solvent evaporation and user VOC exposure. Everspun wipes are designed for final cleanup, when low linting and clean surfaces are critical to the next production step. VeraClean wipes are available with a wide range of solvents (acetone, naptha, isopropyl alcohol, methyl ethyl ketone, etc.) and are made of 100 percent Rayon, with no silicones or chemical binders. They meet most aerospace specs, including ASTM 3819, BMS 15-5F and DMS 1820. The company also can pre-moisten and package wipes with customers' proprietary solvents. Select 245
AXEL Plastics Research Laboratories (Woodside, N.Y., U.S.A.) has added three new XTEND mold release products for RTM and closed molding applications: 19SAM is designated for application at ambient temperature, 19WAM, for application to warm molds (50°C to 80°C/120°F to 180°F) and 19HAM, for application to hot molds (82°C/180°F or above). All three are solvent-based reactive resin solutions designed to crosslink and cure on the mold surface. Suited to non-gel coat applications (especially plug or male sides of molds), they are also effective for epoxy tooling and DCPD resins. Select 246
Belotti SpA (Suisio, Italy) introduced its FLA-series CNC machining equipment. The automated systems feature a wide range of gantry-mounted machining heads with electric spindle power ranging from 0.75 kW at 60,000 rpm to 13.8 kW at 30,000 rpm. The totally enclosed systems protect technicians from dust and noise. Features include fully digital numerical control and accessories, such as product and jig supports and holding systems, vacuum tables and dust collection bins as well as a digital "feeler" system that senses the presence of a work piece and adapts the machining program to work piece size and/or position changes. Select 247
Bond-Laminates GmbH (Brilon, Germany) introduced the TEPEX x08 range of materials, featuring thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the matrix. The TPU formulation achieves the properties usually obtained with standard engineering plastics, where previous TPU systems have tended to be "soft," according the company. The material has very high impact resistance even at low temperatures, processes at relatively low temperatures (±230°C/446°F) and is easy to bond, paint and overmold, according to the company. The products are commercially available in colors, with glass reinforcement or carbon fiber reinforcement, for use in manufacturing sporting goods. Select 248
BH Thermal Corp. (Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.) presented its ACR-II Hot Bonder, a portable, self-contained curing system that is programmable to Celsius or Fahrenheit scales. It features a 760°C/1400°F maximum cure temperature, controllable in one or two zones, with ramp rates ranging from 1°C to 20°C/1°F to 36°F per minute. Equipped with an internal electric vacuum pump, the device accepts 10 thermocouple sensor inputs per zone, stores up to 30 cure programs and enables postcure downloading of data to a floppy disk. Also new: The BriskHeat Variable-Watt Curing Blanket, which delivers uniform heat (up to 232°C/450°F, accurate within ±5°C/9°F) across its entire surface. The blanket is conformable (to a 0.25-inch radius), moisture and oil resistant and is available with an integral vacuum seal to reduce consumables. It features a velcro-attached insulation pad that provides protection for the repair technician. Select 249
Bryte Technologies' (Morgan Hill, Calif., U.S.A.) EX-1551 Cyanate Ester 177°C/350°F cure resin system, formulated for high service temperature applications (aircraft structures and engines, ablatives, radomes, missiles), is designed to replace BMI and polyimide resin systems. Its high Tg enables perfomance at continuous temperatures ranging from 177°C to 260°C/350°F to 500°F (as high as 316°C/600°F, short term). Also new: EX-1551-1 Cyanate Ester is formulated for use in the resin transfer molding process at low temperatures, ranging from 49°C to 54°C/120°F to 130°F. Select 250
Composites Testing Laboratory (Galway, Ireland) presented a broad portfolio of static and fatigue testing capabilities for composites. The independent test lab, which is accredited to ISO 17025, has completed contracts for suppliers to Airbus and several Formula 1 racing teams. Highly specialized capabilities include ultrasonic "C" scan, microphotography, and DTMA thermal analysis. Select 251
The Sentinel G5 Autoclave Control System, from CompuDAS (Shelton, Wash., U.S.A.), features a Windows-based graphical user interface, a dedicated control processor with real-time OS, complete system integration (including software configured to customer requirements) and remote phone support capability called Laplink. Its standard input/output configuration includes 31 analog inputs (24-bit), 8 analog outputs (12-bit), 32 digital I/O, three counter-timers, and Ethernet RS485 and RS232. Select 252
At the CMS (Zogno, Italy) booth, the PMT-series CNC Machining Centers were in the spotlight, featuring a mobile gantry bridge structure with floor mounted guide rails, a geometry suited to machining large, difficult-to-reposition work pieces. The 5-axis system allows greater piece widths and cutter stroke lengths (built to customer specification) than table-mounted systems. Select 253
Croma (Paris, France) demonstrated its hot-wire cutting machinery, designed to produce complex-contoured and tapered asymmetrical shapes from foam core materials. Options include a user-bendable wire tool and an automatic turntable that together enable the user to produce grooved, fluted and round shapes. Select 254
Cytec Engineered Materials (Tempe, Ariz., U.S.A.) launched PRIFORM, its new resin infusion materials system for the manufacture of damage-resistant composite aircraft parts. The system was created because toughened resins used in prepreg and adhesive applications are too viscous for conventional resin infusion processes. Cytec weaves a several-micron-thick layer of toughening fibers into the PRIFORM fabric reinforcement. When processed with Cytec's low-viscosity PRIFORM 977-20 resin, the fibers dissolve into the matrix, distributing toughening characteristics throughout the part. Parts made with the material reportedly possess the same performance advantages as those made with toughened prepreg, and also offer superior flame/smoke/toxicity properties. Select 255
Degussa Röhm GmbH & Co. (Darmstadt, Germany) promoted product line extensions to its well-established Rohacell brand of polyimide foam cores. Specifically developed for resin infusion processes like RTM, Rohacell RIST (Resin Infusion STructural) has a property profile similar to the WF grade used with prepreg processes, but with smaller cell size, reducing surface resin absorption. Rohacell RIMA (Resin Infusion Manufacturing Aid) low-density/low-creep foam with even smaller cell size provides essentially zero surface resin absorption. The non-structural core is used as a mandrel for producing geometrically complex parts in RTM and other infusion processes. Select 256
Devold AMT AS (Langevåg, Norway) displayed its biaxial fabrics, available with conventional ±45° orientations or in optional orientations, with alignments on angles from 20° to 90°. Fabric construction may be carbon, glass or aramid, but various other reinforcements and hybrids can be fabricated on request. Select 257
DIAB Group (Desoto, Texas, U.S.A.) announced the purchase of a 22-acre site in Red Oak, Texas for its planned new production facility, which is expected to double the company's foam production in the U.S. over the next several years. Also new: A kitting line for ProBalsa core has been installed at DIAB's plant in Laholm, Sweden. The new line features a 4-axis CNC router able to produce accurately, in a single operation, kit components that feature complex curves and multiple rebates and cutouts. Select 258
Fiber Innovations (Walpole, Mass., U.S.A.) highlighted its recent emphasis on in-house resin transfer molding (RTM), combining its expertise in braided carbon-fiber preforming with molding of finished parts. The company's expanded 2,787m2/30,000 ft2 facility houses RTM facilities capable of processing with cure ranging from room temperature to 232°C/450°F, plus complete braiding and preform stitching/assembly areas, and an environmentally controlled prepreg braiding area. Select 259
GKN Aerospace Services (Isle of Wight, U.K. and St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A.) promoted its capabilities in resin film infusion (RFI) and resin transfer molding (RTM). The company reportedly has brought manufacturing costs down by 30 percent, in part, by using heated molds (rather than ovens) to facilitate cure of very large RFI'd parts for the Airbus A380 (components four times the size of GKN parts produced for its predecessor, the A340). GKN also publicized its three-year investment in its RTM facilities, now among the most extensive in the world. Select 260
Henkel Loctite (Rocky Hill, Conn., U.S.A., and Senlis, Cedex, France) announced a new family of epoxy adhesives for European customers, based on the Dexter line, and unveiled its 4 million Euro/$4.5 million (USD) factory near Milan, Italy. Also on display: a draft version of its new JOINTCALC software (available late 2003). The program was developed through research projects aimed at developing simple calculation methods for evaluation of joint strength. It is designed to accurately predict the effective static strength of a joint by simulating the actual strains and then determining the most suitable adhesive resins to use. Use of the software is predicted to eliminate preliminary testing. The company recommends JOINTCALC for use in all epoxy adhesive bonding applications. Select 261
Humantec (Charlotte/Huntersville, N.C., U.S.A.) showed its HT MultiFunctionCutter (MFC), a modular, computer-driven cutting system available with a static cutting surface or the HT MaterialFeedSystem conveyor. The customizable cutting solution can be installed in less than 9.3m2/100 ft2 of floor space and comes in size configurations from 787 mm/31 inches by 787 mm/31 inches up to 2,743 mm/108 inches by 3,350 mm/132 inches. The conveyor system indexes for continuous cutting of complete rolls or panels, regardless of length. The MFC can be fitted with any of 25 knife profiles, five different cutting heads, and five cutting inserts, including electric and pneumatic oscillating heads and tangential blades designed specifically for patterned cutting of composites, carbon fiber fabrics and prepregs. The system achieves accuracy of ±0.02 mm/0.0008 inch repeatability, at speeds ranging from 1 to 1,000 mm/0.003 to 3.3 ft per second, according to the company. Also new: A six-roll refrigerated carousel for storage of rolled goods with out-time limitations. Select 262
