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    From carbon fiber to nanotubes Carbon transforms wind farm access  Why not composites in ships?

    www.reinforcedplastics.com

    the voice of the composites industry worldwide

    MARCH/APRIL 20

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    Submit your paper today 

    www.nanoenergyjournal.com

    ‘Research in energy will be at the core of science andtechnology for decades to come, and will affect the qualityof life for every one of us. My intention is that the

     journal of Nano Energy will become a leading platform tocommunicate global research in green and sustainableenergy using nanomaterials and nanotechnology.’

    Z.L. Wang, Editor-in-Chief 

    School of Materials Science & Engineering,Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th Street NW,

    Atlanta, GA 30332, USA, Email: [email protected]

    Nano Energy publishes original experimentaland theoretical research on all aspects ofenergy-related research which utilizes nanomaterialsand nanotechnology. Manuscripts of four types are considered: reviewarticles which inform readers of the latest research and advances in

    energy science; rapid communications which feature exciting researchbreakthroughs in the fi eld; full-length articles which report comprehensiveresearch developments; and news and opinions which comment on

     topical issues or express views on the developments in related fi elds.

    The editors welcome contributions on a variety of topics such as:Batteries | Fuel Cells | Hydrogen generation and storage | Light emittingdiodes | Optoelectronic devices for effi cient energy usage | Photovoltaics| Piezoelectric nanogenerators | Policy and perspectives in energy | Self-

    powered nanodevices/nanosystems | Supercapacitors | Thermoelectrics

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    CONTENTS 1

     March/April 2015

    Volume 59 Number 2

    pp. 57–102

    Image: Innovation at JEC: Scott Bader exhibited

    the Spanish Ariane 3 racing motorcycle at JEC.

    It includes the company’s Crystic gel-coated

    and vacuum infused carbon fiber Crestapol

    1250LV resin composite body panel parts,

    bonded with Crestabond structural adhesive.

    Photo Scott Bader.

    REGULAR SECTIONS

    57 RP Rewind

    58 Applications

    66 Business

    75 Technology

    100 Events

    Reinforced Plastics, ISSN 00343617, is published bi-monthly by Elsevier Ltd, OX5 1GB, United Kingdom.

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    © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright, and the following terms and

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    CONTENTS 2

    FEATURES

    82 From carbon fiber to nanotubes: when size mattersLaurie Winkless

    86 Carbon transforms wind farm access

    George Marsh

    90 Why not composites in ships?Stella Job

    94 Characterization and simulation of structural fabrics – Part 1:

    A cross-industry review of approaches to composites engineeringTom James

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    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   RP REWIND

    RP RewindLiz Nickels leafs through past issues of  Reinforced Plastics to find out what was happening in the PM industry of thepast.5 years ago. . .

    ‘Theautomotive industry has started to takecarbon fiber composites very seriously,’ said

    editor Amanda Jacob, highlighting some of 

    the new partnerships between composite

    manufacturers and automotive companies

    this month. The latest partnership focusing

    on the volume production of composites

    for automotive use was Audi and Voith,

    while fellow German car makers BMW

    and Daimler (Mercedes Benz) had already

    setup jointventures to develop carbonfiber

    components for their vehicles with SGL and

    Toray, respectively.

    Asia led growth in global wind power this

    month, growing 35.8 GW in 2010 bringing

    total global capacity to 194.4 GW–up 22.5%

    from 2009, according to the Global Wind

    Energy Council (GWEC). Asia accounted for

    19 GW of new global wind power installa-

    tions, driven by China, which installed

    16.5 GW. With 42.3 GW of wind power,

    China surpassed the US in terms of total

    installed capacity.

    However, the global wind power market

    was down for the first time in 20 years and

    new installations fell 7% compared to 2009,

    mainly due to a disappointing year in the

    USA, as wellas a slowdownin Europe. Unlike

    previous years, more than half of installa-

    tions were outside the traditional markets of 

    Europe andNorthAmerica andthe USsaw its

    annual wind power installations halve from

    10 GW in 2009 to just over 5 GW in 2010.

    10 years ago. . . Reinforced Plastics   celebrated its 50th anni-

    versary. Launched in September 1956 by a

    small London-based publisher, the maga-

    zine was acquired by global media groupElsevier in 1989 and since then has grown

    in both content and readership to become

    the industry’s only truly global magazine,

    read and respected by composites suppliers

    and manufacturers allaround theworld. So,

    happy 60th birthday  Reinforced Plastics!

    The magazine also featured the Earthrace

    project, which aimed to break the world

    record for circumnavigating the globe in a

    powerboat using only biodiesel renewable

    fuel. The eco-friendly vessel, designed by

    LOMOcean Design and built by Calibre

    Boats in Auckland, New Zealand featured a

    hull composed of a composite carbon fiber

    and kevlar with a non-toxic anti-fouling

    paint.

    However, as it turned out, the first

    attempt at the global circumnavigation

    record in 2007 turned out to be ill-fated,

    with the boat several times encountering

    mechanical problems. It later collided with

    a Guatemalan fishing boat, killing one of 

    the other boat’s crew. While the crew of the

     Earthrace  was later absolved of any respon-

    sibility, the delay forced the restart of the

    record attempt, while more mechanical

    issues later aborted it. In 2009 the re-named

    and repainted powerboat collided with a

     Japanese craft during anti-whaling opera-

    tions. A salvage operation was abandoned,

    with the vessel sinking the next day.

    20 years ago. . .‘The interest generated by JEC seems to

    grow almost exponentially every year,’ said

    editor Amanda Weaver, noting the growth

    in composites shows worldwide. ‘It is now

    time that this pre-eminence was recognizedand the composites calendar was rational-

    ized. There is certainly room for a number

    of composites events throughout Europe

    but why not aim to be complimentary

    rather than competitive.’ TheJEC Company

    created in December 1996 as a subsidiary of

    CPC, the Center for Promotion of Compo-

    sites, has reportedly increased sixfold in

    scope, network and number of employees

    since then.

    In India there was news that fibe

    reinforced plastic (FRP) has superseded

    aluminum and steel as the material o

    choice for making the roof, floor and win

    dow panels of buses in India. M/s PEETEE

    Coach Builders used chopped strand mat

    from FGP Ltd, Hyderabad, and polyester

    resin from M/s Naphta Resins & Chemicals

    Ltd, Bangalore.

    An unusual application for glass fiber

    reinforced plastic was reported when an

    aquarium was researching suitable materials

    for its fish-carrying tanks. For this job specia

    tankshad to be built and fared onto the deck

    of a boat that would be sturdy and not give

    off any toxic or harmful substances.

    The basic tank was constructed of marine

    plywood reinforced with AFI Fiberglass

    chopped strandmat andwovenroving both

    inside and outside. Polyester resin was used

    on the outside and special solvent-free Wes

    System epoxy with a ceramic epoxy flow-

    coat was used on the inside. The material

    turned out to be to be strong, light, durable

    long lasting, smooth on the inside and

    above all environmentally-friendly.

    0034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2015.01.04957

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    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   APPLICATIONS

    Applications[Composite hatch cover approved for use in commercial shipThe first ever approval of a structural com-

    posite part for a commercial ship was an-

    nounced at the E-LASS (European networkfor lightweight applications at sea) meeting

    in Southampton, UK on 14th January. The

    designer, Ragnar Hansen of Hansen Engi-

    neering, described the process which led to

    approval being received from Panama Mar-

    itime Authority on 11th December 2014 for

    retrofit of FRP (fibre reinforced plastic)

    hatch covers to replace traditional steel

    ones on a bulk carrier.

    The design for the 17   [m    8 m FRP hatch

    covers has several benefits. It reduces

    weight (typically   [35–40% of steel), result-

    ing in fuelsavingand/or increased cargo, as

    well as easier crane handling and lighter

    motors. No corrosion means better seal

    performance, reducing risk of damage to

    cargo.

    [Approval for conversion has been given

    for a 225   [m    32 m cargo vessel owned by

    Danish shipping company Nordic Bulk Car-

    riers AS. Hansen worked with classification

    society DNV-GL and fire experts at SP Tech-

    nical Research Institute of Sweden to pro-

    vide the design and risk assessment for the

    conversion project specification developed

    by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Tommy

    Hertzberg, chair of E-LASS and a fire re-

    searcher at SP, describes this as a break-

    through.

    The IMO SOLAS (International Maritime

    Organization Safety of Life at Sea) regula-

    tions are based on steel and require struc-

    tural materials to be non-combustible,

    although an alternative design approach

    with risk analysis has been possible since

    2002. This is the first time a composite part

    has been approved using the alternative

    design approach. A current IMO committee

    is developing guidelines to help national

    authorities to assess FRP designs.

    For a fuller discussion[6_TD DIFF], see ‘Why not

    Composites in Ships?’.

    [

    Stella Job

    Panamax Bulk Carrier. Photo courtesy of Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

    580034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2015.02.014

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    [Scott Bader showcases new applications at JECScott Bader exhibited a range of new appli-

    cations featuring its advanced composites

    materials and adhesives at the JEC Compo-

    sites show which took place in March.

    New applications on display included the

    Spanish Ariane 3 racing motorcycle which

    includes the company’s Crystic gel-coatedand vacuum infused carbon fiber Crestapol

    1250LV resin composite body panel parts,

    bonded with Crestabond structural adhesive.

    Also on show was a new design carbon

    fiber racing canoe for the Estonian Olympic

    squad, also Crystic gel-coated and vacuum

    moulded using Crestapol 1250LV infusion

    resin.

    New innovationsNew for 2015 is ‘GelTint’, a fully automat-

    ed, high speed gelcoat volumetric tinting

    and colour matching service developed by

    Scott Bader’s R & D group, which was offi-

    cially launched at JEC Europe. According to

    Scott Bader, this new gelcoat service is able

    to rapidly fulfil orders in 20 kg batches for a

    pigmented gelcoat from the full RAL colour

    range, with the new tinting system also able

    to colour match to order from a suitable

    sample provided. The new volumetric tint-

    ing system can pigment any gelcoat base

    resin and brush and spray grades are offeredacross the Crystic gelcoat range. Currently

    the ‘GelTint’ service is only available to UK

    customers, but plans are already in place to

    extend the service more locally across Eur

    ope and beyond later in the year.

    Scott Bader; www.scottbader.com

    [

    [Dyneema chains could replace steelDSM Dyneema has formed a partnership

    with Load Solutions AS based in Bergen,

    Norway to develop link chains made with

    Dyneema fiber.

    The industrial link chains used for han-

    dling heavy loads and lashing cargo are

    traditionally made of iron or steel. These

    chains, called TYCAN, are made from web-

    bings made of DSM’s ultrahigh molecular

    weight polyethylene (UHMwPE) fiber.

    According to the company, the chains

    have economic, environmental and safety

    advantages over traditional chains. ‘DSM

    Dyneema and Load Solutions came togeth-

    er because we both understood the over-

    whelming advantages of link chains made

    with Dyneema,’ says Dietrich Wienke, man-

    ager of new business development at DSM

    Dyneema. ‘Our fiber is the only fiber in the

    world capable of giving the TYCAN chains

    what they need: superior strength at lowest

    weight, unbeatable bending fatigue and

    abrasion resistance, plus excellent outdoor

    performance and endurance even in very

    harsh operating conditions.’

    Float on waterThe fiber also makes the chains resistant to

    chemicals and seawater-proof, and because

    Dyneema has a density of less than one,

    TYCAN is reportedly the only chain in the

    world that floats on water.

    The chains canbe wrapped over the edges

    of cargo without suffering any damage and

    withstand the sorts of shock loads that may

    occur on ships sailing through very stormy

    weather, without any stretching that might

    cause the cargo to shift. Chains are also

    more flexible than ropes for holding heavy

    loads, and it is very easy to shorten link

    chains to the required length for any par-

    ticular job, by doubling them back using

    hooks.

    The TYCAN chains can hold in place a

    wind turbine wing weighing six tonnes, a

    60-tonne battle tank, or even a 600-tonne

    electrical mega power transformer, the

    company says.

    The chains have already passed the

    first and second levels of certification

    by DNV GL, the international classifica

    tion society, while full and final certifica

    tion of the chains is expected in early

    2015.

    DSM Dyneema; www.dyneema.com[

    [IACMI backs composite natural-gas vehicle fuel tanksA research team led by the University of 

    Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) plans to

    research the development affordable com-

    posite natural-gas vehicle fuel tanks under

    the new Institute for Advanced Composites

    Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI).

    UDRI will lead the initiative for the

    development of compressed-gas storage

    vessels for the automotive and trucking

    industry. ‘The demand for compressed nat-

    ural gas as a lower-cost, cleaner-burning

    alternative to diesel and gasoline fuel for

    vehicles continues togrow,’ saidBrianRice,

    who heads the Research Institute’s multi-

    scale composites and polymers division

    and will serve as director for the com-

    pressed-gas storage initiative. ‘In order for

    natural gas fuel to be efficiently and safely

    used to power vehicles, the transportation

    industry needs an affordable, lightweight

    but high-strength compressed-gas fue

    tank. Our team will work to design and

    develop tanks and manufacturing process

    es that can be mass produced at low cost

    Spanish racing motorcycle Ariane 3, with carbon

    fiber reinforced body panel parts, molded by

    Karbonius for ArianTech Ingenieria, S.L.

    Because the fiber has a density of less than one,

    TYCAN is reportedly the only chain in the world

    that floats on water.

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   APPLICATIONS

    59

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    while minimizing energy use and waste

    production.’

    Rice said the research and development

    through the initiative will target semi-trail-

    er trucks first, followed by commercial box

    trucks and, eventually, automobiles.

    Besides developing materials and

    manufacturing processes, the com-

    pressed-gas storage initiative team will al-

    so work to develop jobs to meet the

    workforce created by the initiative, as well

    as to educate and train workers to fill

    them.

    University of Dayton Research Institute

    (UDRI); www.udri.udayton.edu

    [Lightweight canoes feature TeXtreme fiber fabricsCanadian canoe manufacturer Swift Canes

    & Kayaks has released a version of their

    Keewaydin 16 model, featuring TeXtreme

    Spread Tow carbon fabrics.

    The company has also introduced its

    Prospector 16 model built with a TeXtreme

    hybrid fabric made of co-mingled carbon

    fiber and Innegra tapes at the Toronto Boat

    Show.

    ‘Advancements in carbon fiber technol-

    ogy are changing the way we design pro-

    ducts,’ said Bill Swift, President of Swift

    Canoe & Kayaks. ‘It has changed the ap-

    proach of the automotive, sailing, hockey,

    cycling, and aerospace worlds, to name a

    few, and its effect on the paddle sports

    industry is growing exponentially. Using

    TeXtreme creates an ultra-lightweight

    canoe that’s got an unmatched strength

    to weight ratio. Using our signature resin

    infusion process, the TeXtreme cloth gen-

    erates a unique pattern on the hull that’s

    coupled with increased abrasion resis-

    tance compared to our standard carbon

    cloth.’

    [Weight savingsUsing TeXtreme can achieve weight savings

    of about  [

    20-30% on the finished composite

    parts, compared to when using convention-

    al carbon fiber reinforcements, the compa-

    ny says.

    TeXtreme;   [www.textreme.com

    [

    [Ford develops carbon fiber ‘‘supercar’’Ford has developed the Ford GT, a

    lightweight aerodynamic vehicle which

    makes extensive use of carbon fiberparts.

    Theparts include a carbonfiber passenger

    cell and body panels, while the front and

    rear subframes are made of aluminum

    encapsulated in structural carbon fiber.

    The car features the new twin-turbo-

    charged Ford EcoBoost V6 engine which

    produces more than 600 horsepower. The

    supercar features rear-wheel drive, a mid-

    mounted engine, and a two-door coupe

    body shell.

    The GT is one of more than 12 new

    Ford Performance vehicles available by2020.

    Ford; www.ford.com

    [

    The TeXtreme cloth generates a unique pattern

    on the hull.

    The Ford GT, a lightweight aerodynamic vehicle which makes extensive use of carbon fiber parts.

    APPLICATIONS   Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015

    60

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    [Lehmann & Voss & Co develops new material for gear wheelsLehmann & Voss & Co has developed new

    composite materials for the production of 

    plastic gear wheels that are more resilient

    even at elevated temperatures.

    LUVOCOM 1-8181 and 1-8520 carbon-

    fiber filled PA 66 have been especially de-

    veloped for gear wheels subject to higherloads. The materials’ strengths at room tem-

    perature and at 1208C have been increased

    by approximately 100% compared with

    POM, and they also have a specially

    adjusted impact strength. The continuous

    operating temperature is 1208C and 1508C

    for short periods.

    According to the company, plastic gear

    wheels are displacing conventional metal

    designs in many industrial applications due

    to their good processing characteristics and

    cost-effective large-series production, along

    with high noise insulation, low weight,functional integration and chemical resis-

    tance. Thermally resistant plastic gear

    wheels are particularly in demand within

    the engine compartment.

    Lehmann & Voss & Co; www.lehvoss.de

    [2H Offshore develops new composite pipe design2H Offshore, an Acteon company, has

    joined with oil and gas industry

    leaders to develop a new design guideline

    for thermoplastic composite pipes

    (TCP).

    Theaim of theJoint IndustryProject (JIP)

    is to improve the understanding and use

    of composite materials in the offshore

    industry.

    It began in October and will take a year to

    complete.

    ‘Our involvement in this JIP underlines

    our commitment to supporting the use of 

    composite materials within the offshore

    industry,’ said Tim Eyles, managing direc-

    tor, 2H. ‘Composite pipes have many

    advantages. Their good fatigue perfor-

    mance and reduced cross-sectional weight

    may help to overcome technical chal

    lenges in the industry, especially in deeper

    water and harsh environments. 2H ha

    experience in using composite materials

    in risers and is committed to using emerg

    ing technologies to find the best technica

    solutions to meet the needs of our

    clients.’

    2H Offshore;   [www.2hoffshore.com

    [Russia composite center to produce FRP busesRUSSIAN ENGINEERING HUB the Nano-

    technological Center of Composites and

    Hungarian engineering company Evopro

    have signed an agreement to produce mod-

    ular buses with composite bodies.The first batch of 50 buses will be pro-

    duced in 2015.

    Production of composite modules via

    vacuum infusion, RTM, and long fiber in-

    jection will be powered by the Nanotech-

    nological Center of Composites, and the

    bus parts will be sent to Hungary for final

    assembly, including installation of engine,

    chassis, gluing in glasses and installation of 

    other elements.

    ‘‘A modular approach allows the produc-

    tion of wide range of vehicles in the most

    cost-effective way, from compact and man-

    oeuvrable buses and trolley buses, which

    could be compared to mini-buses, to capa-

    cious multi-section buses and trolley bus-

    es,’’ said Csaba Meszaros, president oEvopro Group. ‘‘Apart from properties of

    the body, clients will be able to choose type

    of propulsion system: a bus can run on

    diesel, CNG or electricity.’’

    Weight reductionThe buses’ self-supporting composite bod

    ies can help reduce vehicle weight along

    with fuel/power consumption and exhaust

    fuels emissions.

    According to the company, plastic gear wheels are displacing conventional metal designs in many

    industrial applications.

    The buses’ self-supporting composite bodies can

    help reduce vehicle weight.

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   APPLICATIONS

    61

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    ‘‘The roleof theNanotechnological Cen-

    ter is not limited to manufacturing. Com-

    pany engineers are also involved in bus

    body optimisation,’’ said Mikhail Sto-

    lyarov, general director of the Nanotech-

    nological Center of Composites. ‘‘We will

    develop a complete set of design and pro-

    cess documentation allowing us to launch

    licence manufacturing anywhere in the

    world.’’

    Nanotechnological Center of Composites;

    www.hccomposite.com

    [NASA grant to create composite Lego in Space

    An engineer from the University of Massa-chusetts in the US has been awarded a grant

    from NASA to develop composite materials

    for use in space.

    TheNASAEarly Career FacultySpaceTech-

    nology Research Grant program is designed

    to accelerate the development of innovative

    technologies in academia that address the

    needs in America’s space program as well as

    other government agencies and the com-

    mercial flight industry. Hansen’s grant is

    worth approximately US$579,000 spread

    over a period of three years.

    Mechanical engineering assistant profes-

    sor Chris Hansen’s project, entitled ‘‘Design

    and Fabrication of Aerospace-Grade Digital

    Composite Materials,’’ was identified by the

    space agency as a technology that could

    address the challenges in developing light-

    weight and multifunctional construction

    materials and structures for use in future

    science and human exploration missions.

    Typical materials used on Earth to build

    structures, such as aluminum and steel, can

    be heavy and expensive to send into space.

    Lightweight parts‘A kilogram of material can cost up to

    US$10,000 to fly into space due to the fuel

    requirements of the booster rocket,’ said

    Hansen, who is the principal investigator

    for the project. ‘That’s why NASA is inter-

    ested in funding research to develop very

    strong yet lightweight components or

    building blocks made of fiber-reinforced

    composite materials.’

    Hansen’s goal is to create a range of one-

    dimensional struts and two-dimensional

    plates components that can be assembled

    into a panel, sphere, cube, cylinder, boom,

    like space Lego, where interlocking pieces

    can be assembled in many ways to build a

    whole range of structures — from pressur-

    ized crew and laboratory modules to exter-

    nal trusses, nodes, solar arrays, antennas

    and other components like those found

    in the International Space Station.

    ‘My research aims to conduct fundamen-

    tal computational design and optimization

    of composite materials followed by experi-mentation in order to manufacture parts

    and test structures for aerospace applica-

    tions,’ he said.

    Material choiceHe will use fabrication techniques such as

    pultrusion and 3D printing to make the

    composite materials. To create the struts,

    he will use either carbon or boron fibers.

    ‘Carbon fibers are light and are excellent

    in handling tensionalload, but notcompres-

    sion,’ he said. ‘Boron fibers are slightlyheavier and more expensive, but perform

    better with compression. Our choice of ma-

    terial will depend on the load applied to the

    structure.’

    He adds: ‘Another unique aspect of this

    project is ‘‘reversibility.’’ Anything con-

    structed can be taken apart again and the

    pieces reused to make other new structures.’

    ‘Once again, every kilogram you have to

    send up into space is very expensive so if 

    you can harvest even half of the materials

    already in orbit and reuse them to form a

    new structure, that would be very helpful in

    terms of time, energy and cost. NASA is

    always interested in reducing the cost of 

    launches, reusing materials and reducing

    a mission’s environmental impact for a

    more sustainable future.’

    University of Massachusetts;

    www.massachusetts.edu

    Hansen’s goal is to create a range of one-

    dimensional struts and two-dimensional plates

    components that can be assembled into a panel,sphere, cube, cylinder, boom, like space Lego.

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    [Composite manhole covers can be lifted by hand[UK manufacturer Structural Science Com-

    posites Ltd (SSC) has developed a range of 

    glass fiber reinforced manhole and drain

    covers that are so lightweight that even

    the largest can be lifted by hand.

    The EN-approved SSC composite man-

    hole and drain covers use Scott Bader’sCrestapol acrylic resin transfer moulding

    (RTM) resin in a patented Thrubeam design

    which produces a stiffer beam in combina-

    tion with the reinforcement.

    The covers which are typically three to

    four times lighter than an equivalent steel

    or reinforced concrete cover but have load

    bearing capabilities to meet BS EN124:1994

    Standards Group 4 Class D400. This stan-

    dard specifies that an access cover must be

    able to cope with static loading from cars,

    vans, lorries and HGVs if installed in areas

    such as carriageways, hard shoulders, fac-tory sites and industrial estates; to pass BS

    EN124 Class D400 an access cover or grat-

    ing must withstand a 40 tonne test load.

    Non-corrosive covers[The RTM process helps give the covers im-

    proved strength-to-weight ratio, surface

    details and anti-slip finish. SSC covers

    are also inherently non-corrosive, non

    conductive, and avoid problems relating

    to theft for their scrap value, which is a rea

    issue with metal covers.

    ‘After extensive new product develop

    ment trials and testing different UPR and

    epoxy resin systems, we were very pleasedthat Scott Bader was able to develop a spe-

    cial grade of its Crestapol high performance

    acrylic resin for SSC that met all our needs,

    said Andrew Burton, general manager o

    SSC. ‘The custom Crestapol grade we now

    use firstly provides a level of physical prop

    erties to match our Thrubeam technology

    and meet BS EN124 test standards. Second-

    ly, the resin’s rheology and very fast cure

    rate at moderately elevated temperatures

    enables us to manufacture our composite

    covers consistently, and with a high level o

    confidence that parts will meet our qualitystandards.’

    Scott Bader[

    ; www.scottbader.com

    [

    [Toray FRP used in Toyota’s new fuel cell vehicleToray Industries’ carbon fiber material

    will be used for a range of parts in Toyota

    Motor Corporation’s MIRAI fuel cell

    vehicle.

    In particular, carbon fiber reinforced

    thermoplastics (CFRTP) will be used in

    a stack frame part, equivalent to the vehi-

    cle floor. To make the part, Toray and

    Toyota, developed a material which

    can achieve a short press molding time

    suitable for mass production, by develop-

    ing the characteristics of thermoplastic.

    Toray says that is the first time in the

    world that CFRTP will be used for the

    structural part of a (mass) production

    vehicle.

    Toray also supplied carbon paper for the

    electrode substrate of fuel cell stack and a

    high strength carbon fiber for the high

    pressure hydrogen tank.

    Toray Industries; www.toray.com

    [

    [Autoclave developed for F1 partsSupport service company AIC Group has

    recently completed the design and instal-

    lation of a new autoclave for a leading

    Formula 1 team in the UK.

    The autoclave is designed to operate at

    temperatures of up to 4008C, while nor-

    mal composites processing autoclave

    operate at 200–3008C. The autoclave

    also reaches pressures of up to 7 bar

    which it can achieves in 95 minutes

    It is electrically heated and has an interna

    working size of 1.5 m and is 2 m in

    length.

    The autoclave is being used to cure com-

    posite parts on F1 racing cars.

    AIC Group; www.aicservice.com

    [

    A SSC Thrubeam Crestapol GRP composite

    pedestrian manhole cover in London’s Parliament

    Square.

    Toray Industries’ carbon fiber material will be

    used for a range of parts in Toyota Motor

    Corporation’s MIRAI fuel cell vehicle.

    The autoclave is being used to cure composite

    parts on F1 racing cars.

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    [TenCate provides parts for space capsuleTENCATE ADVANCED COMPOSITES has

    provided heat resistant composites for the

    heat shield and backshell structure of the

    Lockheed Martin Orion multi-purpose crew

    vehicle, which was successfully launched

    this week.

    TenCate’s materials replace the tradition-al titanium solution for re-entry and splash-

    down requirements, while saving weight

    and cost. The composite heat shield design

    allows very large composite structures to

    be fabricated out of autoclave.

    Lockheed Martin Space Systems Orion

    thermal protection group worked with Ten-

    Cate Advanced Composites to develop a

    special heat resistant composite resin for

    the 16.5 ft (5 m) diameter heat shield and

    the crew vehicle backshell structure of the

    Orion space capsule.

    Great honour‘This week’s flight represents the culmina-

    tion of a five year development and qualifi-

    cation effort for a suite of materials used in

    this extreme application. Further, as a result

    of the heat shield’s large size and thickness,

    the advanced composites used had to

    achieve high consolidation using only a

    low pressure vacuum bag only process,’ said

    Steve Mead, vice president of marketing &

    sales at TenCate Advanced Composites.‘TenCate is honoured to be one of Lock-

    heed’s partners on this important space

    program.’

    TenCate Advanced Composites; www.tencate.

    com

    [

    Launch of 22 m composite workboat[UK-based CTruk, which designs and builds

    composite marine craft, has launched the

    CWind Sword, a 22 m multi-role composite

    workboat built for offshore wind farm sup-

    port.

    CWind Sword will start work on a CWind

    contract for electrics company EnBW on

    the Baltic 2 wind farm offshore in the Ger-

    man Baltic Sea in December.

    TheCTruk MPC22 is a 22 m multi-purpose

    catamaranwith7.5 mbeamand1.25 mdraft

    constructed from fiber-reinforced plastic

    (FRP) composite for weight-saving strength.

    It has a 20 tonne flexible payload capa-

    bility and the ability to carry 24,000 litres of 

    fuel and is designed to deal with rougher

    seas and longer transits.

    New features[Newfeatures on thevesselincludea protected

    controllable pitch propeller (CPP) system

    which can give improved bollard pull and

    service speeds. CTruk’s patented moveable

    wheelhouse and modular deck pod system

    will enable the vessel to fulfil multiple roles.

    CTruk;  [

    www.ctruk.com

    [

    [

    World’s first all carbon fiber drone[Trident Design has developed the Carbon

    Flyer, reportedly the world’s first all carbon

    fiber personal drone which is controlled by

    Bluetooth and features an onboard video

    camera.

    The airframe has been assembled using

    carbon nanotube enhanced epoxy which

    creates bonds stronger than steel welds,

    the company says.

    TheCarbon Flyer features a low-dragdelta-

    wing design, dual high power motors with

    differential thrust to steer and no fragile

    moving parts. It is controlled via long range

    Bluetooth 4.0 and a smartphone app.

    The creators have made an Indiegogo

    page to finance the development of the

    drone.

    Trident Design;   [www.trident-design.com

    [

    [

    Maine composites center tests biggest ever structureTHE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE’S Advanced

    Structures and Composites Center has com-

    pleted static strength testing of a 56 m

    (184 foot) wind turbine blade made by

    Gamesa.

    The Gamesa blade was the largest tested

    to date in the UMaine Offshore Wind Lab-

    oratory. During the testing, the blade was

    subjected to loads in four directions to

    prove the structure met international

    strength standards.

    ‘Weare honored to have servedone of the

    world’s leading wind turbine manufac-

    turers,’’ said Habib Dagher, director of the

    UMaine Composites Center. ‘‘This is the

    biggest structure we have tested to date,

    extending nearly 80% of the length of our

    blade test lab.’

    Safe testingThe University of Maine’s facility, which

    opened in 2011, can provide testing and

    material characterization services for each

    stage of blade development.

    ‘Our engineers, technicians and stu-

    dents did a great job designing, building

    and operating the equipment needed to

    safely rotate and test the 56 m blade,’ said

     John Arimond, the business development

    executive with the UMaine Composites

    Center.

    University of Maine; www.maine.edu

    The CTruk MPC22 is a 22 m multi-purpose

    catamaran with 7.5 m beam and 1.25 m draft

    constructed from fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP)

    composite for weight-saving strength.

    [The drone airframe has been assembled using

    carbon nanotube enhanced epoxy which creates

    bonds stronger than steel welds.

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    [Lightweight hockey stick weighs just 183 gramsSport equipment manufacturer Unihoc

    has developed what it says is the world’s

    lightest floorball stick, weighing just

    183 grams.

    Floorball is an indoor type of floor hockey

    which was developed in the 1970s in

    Sweden.The stick is reinforced with TeXtreme

    Spread Tow carbon fabrics, which are

    also used in Formula 1 racing, Americas

    Cup, advanced aerospace, bicycles and

    the NHL.

    ‘‘As the pioneer brand in floorball Unihoc

    has always been aiming to bring the develop

    ment of the sport and the equipment to new

    levels,’’ said Johan Österman, R&D Manager

    at Renew Group Sweden AB, which owns

    Unihoc. ‘‘Together with TeXtreme we have

    now beenable to takea huge stepin the fieldof low weight sticks, and at the same time

    offer the best performance qualities on the

    market’’.

    The retail launch of the new Unihoc stick

    is set for June 2015.

    TeXtreme; www.textreme.com

    Floorball is an indoor type of floor hockey which

    was developed in the 1970s in Sweden.

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   APPLICATIONS

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    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   BUSINESS

    Business[AIC forms new partnership with the AMRCAIC Group announces a new partnership

    with the Advanced Manufacturing Research

    Centre (AMRC) based in Sheffield, UK.AIC will install its latest Autoclave Man-

    agement and Control Systems (AMCS)

    into the AMRC and will provide planned

    preventative maintenance and calibration

    services.

    TheAMRC runs two autoclaves, the larger

    of which is 3 m in diameter and 5 m in

    length. The smaller autoclave measures1 m    2 m in size. These are used for exten-

    sive compositeprojectswith their partners in

    the composite industry. AIC currently ser-

    vice and maintain a significant number of 

    AMRC partners’ composite autoclaves.

    ‘We are excited to have this new system

    in place to help increase the efficiency of 

    our autoclaves. We know AIC delivers qual-ity and we are glad to have their support

    and expertise,’ said Conrad Sdao at the

    AMRC.

    AIC Group; www.aicservice.com

    [

    [

    Dassault Systèmes part of new US composite center3D design software specialist Dassault

    Systèmes has become a charter member

    of the Institute for Advanced Composites

    Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), the122-member consortium awarded a US

    $70 million grant by the U.S. Department

    of Energy (DOE).

    The new institute will focus on advanced

    fiber-reinforced polymer composites that

    combine strong fibers with tough plastics

    to yield materials that are lighter and

    stronger than steel.

    More efficient products‘‘Dassault Systèmes is proud to be a chartermember of IACMI and will have the

    honor to work alongside partners in the

    non-profit sector, universities, national

    laboratories and private industry, as

    well as the Department of Energy’s

    Advanced Manufacturing Office to enable

    innovation and competitiveness in the

    U.S. manufacturing sector and drive

    the development of more efficient pro-ducts,’’ said Bruno Latchague, senior

    executive vice president, Americas market

    and global sales operations, Dassault

    Systèmes.

    Dassault Systèmes; www.3ds.com

    [

    [Gurit wins bid for carbon fiber body panelsSwiss automotive composite specialist

    Gurit has been selected as the supplier

    for carbon fiber based automotive body

    panels at a total contract value of more

    than CHF30 million calculated on a multi-

    annual basis.

    Starting in the fourth quarter of 2015,

    the new project will involve the industrial

    production of exterior Class-A carbon

    body panel parts using Gurit’s existing

    open mold manual and its new press

    technology.

    Manufacturing car body panels from

    composite materials provide car manufac-

    turers with greater design flexibility when

    compared with metal panel technology.

    Benefits also result from the combination

    of material functionality and robust

    processing along with significant weight

    savings.

    Reducing curing timeGurit’s hot compression molding produc-

    tion technology can significantly reduce

    curing time thus enabling more efficient

    industrial production of small-scale series.

    The new technology also offers improved

    parts accuracy, a high-quality carbon look

    capability and improved surface quality.

    ‘This project win represents an important

    milestone in the strategic advancement of 

    our automotive exterior body panel busi-

    ness,’ said CEO Rudolf Hadorn. ‘We have

    been working hard to prove superiority of 

    our advanced press technology.’

    Gurit; www.gurit.com

    [

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    [

    3A Composites expands foam production3A COMPOSITES HAS increased produc-

    tion capacities of its AIREX PET core mate-

    rials.

    This follows increased customer demand,

    new product launches, and penetration in-

    to new markets, the company said.

    3A Composites’ new product, AIREX

    GEN2 is expected to further accelerate

    growth, as it specifically targets high vol-

    ume applications.

    ‘We observe an ongoing substitution

    of other core materials with PET foams.

    Moreover, the introduction of GEN2 is

    bound to accelerate this process and so it

    was a logical step to scale up our capacities,

    said Roman Thomassin, CEO of 3A Compo

    sites Core Materials.

    3A Composites; www.3acomposites.com

    [

    [Carbon fiber: Asia Pacific ‘most promising’A newreport suggests that Asia-Pacificis the

    most promising carbon fiber market, with

    demand in the region to grow at a CAGR of 

    around 14% from 2014 to 2019.

    Asia-Pacific manufactured almost 40% of 

    the total global demand in 2013. It is esti-

    mated that Japan, and China were the big-

    gest manufacturers of carbon fiber in this

    region, followed by Taiwan and South

    Korea in2013.In order tomeetthegrowing

    demand from end-users in Europe, the

    leading manufacturers from the Asia-pacific

    region are rapidly continuing to increase

    their production capacities in Asia, mainly

    in China.

    Growing marketWhile North America still holds the top

    share of 36.83% in the global carbon fiber

    reinforced plastic market due to increased

    demand from the aerospace and defense

    industries, Europe is thefastest growingmar-

    ket due to the increasing use of CFRP inautomotive and wind energy. The region is

    projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.4%, from

    2014 to 2019, with growing oil prices boost-

    ing the need for fuel efficient vehicles and

    aircrafts. Although the development of elec-

    tricand hybrid vehicles will raise theusageof 

    CFRP composites in the automotive indus-

    try, thewind power market, offshore drilling

    and   [deeper oil and gas exploration will in-

    crease thepenetration of CFRPin the energy

    industry.

    The new research report, ‘‘Carbon Fiber

    Market & Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic

    (CFRP) by Type, Fiber size, & Region’’, is

    available from MarketsandMarkets.

    MarketsandMarkets;

    www.marketsandmarkets.com[

    [

    ATS acquires Texas Air CompositesAviation Technical Services (ATS) has ac-

    quired Texas Air Composites (TAC), a Do-

    mestic 145 Repair Station specializing in

    composite structural fabrication, support

    and repair for regional, commercial and

    military aircraft.

    Located in Fort Worth, Texas, TAC has a

    team of over 100 employees and has over

    138,000 ft2 of facilities.

    According to ATS, TAC fits into its strat-

    egy to grow and diversify its customer

    base, capabilities and geographic reach.

    While ATS principally serves commercia

    airlines and OEMs, TAC adds a focus on

    regional airline and military customers

    TAC also specializes in advanced compos

    ite repair on Airbus, Bombardier and

    Embraer fleets, while ATS provides a range

    Asia-Pacific is the most promising carbon fiber market, with demand in the region to grow at a CAGR

    of around 14% from 2014 to 2019.

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   BUSINESS

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    of component, engineering and airframe

    services on primarily Boeing product

    lines. The Dallas Fort Worth is in close

    proximity to ATS’ new heavy airframe

    maintenance facility in Kansas City, Mis-

    souri.

    Repair expertise‘Texas Air Composites is an impressive ad-

    dition to the ATS team. Their expertise in

    composite repair on a wide range of aircraft

    models pairs well with our proficiency in

    component, engineering and airframe ser-

    vices,’ said Matt Yerbic, ATS president and

    CEO.

    The TAC leadership team is staying in

    place and will continue to run the business

    as a subsidiary of ATS.

    Aviation Technical Services; www.atsmro.com

    [

    [

    China–Russia alliance invests in carbon fiberRussia-based Composite Holding Company

    and state-owned China Hi-Tech Group

    Corp (CHTC) have formed a strategic alli-

    ance to develop polymer composite materi-

    als for different sectors of industry in Russia

    and China.

    Both parties will reportedly invest over

    US$500 until 2025.

    The plan is to create a vertically integrat-

    ed company to produce carbon fiber based

    polymer composite materials, including

    raw materials, semi-products and finished

    goods. The first step is to establish a joint

    venture aimed at composite materials pro-

    duction and trading, including technical

    fabrics and prepregs. This joint venture will

    be established in Shenyang, Liaoning,

    China, before the end of 2014.

    Further steps will be made in 2015–2016

    and include the joint development of 

    carbon fiber reinforced plastics-based fin-

    ished goods, as well as raw materials such

    as PAN-precursor and PAN based carbon

    fiber. The companies will also invest in

    facilities and equipment to produce these

    products. They suggest that over 1000 jobs

    will be created in Russia and China.

    New developments‘The strategic alliance of two companies

    will stimulate new developments of com-

    posite materials to raise demand in China

    and Russia and win a significant share of 

    that business in PRC and Russia in future,’

    said Leonid Melamed, general director of 

    Composite Holding Company.

    ‘As expected, we will develop composite

    business jointly and will win up to

    20% of future market of carbon fiber

    based composite materials in China

    (at least 7000 tons of forecasted 35,000

    by 2020–2025),’ said Zhang Jie, board of 

    directors chairman of China Hi-Tech

    Group Corp.

    The Chinese carbon fiber and composite

    materials market is reportedly the largest in

    the world, at 20%. The world market covers

    50,000 tonsof carbon fiber based composite

    materials while the Chinese market con-

    sumes over 10,000 tons of carbon fiber

    based polymer composite every year. It

    has been predicted that the level of con-

    sumption of composite materials in China

    will grow up to 35,000 tons per annum by

    2020–2025.

    Com po si te H o ldin g Com pa ny ; w ww .

    hccomposite.com/en

    ChinaHi-Tech Group Corp (CHTC); www.chtgc.

    com/n150

    [

    [FRIMO and CMTT announce mixing head joint venture

    FRIMO, a developer of mixing head systemsfor reinforced plastics, has announced a

    joint venture with Covelo Machine & Tool

    Trade Co Inc (CMTT).

    CMTT constructs and produces high-

    pressure mixing heads and is also a

    specialist in materials selection process,material matching, production methods

    and surface treatments. With the joint

    venture with FRIMO, CMTT’s service

    and repair scope will expand from Europe

    to also encompass North America and

    Asia, where FRIMO currently manufac-tures its technologies.

    FRIMO; www.frimo.com

    Covelo Machine & Tool Trade Co Inc; www.

    cmtt.com

    [

    [GlassFibreEurope welcomes new EU measures against ChinaGlassFibreEurope, a trade organisation that

    aims to represent the interests of European

    glass fiber manufacturers, says that it wel-

    comesnew EUtrade measures thathavebeentaken against Chinese glass fiber exporters.

    The European Commission initiated an

    interim review of the existing anti-dumping

    measures on glass fiber imports from China

    on 18 December 2013, and a new anti-sub-

    sidy proceeding on 12 December 2013.

    According to GlassFibreEurope, it estab-

    lished that Chinese manufacturers dump

    glass fiber at predatory prices to seize EU

    market share, and receive illegal subsidies

    from the Chinese government. The Europe-

    an Commission notified parties of its intent

    to impose new anti-dumping and anti-sub-sidy measures in early October 2014. The

    final proposal to impose total duties which

    aregenerally up to 25–30% on imports from

    Chinese producers was supported by EU

    Member States on 26 November 2014.

    Strategic sector‘We welcome the decision by EU

    Member States to support the European

    Commission’s proposal to impose trade

    defence measures against Chinese glass fi-

    ber manufacturers,’ commented Mauro

    Malanchini, president of GlassFibreEurope.‘Unfair competition from China has caused

    considerable injury to European industry,

    with the loss of European factories and jobs

    in an important strategic sector. We hope

    the new measures will restore healthy com-

    petition in the EU glass fiber market for the

    benefit of producers and downstream users

    alike.’

    GlassFibreEurope; www.glassfibereurope.eu

    [

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    [

    Hexcel acquires interest in multi-axial fabric manufacturerHexcel Corporation has acquired 50% of 

    Formax UK Limited, a manufacturer of 

    composite reinforcements which specia-

    lizes in the production of lightweight

    multi-axial fabrics.

    Formax is located in Leicester, UK with

    estimated sales in 2014 of approximatelyUS$45 million.

    With the acquisition, Hexcel plans to

    develop knitting technology for future

    aerospace applications and provide scale

    for its growing industrial markets.

    This announcement follows a Joint Devel-

    opment Agreement under which the two

    companies jointly develop non-crimp fabrics

    (NCF)for Hexcel andits aerospacecustomers.

    Growth commitment‘This partnership demonstrates our commit-

    ment to growing our business, expanding

    our technologiesand strengtheningHexcel’s

    position as a global leader in advanced com

    posites,’ said Hexcel’s chairman, CEO and

    president, Nick Stanage.

    ‘We believe this will open up new oppor

    tunities for us to develop our range of stitch

    bonded reinforcements to the benefit of alof our customers,’ said Formax’s MD, Olive

    Wessely.

    Hexcel Corporation; www.hexcel.com

    [

    [Prepreg-ACM certified for marine applications JSC Prepreg-ACM, part of Holding Compa-

    ny Composite, has had its basic carbon

    and hybrid (with glass fibre) multiaxial

    fabrics approved for use in marine appli-

    cations.

    The certification was awarded by DNV

    GL Group, which provides services in the

    fields of certification, verification, inde-

    pendent evaluation and training of per-

    sonnel.

    This international certification will help

    Prepreg-ACM improve its opportunities and

    market its products in the domestic and

    international markets, the company says.

    Wind energy‘Continued certification of our glass and

    carbon fabrics will make it possible to use

    them in other fields, including the develop-

    ment of wind energy in Russia, producing

    composite blades for wind generators,’ said

    Igor Laskorunsky, sales manager for mari

    time at Prepreg-ACM.

    In mid 2014 Prepreg-ACM also received a

    certificate from the Russian Maritime Reg

    ister of Shipping as well as Type Approva

    Certificate for technical fabrics used in the

    marine industry.

    Holding Company Composite;

    www.hccomposite.com

    [

    [Kaman sells Mexican unitKaman Corporation has sold its Mexican

    distribution subsidiary Delamac de Mexico

    to a power transmission engineering firm,

    Rodamientos y Accesorios (RYASA).

    The terms of the transaction were not

    disclosed.‘We did not have sufficient scale in

    Mexico to achieve our long-term targeted

    profitability goals and believe the operation

    will be better aligned with RYASA,’ said

    Kaman executive vice president and distri-

    bution segment president Steven J. Smidler.

    ‘We are grateful to the employees of Dela-

    mac for their commitment and service to

    Kaman and believe the new ownership willbe beneficial for all parties.’

    Kaman expects to record pre-tax charges

    in the fourth quarter 2014 related to the

    transaction of approximately US$4.5 mil

    lion to US$5.5 million. Delamac was part of

    the distribution segment of Kaman and

    accounted for less than 2.5% of segmen

    revenues. Delamac distributes bearings

    power transmission products, lubricationsystems, and related parts and accessories

    from 12 branch locations in Mexico.

    Kaman Corporation; www.kaman.com

    [

    [

    TenCate to supply prepreg for all-composite aircraftTenCate Advanced Composites North

    America has signed a long term composite

    materials supply agreement with US-based

    Kestrel Aircraft.

    The new, all-composite turboprop

    Kestrel K-350 will use TenCate’s TC275-1epoxy prepreg system, which has im-

    proved hot/wet strength retention and

    can cure at either 2758F or 3508F. The

    prepreg can be processed with a free-

    standing post cure for higher temperature

    performance.

    The Kestrel K-350 represents an all-

    composite single-engine, turboprop aircraft

    that can carry up to eight people at high

    speed over long distances. ‘TenCate is

    pleased to be the composite supplier to   The new, all-composite turboprop Kestrel K-350.

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   BUSINESS

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    Kestrel Aircraft,’ said Joe Morris, president

    of TenCate Advanced Composites North

    America. ‘This long term supply agreement

    represents the continuation of a long term

    successful relationship we have had with

    the Kestrel management team.’

    TenCate Advanced Composites North

    America; www.tencate.com

    [

    [£61 million UK government boost welcomed by NCCThe UK’s National Composites Centre

    (NNC) has welcomed an investment bythe UK government in the High Value

    Manufacturing Catapult, a group of seven

    technology and innovation centres focusing

    on the commercialisationof UK manufactur-

    ing research.

    Historically, the UK has always been

    strong at early stage research, but has

    often seen the commercial benefit of its

    inventions and innovations go overseas.

    The High Value Manufacturing Catapult

    is intended to bridge the gap between

    business, academia, research and govern-

    ment.‘This is excellent news and particularly

    timely for the NCC,’ said Peter Chivers,

    CEO. ‘Just a month ago the NCC formally

    opened a BIS funded £28 million extension

    to increase our capacity to support the UK

    Composites Industry. Since its start-up three

    years ago, NCC activity in accelerating inno-

    vationfor UK business hasgrownrapidlydue

    to extremely strong industrial demand, sup-

    portedby newcapabilityinvestments funded

    by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

    Increase integration

    ‘The extended NCC facilities provide newcapacity to address the needs of high rate

    composite manufacturing for the automo-

    tive industry and others, better meet

    the needs of SMEs, increase integration

    with universities and start delivering

    training courses. The additional Catapult

    funds will be used to invest in the new

    equipment and capabilities to further ac-

    celerate the NCC’s offering in all these

    areas.’

    National Composites Centre; www.nccuk.com

    [

    [Samsung invests in recyclable compositesSamsung Venture Investment Corporation

    has invested in Connora Technologies to

    help it commercialize its Recyclamine recy-

    clable epoxy thermoset technology.

    Along with the recent investment, two

    new members have join Connora’s advisory

    board: Andre Genton, former president of 

    Huntsman Advanced Materials, and Bren-

    dan Iribe, an entrepreneur known recently

    for the acquisition of Oculus by Facebook.

    Connora’s Recyclamine technology is agreen chemistry platform that provides a

    method of making and recycling composite

    waste materials and products. Efficiently

    recycling composite materials should have

    a positive impact in the automotive and

    aerospace industries, where the trend to

    make lighter, stronger, and more energy

    efficient vehicles is driving growth in the

    use of carbon fiber composite materials. In

    these and other applications, carbon fiber

    parts are often made in high volumes, with

    sometimes 20–40% of the raw materials

    going to waste. Since traditional thermoset

    plastics are not optimized for recyclability,

    current composite waste is intractable andoften disposed of in landfill or by burning.

    ‘Reclaiming the expensive carbon fiber

    [from manufacturing waste] in a near virgin

    state, and enabling OEMs to put it back into

    their products will help lower their costs

    over time,’ said Dr Rey Banatao, Connora’s

    CEO.

    Connora is currently in discussions with

    several auto andaerospace OEMs to develop

    a specific Recyclamine Epoxy Resin system

    for use in high-pressure resin transfer mold-

    ing processes (HP-RTM), suitable to the

    high-volume manufacturing methods be-

    ing adopted by auto and aerospace manu-

    facturers today. Epoxy resins are currentlythe predominant thermoset plastic used in

    performance carbon fiber composites.

    Connora Technologies; www.connoratech.

    com

    [

    [Shell invests in composite pipesNetherlands-based Airborne Oil & Gas BV

    says that it has added Shell Technology

    Ventures BV as a company investor and

    shareholder.

    The company is one of the world’s largestmanufacturers of fullybonded thermoplastic

    compositepipesystems foroffshoreoil & gas.

    ‘Shell Technology Ventures is a most wel-

    come addition to our shareholder base, at

    this phase of our development,’ said Eric

    van der Meer, CEO of Airborne Oil & Gas.

    ‘Airborne Oil & Gas is qualified to supply

    hydrocarbon containing offshore flowlines

    to Shell worldwide. Shell can accelerate the

    implementation of our products across itslarge footprint in the industry.’

    Unique technology‘Airborne Oil & Gas possesses a unique tech-

    nology, with potentially game changing

    impact on the offshore industry,’ said Geert

    vande Wouw, MD of Shell TechnologyVen-

    tures. ‘The ultra-lightweight, corrosion free

    pipesystems cansignificantlylowerthe costs

    of a number of applications and enable newapplications.’

    Airborne Oil & Gas BV; www.

    airborne-oilandgas.com

    [

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    [

    [

    Southern Spars to acquire Future FibresSouthern Spars, part of the North Technol-

    ogy Group (NTG) and a specialist in carbon

    fiber spars and rigging, has acquired Future

    Fibres, based in Valencia, Spain.

    Future Fibres makes carbon cables,

    masts, booms, spreaders and custom com-

    ponents.[‘Future Fibres has long been an innovator

    in the field of advanced fiber rigging [,’ said

    Tom Whidden, CEO of North Technology

    Group.   [‘With NTG’s support, Southern

    Spars now has the resources to provide

    our customers with a wider range of ad-

    vanced rigging options[.’

    Future Fibres first entered the composite

    rigging marketafter itsfounder Tom Hutch-

    inson devised a better way to terminate

    composite fibers by continuously winding

    PBO (Zylon) fiber around two titaniumthimbles at any required length. Future

    Fibres’ approach has allowed composite rig-

    gingto beused oneveryareaof the boatand

    not restricted to just aft rigging as it histori-

    cally was before.

    Depressed market[‘The team at SouthernSpars is excited abou

    the acquisition of Future Fibres[,’ said

    Richard Lott, CEO of Southern Spars.   [‘The

    mast and rigging market is quite depressed

    after the GFC which has been putting pres

    sure on Southern Spars and Future Fibresbusiness. However, the Future Fibres team

    has developed some advanced mast mould

    ing technologies which complement ou

    advanced computer-based rig design tools.

    Southern Spars; www.southernspars.com

    [

    [TenCate completes move to textiles with final saleRoyal Ten Cate (TenCate) has agreed for

    Platinum Equity, a US-based private

    equity investor, to buy TenCate Enbi, a

    supplier of components and materials to

    leading companies (original equipment

    manufacturers) primarily in the printer

    and copier markets.

    The transaction is expected to close in

    the first half of 2015. The sale completes

    TenCate’s strategy to become a materials

    technology company focusing on technica

    textiles.

    [

    Royal Ten Cate; www.tencate.com

    [

    [Toray marks place in European prepregToray Industries has moved into the Euro-

    pean market with its acquisition of Saati

    SpA’s European carbon fiber fabric and pre-

    preg business.

    Toray plans to take over the assets of 

    Saati’s plant in January 2015 and start

    operation as Composite Materials Italy

    Srl (CTI), a wholly-owned subsidiary

    of Toray. Saati’s American compositebusiness will still belong to the Saati

    Group.

    Saati’s carbon fiber fabric and prepreg

    business has been expanding rapidly in

    recent years as a customer of Toray Group’s

    carbon fiber-related companies, while

    Toray is already engaged in carbon fiber

    polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor at its

    French subsidiary, Toray Carbon Fibers Eur-

    ope SA (CFE). It also runs a CFRP parts

    business that uses carbon fiber fabric at itsGerman subsidiaries of Euro Advanced Car-

    bon Fiber Composites GmbH (EACC) and

    ACE Advanced Composite Engineering

    GmbH (ACE).

    Global focusThe company says that this acquisition

    strengthens its carbon fiber composite mate-

    rialsbusinessin Europe. Going forward, Toray

    Group will transfer its technology to CIT

    while aiming to expand the business beyondEurope to acquire a more global focus.

    Toray Industries;   [www.toray.com

    [

    [TPI to supply wind blades to VestasTPI Composites has signed a multiyear sup-

    ply agreementwith Vestas Wind Systems A/

    S to provide blades for the V110 wind tur-

    bine from TPI’s factory in Dafeng, China.

    Vestas launched its V110-2.0MW wind

    turbine in the China market in October

    2014.

    ‘We are thrilled that Vestas has selected

    TPI to be its first outsource partner of Vestas

    designed blades,’ said Steve Lockard, presi-

    dent and CEO of TPI Composites. ‘From

    Dafeng, China we will supply V110 blades

    to China and export markets in a reliable

    and cost-effective manner.’

    TPI has been building wind blade

    to international quality standards in

    China since 2008. The company’s Dafeng

    plant measures 35,000 m2 and is located

    250 km north of Shanghai in Jiangsu

    Province.

    TPI Composites; www.tpicomposites.com[

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   BUSINESS

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    [

    Wind turbine rotor blade market to reach almost US$17 millionThe global glass and carbon fiber wind tur-

    bine blade market was valued at US$9998.9

    million in 2013 and is projected to reach a

    value of US$16,982 million by 2019.

    This represents a CAGR of 9.2% for fore-

    cast period from an estimated value of 

    US$10,914.3 million in 2014, says a newreport.

    The report, ‘‘Wind Turbine Rotor Blade

    Market by Material (Glass Fiber, Carbon

    Fiber), by Blade Size’’, published by Market-

    sandMarkets, defines and segments the

    wind turbine rotor blade market with anal-

    ysis and forecasting of volume as well as

    value. It also identifies the driving forces

    and restraining factors for the market,

    highlighting the latest trends and identify-

    ing opportunities.

    New projectThe wind turbine rotor blade market is driv-

    en by policysupport from governments and

    decreasing costs of wind power generation.

    Governments across the world have been

    pushing to include more renewable power

    to their energy mix, an approach that is

    driving many new wind power projects,

    generating demand for wind turbine rotor

    blades, the report suggests. The declining

    cost per kWh of generating power from

    wind is makingit themost attractive renew-

    able energy option. However, high capital

    costs for such projects may act as a restraint

    for the market, along with the use of expen-

    sive raw material required for manufactur-

    ing larger blades. Future growth projections

    for the wind energy sector are very promis-

    ing, indicating opportunities for in the ro-

    tor blade market, but the market is required

    to handle critical challenges such as diffi-

    culty in transportation to fully capitalize on

    potential opportunities.

    In 2013, Asia-Pacific was the largest

    market for wind turbine rotor blades

    and accounted for a market share of 

    54.13%. The use of carbon fiber in blade

    manufacturing is growing at a fast pace as

    blade sizes are increasing in size.

    MarketsandMarkets;

    www.marketsandmarkets.com

    [

    [

    Wood-plastic composite market to reach  [

    1728.9 kilotonsThe wood-plastic composite market is pro-

    jected to grow from   [1046.1 kilotons to

    1728.9 kilotons between 2014 and 2019,

    with a CAGR of 10.5%.

    Wood-plastic composite plays an impor-

    tant role in the building and construction

    industry in producing products such as

    landscape timbers, railing, decking, fence,

    window and door elements, panels, mold-ing, roofing, and siding, thereport suggests.

    Increasing demand for wood-plastic com-

    posites in the manufacture of building and

    construction products is estimated to boost

    the overall wood-plastic composites market

    over the next few years. Additionally, the

    rising demand for wood-plastic composites

    to manufacture several interior compo-

    nents of automobiles is projected to fuel

    market growth.

    Rapid paceNorth America and Asia are the top-two

    consumers of wood-plastic composite in

    the world. US and China are key countries

    in North American and Asian regions, re-

    spectively and these countries are growing

    with CAGRs of 10.1% and 14.7% between

    2014 and 2019. China, India, and Brazil are

    also growing at a rapid pace because of the

    rising domestic demand.

    The report, Wood-Plastic Composite Mar-

    ket by Type, Applications   [and Region   [–

    Trends & Forecasts  [

    (2014–2019) is availablefrom Research and Markets.

    Research and Markets; www.

    researchandmarkets.com

    [

    The wind turbine rotor blade market is driven by policy support from governments and decreasing

    costs of wind power generation.

    BUSINESS   Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015

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    [

    Inauguration of new Safran/Albany plantIndustrial partners Safran and Albany have

    inaugurated their new composite part

    production plant in Commercy, Eastern

    France.

    Opened in May 2014, the plant makes

    parts for new-generation aircraft engines

    using composite material technology. Thefirst application of this new technology

    will be the production of fan blades

    and cases for CFM International’s LEAP

    aircraft engine, which will power the next

    generation of single-aisle commercial

    jets, including the Airbus A320neo and

    the Boeing 737 MAX. The 3D woven com-

    posite parts made by Safran and Albany

    are very strong and light, which will help

    reduce the LEAP’s fuel consumption by

    15% compared with current CFM engines,

    the companies say.

    The joint production plant has recruitedmore than 90 employees, and by 2018,

    it will have 400 employees on a 10 ha

    (25 acre) site, including 27,000 m2

    (291,600 ft2) of floorspace.

    Industrial scale‘This plant, the concrete symbol of the

    partnership between Safran and Albany, is

    the first of its type in the aerospace indus-

    try,’ said Joseph G. Morone, president and

    CEO of Albany International Corp. ‘The

    manufacturing technology that is being ap-

    plied here on an industrial scale, and the

    products designed with this technology,

    are truly innovative. And this specific

    capability is the exclusive property of 

    Safran and Albany. So today is more

    than just the inauguration of a modern

    new plant. It marks the deployment of 

    a unique technology that will have a con-

    siderable impact on the market for many

    years to come.’

    The two partners also inaugurated a twin

    plant in Rochester, New Hampshire in

    the United States, which will produce the

    same 3D woven composite parts for the

    LEAP engine. Safran and Albany have

    invested a total of US$200 million in

    these plants.

    Safran Group; www.safran-group.com

    Albany International; www.albint.com

    [

    [

    ATL Composites celebrates 35 yearsATL Composites says that 2015 marks its

    35th anniversary as a producer of epoxy

    resins and supplier of structural materials

    to the Australian and Asian composites in-

    dustries.

    Initially established in New Zealand in

    1977 to manufacture WEST SYSTEM epoxy

    products for the Asia Pacific region, ATL

    Composites expanded by opening a second

    facility in Sydney in 1980 to service the

    Australian professional and amateur

    boatbuilding market.

    Recently the company has provided com-

    posite materials and engineering services

    for the manufacture of commercial ferries,

    road and rail transportation, industrial and

    architectural applications, resulting in im-

    proved performance and reduced produc

    tion time, while specifically formulated

    liquid and filled epoxy systems are now

    supplied into the specialised fields of indus

    trial tooling, electrical encapsulation, min

    ing and automotive applications.

    ATL Composites[

    ; www.atlcomposites.com.au

    [

    [DSM to sell resin distributorRoyal DSM, the global life and materials

    sciences company, has reached an agree-

    ment with Cathay Investments for the sale

    of Euroresins.

    The transaction is expected to close in Q1

    2015.

    Euroresins is a distributorof productsto the

    composite resins industry with activities in

    ninecountriesin Europe,including the Unit-

    ed Kingdom, Italy and France. It realizes sales

    of approximatelys90 millionwitharound 70

    employees. All employees will on the closing

    date transfer to the new owner.

    New strategy[The sale of Euroresins is in line with the

    strategic actions DSM is pursuing for com-

    posite resins.

    Cathay Investments is a UK holding

    company for a group of companies en

    gaged in chemical distribution and

    trading.

    Royal DSM;   [www.dsm.com

    The 3D woven composite parts made by Safran and Albany could help reduce the LEAP’s fuel

    consumption by 15% compared with current CFM engines.

    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   BUSINESS

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    [Obama announces new US$250 million composites institutePresident Obama has announced the

    new Institute for Advanced Composites

    Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), a

    Knoxville, Tennessee-based center focused

    on developing next-generation composite

    materials.

    This follows on from the success of 3D printing manufacturing institute Amer-

    ica Makes, which was launched in 2013.

    The institute is supported by a consor-

    tium of 122 companies, including Dow, GE

    and Toray, nonprofits, universities and re-

    search laboratories such as Oak Ridge and

    the University of Kentucky and the U.S.

    Department of Energy.

    It will focus on cutting-edge research on

    advanced composites, such as carbon fiber,

    with a focus on advanced fiber-reinforced

    polymer composites, which combine

    strong fibers with tough plastics and arelighter and stronger than steel.

    The materials can then be used for a

    broader range of products including light-

    weight vehicles with record-breaking fuel

    economy; lighter and longer wind turbine

    blades; high pressure tanks for natural gas-

    fueledcars; and lighter,more efficient indus-

    trial equipment, according to the Depart-

    ment of Energy.

    Clean energyAdvanced composites are especially impor-

    tant for progressing clean energy genera-

    tion and improving the efficiency of the

    nation’s fleet.

    In automotive applications, advanced

    composites could reduce the weight of a

    passenger car by 50% and improve its

    fuel efficiency by roughly 35% without

    compromising performance or safety.The aim is for the Institute for

    Advanced Composites Manufacturing Inno-

    vation (IACMI) to work to develop lower-

    cost, higher-speed, and more efficient

    manufacturing and recycling processes for

    advanced composites. It will also focus on

    lowering the overall manufacturing costs of 

    advanced composites by 50%, reducing the

    energy used to make composites by 75%

    and increasing the recyclability of compo-

    sites to over 95% within the next decade.

    Institute for Advanced Composites

    Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI);http://manufacturing.gov/iacmi.html

    [

    President Obama has announced the new

    Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing

    Innovation.

    BUSINESS   Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015

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    Chem-Trend  delivers compositesmanufacturing confidence.

    From airfoils to ultrasmooth Class A surfaces, Chem-Trend’s

    high-performance Chemlease® and Zyvax® release systems

    minimize manufacturing challenges by offering superior

    release and mold protection while accommodating a range

    of manufacturing conditions that can put production at risk.

    Chem-Trend’s portfolio of release systems provide:

    Chemlease® and Zyvax®

    release solutions provide firstdefense against compositesmanufacturing roadblocks.

    • Water-based options for environmental and HSE benefits• Formula flexibility to accommodate a wide range of conditions

    • Easier introduction of new tooling into production

    • Products that refresh and restore worn tooling

    Our experts are ready to provide solutions on site–anywhere in

    the world. Remove roadblocks and manufacture with confidence;

    put Chemlease® and Zyvax® products to work for you.

    ChemTrend.com

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    Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 2 March/April 2015   TECHNOLOGY

    Technology[Composite design tools at JECAnaglyph has shown its range of compo-

    sites design and analysis software tools at

    the JEC Show, which took place in Paris,France in March.

    LAP (Laminate Analysis Program) analy-

    ses any type of composite laminate sub-

    jected to in-plane loads and moments.

    The software is used in preliminary design

    for tailoring a stacking sequence and opti-

    mising the design by inspecting the lami-

    nate behaviour layer by layer.

    CoDA (Component Design Analysis) deals

    withpreliminary analysisof sub-components

    with Plate, Beam, Joint, Flange or Laminate

    geometries.

    Laminate Tools addresses theentiregeometry, design, FEA pre/post-processing and

    manufacture sequence of composites design

    work. Laminate Tools interfaces with most

    industry standards, both CAD and FEA.

    Anaglyph has developed PLYMATCH vi

    sual technology for hand lay-up composites

    manufacturing and repair. PlyMatch is an

    alternative, or a complement, to existing

    ply-placement methods.

    Anaglyph; www.anaglyph.co.uk 

    [

    [DIAB introduces new structural coreDIAB will be presenting its new Divinycell

    HM-range structural core at JEC Europe

    2015 which takes place in Paris from 10

    to 12 March 2015.

    Divinycell HM is capable of absorbing

    high dynamic impacts and slamming loads

    and is suitable for demanding applications

    such as fast marine hulls.

    Visitors to JEC Europe will also be able to

    see DIAB’s new structural PET-grades, suit-

    able for land, transportation and construc-

    tion applications.

    DIAB will also be showing two new fin-

    ishing options - GPL1 and GSC30/GRV2.

    GPL1 features improved grooves and per-

    forations to minimize resin consumption

    and achieve additional weight savings,

    while GSC30/GRV2 facilitates fast and reli-

    able infusion, reducing


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