Tackling challenges through innovation

Mirroring the world’s current insatiable trend for high tech materials to meet the challenges of energy costs and higher performance, JEC Europe once again continues to show steady growth, a process being replicated by its Asia show in June and the new Americas show taking place in Boston in November.

Styling itself as the only true fully international composites exhibition in the world, JEC Europe’s increased exhibition area of 49,500m2 will accommodate over 1,150 exhibitors and an anticipated 30,000 visitors over the three days.

As has been well established for some time, the European composites industry has, in relative terms, remained above the curve in terms of overall industry growth, and JEC Group president and CEO Frédérique Mutel explains that: “The composites industry in Europe should grow faster than the GDP. We forecast an increase of 4% with the main markets being transportation (aerospace and automotive) and wind energy. In 2012, the value of the European market will be €19bn, 25% of the global market of €76.4bn. In volume, this amounts to 1.8mn tons, 21% of the global market of 8.7mn tons.

“The value produced is higher in Europe than in other parts of the world as Europe is well-positioned on the high technology aerospace and wind energy sectors. In all markets, the main current trend is in improved manufacturing and the great leap is industrialisation. In automotive as well as aerospace, automation of manufacturing processes drastically reduces the cost of production.”

And this brings us neatly onto the fact that JEC has highlighted three key topics to be represented at the show and which it believes are the most important issues to be addressed by the sector – innovation networks, automation and recyclability.

Automation is a broad field including equipment, software and the integration of multiple manufacturing steps. The most significant advances over the past decade have occurred mainly in North America and Europe and are anticipated to be the chief attractions for aerospace and automotive professionals. As for recyclability, Mutel explains that: “France plays a leading role in thermoplastic composites and plant fibre‐reinforced parts. For example, Normandy is the world’s leading producer of long high end flax fibres. Furthermore Europe is becoming a leader on environmental matters and the steady flow of new regulations obliges us to review our ways of doing things.” Show and sell

The topic of innovation networks is probably best explained with JEC using itself as an example. The event also presents itself as a showcase, and to this end features a variety of additional elements to draw in the crowds as well as educate. Central to this is the Innovative Composites Summit (ICS), a programme of end user forums, cross industry forums and technical and strategy conferences tailored to all the major industry sectors and designed to preview the latest trends in composite applications. In doing so, the ICS aims to foster dialogue between professionals in academic, industrial and end user positions. The forums and conferences are based on case studies and lectures by renowned specialists in research, design, development and production, especially mass production.

The JEC Innovation Awards continue to celebrate key industry developments in the 13 categories of aeronautics, biocomposites, construction, industry, materials, process, software, sports and leisure, automotive, railway, marine and wind energy, with a special prize awarded for specialist applications.

This year the awards feature two UK-based companies. Sigmatex has won in the Materials category for the development of recycling processes for waste carbon fibre from various sources to develop yarns, tapes and fabrics. Axon Automotive has also triumphed in the Automotive category with a carbon fibre primary vehicle structure which weighs 50kg for a city car to 80kg for a medium saloon car, delivering high strength and stiffness while retaining a low weight and greater control over material placement at lower cost.

As an extension to the summit, a Composites Scientific Network at the show also serves as a platform to facilitate cooperation between the academic world and industry. In particular it aims to establish guiding principles, provide faster access to scientific development, propose training in the latest technologies and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and people. Also connecting people, a business meeting service will be up and running so that raw material suppliers, producers, distributors, processors, machinery and equipment dealers, software companies and service providers can all make direct contact. Two events dedicated to the automotive and aerospace industries will be held simultaneously with these multi-sectorial meetings. Accessible to all visitors, a Job Center service provides the opportunity to generate contacts between the skills pool and businesses looking for employees. Exhibitors will be able to post their job offers free of charge and visitors, including students, can submit their applications directly. “The composites industry is in good shape,” concludes Mutel. “Europe is leading innovation and will retain its competitive edge during the next ten years. European aeronautics companies in particular derive a significant part of their success from the collaborative effect of R&D clusters, all of which are participating at JEC Europe 2012. The European Union can be proud to offer such a platform to the world.”

UK Country of Honour

The UK will be the Country of Honour for the JEC Europe 2012 show, with Mutel explaining that “The UK composites industry has been very dynamic for the last few years. With companies and research centres supported by governmental initiatives and subsidies, we wanted to celebrate this buoyant activity.”

According to trade association Composites UK, the show goes from strength to strength each year with an increasing number of companies choosing to exhibit and visit the exhibition, so it is working with UKTI and the National Composites Centre to coordinate a greater UK presence at the 2012 show. The aim is to raise the profile of the UK composites industry and demonstrate to the international market that as a nation, we are ‘open for business’.

Composites UK is coordinating a large UK pavilion showcasing expertise from UK organisations over 200m2 of floor space. In addition to the pavilion, over 30 other UK companies are taking individual stands at the show and 2,000 UK professionals are expected to visit. UKTI TAP grants are available to support exhibiting SME companies and encourage growth in export opportunities. The forum sessions, innovation showcase area and technical sales sessions will also feature UK capability.

Furthermore, the UK ambassador has been invited to present the JEC Innovation Awards and to be guest of honour at the evening reception on 27th March.

Companies sharing the Composites UK pavilion include:
National Composites Centre
Composites Skills Alliance
British Composites Society
Farecla
Surface Generation
SGS Carbide Tool (UK)
Blackman & White
Aptec
Amber Composites
Andpak
Green Marine
Norco www.jeccomposites.com