CompPair adapts HealTech composites to LCM processes

CompPair Technologies (Renens, Switzerland) has taken the next step in producing HealTech, its healable composites technology, through the development of a system that is compatible with liquid composites molding (LCM) processes. In conjunction with other Swiss organizations, the company successfully demonstrated the new system’s potential with the manufacture of a wind blade turbine section.

The new system enables infused composite structures to be repaired in a few minutes while maintaining the original structure and recovering all mechanical properties following the repair. CompPair’s infusion range is expected to reach new markets, including the marine and wind energy sectors.

CompPair’s first HealTech product family is currently sold as prepregs, primarily for the sports and space sectors. Through this market implementation, its potential use with infusion technologies was recognized. As a result, the company initiated a project, supported by Innosuisse (Bern), a Swiss innovation agency, and in collaboration with EPFL-LPAC (Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites), Tissa Textiles AG and KATZ, experts in composites and polymers.

The project’s end goal was to produce a large-scale manufacturing demonstrator for the wind energy industry, to demonstrate the value of
CompPair’s smart system. The wind blade was manufactured with a mold used by Agile Wind Power (Dübendorf, Switzerland) to produce its wind turbine blades. 

The healing efficiency of composites made with this new process was measured using the flexural modulus as the parameter. Two sets of samples
were impacted and one set was healed following the impacts. The flexural modulus of the two sets (damaged and impacted) was compared against
virgin CompPair samples. The evaluated healing gave positive results, demonstrating the healed samples recovered 98% of the initial mechanical properties. 

CompPair’s smart system is compatible with existing manufacturing, at comparable performances with commercial composites, while enabling in-situ damage repair. These benefits, along with improving sustainability, are the opportunities CompPair can provide to the composites industry, the company contends. More specifically, extending the lifetime of composite parts is a key strategy to prevent waste in the industry. CompPair seeks partners wishing to improve their composite structures made with LCM processes. 

The healable infusion premiere wind demonstrator will be displayed at JEC World 2023.