We begin our exhibitor round-up at JEC World with Airtech Advanced Materials Group (hall 5A, stand G39). During the show, Airtech will present vacuum bagging efficiencies and tooling to meet production increases.
The company says it is developing innovative materials and processes to enable larger scale, higher rate production, reduced touch labour and reduced waste. Technologies in focus include: ComboTech, Filmcote, Engineered Kitting, Toolmaster, Heatech and Ultra High temperature materials.
Engineered kitting of process materials has been a major enabler for large scale, high rate production. Airtech says it is the only manufacturer with the capability and experience to take complex designs from concept to reality in a viable, timely process. New Ultra High temperature vacuum bagging materials for thermoplastic processes will be presented including new Fast Tack HT.
The war on single use plastic is clearly being won as exhibited on Alan Harper Composites co-exhibitor Nord Composites stand (hall 5, stand T39).
Composite infusion and prepreg moulding single use plastic now have a ‘no excuse’ alternative as exhibited. The award-winning reusable vacuum membrane technology proves that single-use consumable membranes have no place in today’s moulding cycle. Examples of many successful world users of the system will be presented, including the very latest reusable membrane technology improvements.
Resin morphing runners, which leave no trace and need no peel ply combined with moulded in-flow mesh demonstrate how this reusable membrane technology is not only meeting environmental challenges, but surpassing them by giving the moulder significant wastage and consumable savings.
Supporting the display will be the company’s live demonstrations of both VPI clean infusion moulding and high temperature comingled thermoplastic moulding.
Reusables are now well established as a viable alternative to single use consumables and visitors will have a unique opportunity to see for themselves how they too can save money and save the planet. Also, on display, will be actual production membranes which have been reused over 1,200 times without need of maintenance.
Anaglyph (hall 5, stand G101) will demonstrate the latest version of its hand-layup ply placement technology PlyMatch. PlyMatch uses augmented reality to show the live combined images of actual and target ply outlines and fibre orientation details on a monitor, so that the two can be matched by the operator. PlyMatch is used for the accurate placement of plies in hand lay-up manufacture of composite parts, as well as for monitoring and validation of automated methods.
Aro PR and Marketing (hall 6, stand S50), specialists in raising the profile of engineering, scientific and composites companies, will be showcasing its awards applications service at JEC. With a number of composites awards opening for 2019, Aro’s awards application service advises businesses on which awards to enter and how to stand out. The Aro team will be available at the show to talk through its awards application service as well as other PR and marketing needs; from media relations and social media to copywriting, web design and SEO.
Moving on, Ascent Aerospace (hall 5, stand Q11) will debut its online mould material selection guide. The digital guide was designed to capitalise on Ascent’s experience in producing moulds for composite parts to provide users with an on-demand resource for tooling guidance.
Visitors are invited to Ascent’s stand where they will get immediate recommendations. They start by inputting their requirements – size, curing details, production cycles, etc. – and will be guided to an appropriate tooling material for their manufacturing process. Onsite mould experts will be available to have additional discussions which build upon the guide’s recommendation.
The guide incorporates input from countless tool design and manufacturing engineers at Ascent’s Coast Composites facility, where the company has produced many of the largest and most complex moulds for aircraft and space programmes. The Ascent stand will also feature two demonstration tools, including a 6’ scale replica of a composite mould for a nacelle. The second demo tool will be Ascent’s patented HyVarC hybrid Invar and composite mould.
Further up the aisle, Belotti (hall 5, stand Q56) designs and manufactures 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machining centres and waterjet cutting systems. Specialising in milling and trimming of composites and light alloys, its solutions also apply to plastic, resin and wood. It offers a combination of high-quality products and reliable service, which are appreciated by prestigious customers among the automotive, aerospace, nautical, railway, patterns & moulds, design and furniture and medical sectors.
The company will showcase its FLU 2617 CNC centre series that combines compactness and flexibility to offer a suitable solution for both composite and aluminium working operations. FLU will be working live for some finishing demos during the event so that visitors can better understand how it works and the kinds of advantages it can offer.
Elsewhere, bigHead (hall 5, stand M70) will launch its latest innovation ‘Lean Bonding’ which removes many of the frustrations and difficulties in fastening lightweight composites and thin metals. The result of a multi-year collaboration with Cranfield University that was co-funded by Innovate UK, Lean Bonding has involved a number of leading technology partners in the UK, France and Germany.
bigHead focuses on the elimination of the difficulties in fastening lightweight composites and thin metal materials that cannot be welded, riveted or clinched. Lean Bonding is said to be a fast, lean and automated in a way to bond fasteners onto composites. The solution consists of a bonding fastener pre-loaded with a dry adhesive film. This combination removes any need for separate adhesive storage, handling or dispensing. The fastener is bonded onto the surface in seconds, without any damage to, or penetration of, the material. The combination of pre-applied adhesive and accurate process control ensures consistent bond line thicknesses and repeatable bond quality. Rapid green strength enables immediate part handling and minimises work in progress. The entire process can be automated on a small or large scale.
Bindatex (hall 6, stand S50) will unveil its specialist processes and cutting services at JEC World 2019. The company says it has vast experience of cutting composite carbon and glass fibre prepreg materials in diverse formats including unidirectional (UD) tapes and traverse wound spools; thermoplastic and thermoset carbon fibre prepreg; woven fabrics; multi-axial fabrics and non-woven materials.
In the next hall, CGTech (hall 5, stand Q49) will demonstrate how advanced programming strategies and simulation can lead to better composite parts. The company will also demonstrate Composites V8.1.2, the latest version of VERICUT Composite Programming (VCP) and VERICUT Composite Simulation (VCS).
CGTech’s Composites V8.1.2 release of VCP and VCS features a completely redefined Graphical User Interface (GUI), enhanced suite of programming and analysis tools, and redefined methodology through the use of the powerful new Laminate Manager.
With more information available than ever before, part programmers can generate and export part statistics directly from VCP. CGTech will also exhibit VERICUT 8.2, a leading CNC machine simulation, verification and optimisation software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs.
Meanwhile, CMS (hall 5, stand Q41) will promote its range of 5-axis CNC machining centres for high speed machining of composite and aluminium with emphasis on the Ethos K Compact 5-axis CNC machine centre with large capacity designed by CMS to meet the most challenging of machining requirements. Its design, incorporating a monolithic structure with balanced dynamics, high acceleration rates and inherent structural stiffness, delivers the optimum in terms of material removal rates, contouring precision and levels of positional accuracy and repeatability.
Recent developments to CMS’ Antares machine include the introduction of full-flood coolant capability, optional longer Y-axis travel of 2,800mm and the introduction of the HX5 rotary axes unit with fork design and 20kW synchronous spindle. An ultrasonic cutting attachment can be installed on new CMS 5-axis machining centres to provide high-speed cutting of core materials. A special toolholder and automatically interchangeable ultrasonic stack is controlled in continuous 6-axis motion to cut the most complex 3D shapes with no noise, dust or debris. Combined with standard rotating milling tools, this solution provides full flexibility in a single machine.
CMS is also developing the Kreator, a range of innovative large-sized hybrid 3D printing/milling machines. The new system will be available in several configurations and sizes, to cover a variety of industrial needs, mainly targeted toward the manufacture of prototypes and special parts. The range of materials used by Kreator includes ABS, PA and high-performance polymers, mixed with short fibre carbon fibre and glass fibre to provide 40% fibre content.
Check out Czech-based CompoTech’s (hall 6, stand E57) innovative composite process and structure for manufacturing an aileron for the new L-39NG trainer jet produced by Aero Vodochody Aerospace. The process enables nearly all production steps to be automated with no requirement for sandwich core structure or secondary bonding. The result is an axially and torsional stiff construction with excellent fatigue properties without the risk of delamination to the outer skin and at the trailing edge.
The innovation is in both the process - applying of robotic filament winding and laying for automated production of wing structures - and the structure, moving away from traditional moulded skin bonded to a bulkhead. The box beams together form the profile of the wing section. Before curing, with the tooling still in place, the outer layers are wound, thus consolidating the internal beams and forming the shape of the aileron. The outer surface is then pressed with a flexible vacuum mould at room temperature. The part is then cured in one step and does not need secondary bonded parts.
Having the outer skin fibres continuously around the whole structure increases the overall structural integrity. Combined with the fact that that there is no core material or secondary bonding required the homogenous structure has less risk of delamination. Having undergone simulated load and pressure tests the part was used for the L-39NG’s first flight late in December 2018.
Custom machine builder, Cygnet Texkimp (hall 5, stand L62) will demonstrate its new filament winding technology at JEC. The fibre converting specialist will mark the launch of its 4-axis filament winder by showcasing the full, production-scale machine at its stand. Its launch comes two years after Cygnet Texkimp brought to market the world’s first robotic 3D winding machine, the 3D Winder, to create complex composite parts in high volumes and at high speeds. It’s also a year since the launch of the company’s robotic filament winding machine.
In the same hall, DK Holdings (hall 5, stand C75) will showcase its range of stock and custom-made tooling, developed to accommodate cutting, grinding, drilling, countersinking, counterboring and routing applications. Highly concentrated diamonds, bonded by electroplating, are utilised to give the customer maximum product performance. These diamond bonded products are manufactured in the UK by DK Holdings in the form of tools such as saw blades, routers, burrs, bandsaws, holesaws, countersinks, counterbores, twist drills, surface planers and backface cutters. The company also offers an electroplated diamond strip and replate service which includes the re-machining of the blank if necessary, to bring the product back to original specification.
A range of bespoke automated solutions custom-engineered for the industry will be demonstrated on Eastman’s stand (hall 6, stand D59). The company has appointed the UK’s iSpecc to represent its line of automated cutting systems and material handling equipment for the composites market. iSpecc will be represented together with Eastman during the show.
iSpecc offer a variety of equipment and industrial services with in-depth knowledge of capital plant, including Eastman cutting systems, robotic production cells, industrial ovens, presses, hot drape formers, RTM equipment and advanced mould/tools. A demonstration facility featuring a range of Eastman solutions is expected to be established together with iSpecc by 2020. The site will be open for cutting trials and software training to all customers in the EU.
During JEC, Fives (hall 5, stand N41) will present the next generation sensor for in-process inspection of carbon-reinforced fibre layups, which can save up to 30% of the processing time compared to layup operations utilising manual inspection. Fives’ sensor employs optical techniques co-developed between Fives at its Seattle-area location and Conseil National de Recherches Canada (NRC-Canada), who holds the basis patent and has licensed it exclusively to Fives for composite applications.
In extensive tests conducted over the past eighteen months on a Cincinnati Viper 4000, the sensor has demonstrated significantly improved results over Line Laser Triangulation, which is the technique utilised by current in-line inspection offerings.
This superiority is manifested in the Fives sensor’s ability to track complex surfaces, measure and characterise parameters which have previously been impossible to capture on-line, and in its ability to measure consistently over a variety of materials. The packaging of the unit improves integration with the fibre placement head, thus enabling real-time measurement at the point of fibre placement, and the data analytics capability enables the manufacturer to characterise aggregate properties of the defects, such as spatial distribution, in addition to individual properties.
Moving on, Imetrum (hall 6, stand N4) will be demonstrating its measurement capability in the SME Village throughout the show. Visitors will get the opportunity to discover the latest addition to the UVX range – the 300 series - which is due to be launched this June. The UVX 300 series takes into consideration out-of-plane movement, which is essential in material testing, and ensures Imetrum continues to lead the way in non-contact video extensometry.
Instron (hall 5, stand M87) supplies a range of static, dynamic and impact testing equipment covering all of the main composites testing standards, including the appropriate, Nadcap requirements. These systems combine high performance and flexibility allowing users to easily swap between test types and configurations. All of the systems are controlled by powerful, easy to use software, which include test libraries covering a wide range of standard composite methods to international (ASTM, EN and ISO) and manufacturers test standards. Visit the Instron stand to see examples of testing systems, accessories and software for the testing of composites.
At this year’s event, CNC specialist, MAKA (hall 6, stand A64) says its focus is on boatbuilding. A model of a new yacht will be featured, produced by Tunisian company, Rassas Construction who use MAKA’s type BC 570 moving bridge centre in its boat production. The 5-axis technology of the BC 570 allows for usable lengths of up to 50m, a travel distance of up to 6m, and a Z-axis stroke of up to 4.25m for complete full-size hulls. Rigid construction and high-performance ensure exceptional accuracy and efficiency of machining. The MAKA machines are used both for making models made of plastic blocks, as well as for cutting work of any kind on hulls and interior parts.
METYX Group (hall 6, stand J6) will showcase its TYCOR fibre reinforced core sheet material, now produced by METYX USA. The addition of TYCOR strengthens METYX’s high performance technical textile product offering to North American customers looking for lightweight composite material solutions. TYCOR is a dry fibre and foam core, drapable, sandwich preform which achieves its final end use properties though the vacuum infusion process, such as VARTM. TYCOR fibre reinforced cores provide design engineers and convertors with an alternative reinforcement material to balsa and conventional PVC foam cores.
In the same hall, Macedonian 6-axis filament winding, AFP/ATL robotic and gantry machine and automated production specialists, Mikrosam (hall 6, stand D51) says it has developed an automated process for fabrication of thermoplastic composites without the use of any moulds or tools.
Mikrosam used its advanced AFP and ATL systems to create an integrated manufacturing cell with dual robots working in tandem: one robot lays up thermoplastic UD tape, another robot acts as a tool. The movements of the robots are precise and coordinated to obtain spatial 3D in-situ consolidation. The integration is controlled using Mikrosam's advanced simulation, control and automation software MikroPlace and MikroAutomate which allows for coordination of multiple robots in a single cell to produce a composite part.
The Multi-Robot system – a patent-pending innovation – produced 3D composite parts – flat, spherical and bathtub shapes – in-situ consolidated without an autoclave. The systems use a laser with precise temperature and angle control, and a closed-loop feedback with custom thermal models for thermoplastic samples with better mechanical properties. It leverages the advances in Mikrosam’s thermoplastics layup from many development projects with tier one aerospace suppliers over the past couple of years.
You can witness Oxford Advanced Surfaces’ (hall 6A, stand S50) range of surface treatments to prepare composites and engineering plastics for coating and bonding while addressing the shortcomings of current surface preparations. Based on a patented reactive chemistry platform, ‘Onto’ has the ability to improve the surface adhesion of most polymeric materials, creating an effective adhesion promoter. It removes the need for time-consuming, labour-intensive surface preparation to allow fast, easy and repeatable surface preparation of composites and plastics. Onto is simple to apply by spray, so that painting or coating becomes easier, providing a uniform surface across different materials to achieve a high class, durable finish. While using heat is a common and effective method for curing existing Onto surface treatment solutions, the company acknowledges that for some materials and higher volume applications, this may not be the most suitable method, so has introduced a new product that can be cured using a drying step followed by Ultra-Violet (UV) light activation that is more suitable for use in painting processes.
The PRF Composites team (hall 5a, stand E41) will be discussing its new UD prepreg manufacturing and materials at this year’s event. Following the success of its prepreg range, including class-leading tooling and component systems, PRF has continued its drive for growth and development by increasing UD prepreg manufacturing on site. The company’s new UD line, installed at its prepreg manufacturing facility, is supported by R&D chemists and in-house resin system development - making these new materials fully compatible with PRF’s range of woven prepregs - and extensive lab facilities equipped for mechanical testing, rheology, DMA and DSC. The team will be discussing the new UD prepreg range with visitors along with its wider range of advanced composite materials, including high-performance reinforcements, epoxy resin systems, Qiicote mould release, kitting services and more.
Roth Composite Machinery (hall 5, stand D39) will showcase its machine manufacturer competences in filament winding, prepreg and organic sheet production. Further focus of Roth’s presentation are machines for lightweight prepregs, high-speed filament winding with the Rothawin technology, fully-automated production lines and the Type 1-ECO machine for manual production cells.
Scott Bader (hall 6, stand M27) will launch two products: its new Crestafire intumescent FST system and Crestapol 1270, a new premium urethane acrylate resin for SMC and BMC. It will also introduce Crestamould, a new brand for the company’s matched tooling systems. 2019 sees an addition to the established Crestapol family: Crestapol 1270 is a new premium urethane acrylate resin offering high performance for SMC and BMC. Other key products and services include: Crystic Ecogel ultra low styrene spray gelcoats, Crestomer, Crestabond and Crestafix structural adhesives and bonding pastes and Scott Bader’s rapid GelTint service. Visitors to the stand will also have the opportunity to see a Cobra Shelby supercar from Backdraft Racing. The Cobras’ composite car bodies are completely built using Scott Bader resins, gelcoats and adhesive systems.
Exhibiting at JEC World for the very first time, Sharp & Tappin Technology (hall 6, stand B84), a precision engineering company based in the UK’s West country, will be making the most of the exhibition as a platform to launch its highly regarded Compcut range of composite machining solutions to the wider European market.
At JEC World, the company will highlight its Compcut 200 model a compact ‘entry level’ unit, which has proved extremely popular across the UK with R&D facilities, universities and test centres, offering very affordable access to an easy to use though inherently sophisticated and robust plate saw. To underpin the company’s confidence in its composite plate saws’ performance - a Compcut 200 unit will be working on the stand throughout the show cutting samples across a wide range of composite materials.
Technical Fibre Products (hall 5, stand P32) will launch its range of next generation surfacing and adhesive support veils. The new range of materials have been designed to offer superior flexibility and surface smoothness and supplement its current range of Optiveil materials, which are already used extensively in this application.
The next generation veils are manufactured from a range of different fibre types, including micro denier polyester and Kuraray’s WRAMP fibre (a polyester-polyamide hybrid). These microfibres have a finer diameter than TFP’s standard polyester products, measuring 4 and 5μm compared to 12 and 7μm respectively. This means there is significantly more fibres per gram of material – nearly 18 million fibres versus 2 million in the standard polyester nonwovens; producing a different, closer, pore structure with a higher surface area.
The increased surface smoothness of these thermoplastic veils also makes them even more suitable for use as adhesive carrier or support veils, an already popular application for TFP’s Optiveil materials. The fibre structure has been optimised to deliver a uniform wet out of adhesive, ensuring a defined and consistent film thickness, as well as improving the resilience and handling of the final product. The lightweight veils also act as a support substrate for other fragile materials; enhancing the ease of handling and resilience with only a minimal weight addition.
Thermwood (hall 6, stand P50d) says it offers both 3- and 5-axis CNC machining centres ideally suited for the production, fabrication and trimming of composites and other advanced materials. These applications range from machining patterns and moulds/plugs to trimming and machining production products for various industries.
Thermwood also offers a Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) system for 3D printing reinforced thermoplastic composite materials for producing industrial tooling, moulds, patterns, masters, plugs and fixtures. The LSAM can perform both the additive and subtractive functions on the same machine. This approach, called near-net shape, uses carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material to quickly create a part that is nearly, but not exactly, the final net shape.
The subtractive function then machines the part to the exact final net shape. The build envelope for the LSAM starts at 10ft wide - 5ft tall - up to 100ft in length. The LSAM has printed a variety of materials including ABS, PPS, PSU, PESU, Nylon, Polycarbonate, Ultem and more, all with varying percentages of carbon fibre fill. The LSAM can print from 190lbs up to 570lbs per hour.
Building on last year’s successful exhibition, the UK will again have a presence at JEC World 2019. This year the UK Pavilion (hall 6, stand S50) is a collaboration between the Department for International Trade, the Welsh Government, Composites UK and the National Composites Centre, to promote the UK’s excellence in the composites sector. There will also 22 companies that have been recruited from across the UK composite supply chain.
The pavilion will act as a focal point to facilitate interaction with the UK and global composites industry. A networking reception sponsored by the Midlands Engine is being held on the stand on the afternoon of Wednesday 13th March with other events and initiatives to be announced in due course.
Web Industries’ Aerospace (hall 5, stand L6) division will highlight its capabilities in the formatting of flexible thermoplastic composite materials for next-generation aerospace applications. Web Industries processes PEEK, PEKK and PAEK thermoplastic resin prepregs into easy-to-fabricate formats such as slit tapes, chopped flakes and bias ply rolls. The formatted materials facilitate the production of complex aerospace components and promote short cycle times and rapid fabrication using automated processes. Samples of Web-formatted thermoplastic materials will be on display at the show.
Web’s PrecisionSlit cutting technology supports the slitting of both thermoset and thermoplastic prepreg composite tapes to widths as narrow as 3.2mm. Web can match tape lengths, winding patterns, liner materials and spool sizes to specific application requirements, providing custom-formatted materials that streamline work flows, increase production rates and reduce overall waste. Web’s slit tape cutting technologies are qualified for all major automated fibre placement and automated tape laying machinery.
Finally, Zünd (hall 6, stand D27) will present its digital cutting solutions. The company’s cutting systems are geared towards fully-automated production, allowing for gradual implementation with a wide array of semi-automated options.
Raw materials including carbon or glass fibre, semi-finished products, such as prepreg or thermoplastic organo sheets, honeycomb, foamcore and related materials – they are all part of the wide variety of materials used in the composites industry. Zünd says all of these materials can be cut on a single, multi-functional cutting system.
In Industry 4.0 in general and composites cutting in particular, barrier-free data flow is key to establishing efficient production workflows. With software solutions from Zünd, users are well equipped to handle the tough demands of a challenging market. The software automatically optimises cutting contours and cut paths depending on the material and choice of tools. With the integrated nesting function, parts are laid out automatically for optimal material usage. In view of the rising cost of materials, optimum material yield and uncompromising cut quality are essential to economical and profitable digital cutting.
Zünd says its cutting solutions also excel in low total cost of ownership, and because of their good value retention, depreciation is very low. At the same time, high reliability minimises maintenance and downtime. And with superior automation at any level, Zünd cutters help reduce the cost of labour.
