Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
CompositesManufacturing
September/October 2016
Thermoplastics
Make a Move in
Auto Industry
Advances
in 3-D
Printing
6 Pioneering
University
R&D Projects
www.compositesmanufacturingmagazine.com
The
September 27-29, 2016
LETS DEMO!
MAINT
EVEN
PROCESS
MACHINE
Were taking the gloves off! Its the Lean
Mean Process Machine LIVE AT THE ANAHEIM
CONVENTION CENTER during CAMX 2016.
See Technical and Advanced Process Champions jab,
cross and hook, building UAVs, skateboards, boat
parts, pipes, benches, and more, right before your
eyes. And watch a new tooling technology duke it
out with traditional methods.
Score tips on how these processes can help you
knock out parts better and faster.
OVER 15 DEMOS
CAMX Booth P22
Doors open 9 AM on September 27
Visit compositesone.com for More Information
12
Features
Auto Industry Explores Thermoplastics .....16
Lightweighting is a top priority for OEMs, and thermoplastics may provide
solutions. Ford, Honda and other auto manufacturers have already incorporated
thermoplastics in mass produced cars. What else is on the horizon?
By Megan Headley
Editorial
I
Managing Editor
ts nearly time for CAMX The Composites and Advanced Susan Keen Flynn
sflynn@keenconcepts.net
Materials Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center
in Anaheim, Calif. The convention, which will be held Senior Manager
Marketing and Communications
September 26 29, is the place for industry membersto Barbara Sadowy
bsadowy@acmanet.org
bea part of themost energetic andexciting composites
Senior Vice President of Events and Information
event. CAMX has something for everyone and provides a Heather Rhoderick, CAE, CMP
hrhoderick@acmanet.org
platform for sharing, learning and interacting with industry
Communications Coordinator
participants from around the world.You dont want to miss Evan Milberg
emilberg@acmanet.org
this show!
Editorial Design & Production
One of the things I look forward to every year is the general session, and this year Keane Design, Inc.
karol@keanedesign.com
is no exception. If youre a fan of TED Talks, you will love this years general session. keanedesign.com
Known as CAMX Live, it will feature three panel speakers who will reflect on how using
Advertising Sales
composites has addressed challenges and solved problems. Through the eyes of these The YGS Group
717-430-2282
speakers, each of uswillget auniqueperspective onhow composites are making the Tima.Good@theygsgroup.com
world a better place. All reprint requests should be directed to
The YGS Group at 717-399-1900.
Plan to spend a lot of time on the exhibit floor, too. We have a broad selection
of vendors and manufacturers who will be displaying their products and services.
Walking the show floor is a great way for your team to see whats new in the industry American Composites Manufacturers Association
3033 Wilson Blvd., Suite 420
and make key contacts that will help your business be more competitive. Industry Arlington, Va 22201
Phone: 703-525-0511
experts will lead presentations and discussions on issues and opportunities, as well as Fax: 703-525-0743
demonstrate the latest and greatest applications and equipmentthat will bring value to Email: info@acmanet.org
Online: www.acmanet.org
your businesses.There is no better place to meet and network with new vendors and
Composites Manufacturing (ISSN 1084-841X) is
manufacturers in the industry. (For more information on CAMX, check out the preview published bi-monthly by the American Composites
Manufacturers Association (ACMA), 3033 Wilson Blvd.,
article of the show on page 35.) Suite 420, Arlington, VA 22201 USA. Subscription rates:
Free for members and non-members in the U.S., Canada
CAMX may be the highlight of the year, but it is just one of the many great things and Mexico; $55 for international non-members. A free
online subscription is available at cmmagazineonline.org.
ACMA does for its member companies. Your continued participation is what makes the Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA and additional
mail offices.
industry great, and I look forward to seeing you at the show. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Composites
Manufacturing, 3033 Wilson Blvd. Suite 420, Arlington,
VA 22201. The magazine is mailed to ACMA members
and is also available by subscription. Canada Agreement
number: PM40063731
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO
JeffCraney Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5, Email: returnsil@imex.
pb.com. Copyright 2016 by ACMA. All rights reserved.
Crane Composites No part of this publication may be reprinted without permis-
ACMA Chairman of the Board sion from the publisher. ACMA, a nonprofit organization
representing the composites industry worldwide, publishes
jcraney@cranecomposites.com Composites Manufacturing, circulation 9,000, as a service to
its members and other subscribers. The reader should note
that opinions or statements of authors and advertisers appear-
ing in Composites Manufacturing are their own and do not
necessarily represent the opinions or statements of ACMA, its
Board of Directors or ACMA staff.
2 CompositesManufacturing
BGF weaves innovation into every fabric design to create distinctive materials for engineered composite
solutions. For over 50 years, we have provided unique finishes, strong bonding chemistries and advanced
materials for aerospace, marine, automotive and infrastructure applications. If you can imagine it, we can
engineer the precise fiber matrix to make it happen. Find out what BGF can do for you by visiting BGF.com.
CompositesManufacturing 3
Best Practices
product forms, and sizings and binders so they are too small for the eye to see the Warpage
applied to glass. This column will focus distinctness of the resin bundles. Chopped Fiber orientation the direction in
on some of the variations available in glass strand mat (CSM), continuous filament which the fibers are laid out is a feature
fiber reinforcements that can be changed mat (CFM), multi-end rovings (MER) of many glass reinforcements, especially
to optimize appearance, processing and and glass veil are available in a variety fabrics. Resin shrinkage, coupled with
performance of composites. of filament diameters (the diameter of a fiber orientation, can create warpage
single fiber) and bundle tex (a group of problems if the reinforcements are not
Cosmetics filaments). Laying down many smaller completely random.
In most composite applications, looks bundles with the same amount of glass Normally, glass reinforcement lays
matter. One of the main factors affecting reinforcement allows for extremely small in the X-Y plane, and the composite
cosmetics is part shrinkage. Resin shrinks pockets of resin, which makes shrinkage laminate is often composed of multiple
up to 8 percent as it cures, while glass less apparent. plies of reinforcement. As long as all of the
reinforcement does not shrink at all. To address print-through issues, reinforcement is completely random (such
When the part begins to shrink, the glass filament diameter also can be changed, but as CSM or MER), the resin shrinkage
reinforcement minimizes shrinkage along in MER, CSM and CFM there is limited should be uniform across the laminate in
the length of the glass fiber. For example, flexibility. Employing smaller filament the X-Y plane and dimensional stability
if the orientation is a randomly chopped diameters can affect other processing and should be predictable. However, the
mat or choppable multi-end roving, the mechanical features, which is why these beauty of composites is that we can orient
fibers lay in the X-Y plane. When the products have filament diameters in the reinforcements to achieve a variety of
resin shrinks, it does so in the Z-axis range of 12 to 16 microns. properties to suit the application. The
because it is constrained in the X-Y plane. Another way to improve surface problem is that we dont have complete
As the resin shrinks, the reinforcement appearance is to select a product that flexibility, and typically a balanced
at the surface remains in place, but very uses 9 to 11 micron fibers that are fully laminate is required so that the fibers will
tiny resin pockets between the glass fiber dispersed. In other words, there are few stabilize the dimensional stability only in
bundles begin to retract below the plane of if any bundles of fibers. These products the direction of their orientation.
the composite surface. are typically called non-wovens or veils. Consider this example: Looking at
4 CompositesManufacturing
ATOM Flashcut TWINS
AUTOMATED CUTTING SOLUTIONS FOR COMPOSITES
Edge Hardener
To Prevent Fiber Unravelling Along the Cut Edge
NO PROBLEM in Picking or Handling Cut Parts
NO PROBLEM with Contamination, Being Natural
NO PROBLEM in Subsequent Processes
CONFERENCE #M76
2016
R
Sep 26-29
EXHIBITS
Sept 27-29 Anaheim, CA
CompositesManufacturing 5
Manufacturers Supplies Company 4220 Rider Trail North Earth City, MO 63045 (314) 770-0880 information@mfgsup.com www.knifecutting.com
Best Practices
Tomorrowland
mold plugs from wax blocks. Each plug For the Disney project, we generally highly detailed textures, says Lee. It then
was created with all surface texture and started with wax positives from which we cast composite panels from these large
design details. The plugs were then used would cast glass fiber reinforced gypsum GFRG molds.
to cast the large gypsum-based mold tools (GFRG) negatives and assemble them An additional benefit of this process is
that wereReichhold-half-page-M2.pdf
used for the hand lay-up process.
1 8/2/16
to11:52
makeAMvery large gypsum molds with that the wax plugs could be melted down
CM
MY
CY
CMY
10 CompositesManufacturing
and reused after parts were produced.
Because the wax is recycled, the fabricator FIND OUT MORE AT
was able to cost effectively create large CAMX 2016 BOOTH
numbers of custom GFRP parts with
SEPT 27-29 ON BOOTH L39 L39
minimal waste.
However, cost wasnt the biggest
challenge the project faced. The composite
products had to meet stringent fire
requirements. Every GFRP component
in the park had to meet both Disneys
fire standards, as well as the Chinese B1
reaction to fire classification for fully
assembled composite parts, as stipulated
and tested by the Chinese National
Inspection and Testing Centre for
Building and Engineering Materials.
FRP is only fire-rated B1 in China
and, although the regulations allow FRP
ADVANCED NONWOVENS FOR
COMPOSITES
to be used on facades under 50 meters
in height, it is still not easy to convince
clients to agree to using FRP on facades,
says Philip Vernon, project manager for FROM TECHNICAL FIBRE PRODUCTS INC.
E-Grow. Fortunately, he adds,Disney had
worked with FRP for decades and already MULTIPLE BENEFITS FROM USING A SINGLE MATERIAL!
had a good understanding of the materials.
Disneys toughest requirement High Quality Surface Finish EMI Shielding Adhesive Carrier
was that both the resin and gel coat,
together as an assembly, had to be fire- Resin Flow Media Electrical Conductivity Fire Protection
rated B1, rather than simply the resin Corrosion Resistance Fracture Toughness Improvement
alone. We went through entrusted fire- Abrasion Resistance Galvanic Corrosion Prevention
testing at laboratories in Shanghai, and
onlyScott Baders products reached those
INQUIRIES@TFPGLOBAL.COM 1 518 280 8500
requirements, Vernon says.
E-Grow ultimately incorporated a WWW.TFPGLOBAL.COM
number of Scott Baders fire-resistant
products, including Crestapol 1212
high-performance aluminum trihydrate
(ATH) filled urethane acrylate resin.
Reinforcements included 450 gsm
chopped strand mat and 450 gsm woven
rovings. Vernon notes that Scott Bader
adjusted its resin formula to make it
TECHNICAL FIBRE PRODUCTS IS PART OF JAMES CROPPER PLC
easier to hand-lay with the fibers, despite
the high-loading of ATH.
Disney added another wrinkle to ACMA advert 07-16.indd 1 22/07/2016 10:36
COMBINED STRENGTH.
UNSURPASSED INNOVATION.
Now in its 3rd year, CAMX has established itself as North Americas event that connects and
advances the worlds composites and advanced materials communities. CAMX is the go-to
marketplace for products, solutions, networking and advanced industry thinking. CAMX is the
largest global event in North America for the industry.
550 Exhibiting Companies / 300 Conference Programs / 2,243 Companies Represented
REGISTER NOW
CAMX 2016
T
U CA
ED
S
R IAL
TE
MA
E D
NC
VA
AD
IT ES
P OS
C OM
E RS
AD
LE
T RY PRODUCED BY
US
IND
. o rg
X
C AM
w.the
14 CompositesManufacturing w w
Photo Credit: DARPA
Safe, Green
Acetone
Replacement
A pproaching our sixth decade
in the marketplace, U.S.
Polychemical Corp. is proud to
announce the availability of our
Polychem Acrastrip line.
Polychem Acrastrip is a safe, green
alternative for all your cleaning
needs within the composite industry.
U.S. Polychemical has partnered
with the EPAs Design for the
Environment (DfE) program to
promote the use of products with
improved environmental and
human health characteristics.
Polychem Acrastrip is non-
The Sea Hunter unmanned surface technology demonstration vessel utilizes GFRP and flammable, biodegradable, has no
CFRP for strength and durability. HAPS and is re-usable. Designed as
a solvent and acetone replacement
and three radar systems are key to the is to let the Navy really kick the tires and product, it will effectively clean,
navigation system, composites are the understand what the vessel is good for. flush and strip uncured or cured
backbone of the Sea Hunter, allowing Data gleaned from the tests will polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy resins,
as well as adhesives and coatings.
it to absorb high amounts of stress help the Navy decide whether or not to
while remaining incredibly sturdy. We build a class of large, unmanned surface In addition to our Acrastrip line
looked at both aluminum and composite vehicles and what they should look Polychem has introduced
construction early in the process, says like. Another factor in the decision Bio-Lock a revolutionary way
Littlefield. Composites came out a little process is, of course, cost. Littlefield says to eliminate grinding and sanding
for secondary bonding!
bit better in terms of overall performance construction costs for the prototype were
and life cycle costs. just under $23 million. He expects the Feel free to contact us at
The ship resembles a Polynesian war cost per vessel, if built in larger volumes, www.uspoly.com or
canoe, with a long, slim hull supported would be about $20 million.
by outriggers on either side. The main Littlefield also sees potential for 1 800 431 2072
1-800-431-2072
hull, deck, internal structures and unmanned vessels in the civilian world.
outriggers are made from E-glass infused There are lots of advantages we are still
with a vinyl ester resin as well as a carbon trying to learn about, but we clearly see
fiber epoxy prepreg. The external shell that autonomy brings value both for
features a linear styrene acrylonitrile military missions and potentially for some
(SAN) foam core, and the internal future commercial applications, he says.
structure uses a PVC foam core. The For example, we see a lot of interest now
prototype vessel was built using vacuum- from some large shipping companies and
assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). marine equipment developers in creating
The Sea Hunter weighs 145 tons similar systems for cargo vessels.
(with full-load displacement) and can
travel approximately 10,000 nautical Susan Keen Flynn is managing editor of
miles at 12 knots. The goal is to reach Composites Manufacturing magazine. Email
top speeds between 24 and 27 knots. comments to sflynn@keenconcepts.net.
Littlefield calls the ocean testing a crawl,
walk, run process, beginning with short For more stories like this, visit
operations. We hope as we get farther CompositesManufacturingMagazine.com Recognized for
safer chemistry
into the experimentation that we may be and check out the Military articles under www.epa.gov/dfe/
16 CompositesManufacturing
ores Thermoplastics
T
here was little argument in 2012 when the Environmental
Protection Agency mandated that by 2025 the U.S. auto fleet
must average 54.5 miles per gallon. President Obama called
the new fuel standards the single most important step weve
ever taken to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. To achieve this
stringent new requirement, automotive industry researchers knew that
Fords 2016 Mustang Shelby GT350
theyd have to turn to materials that could lighten vehicular weight
replaces a plastic-metal hybrid
design grille opening reinforcement
without reducing its strength. CFRP is an obvious choice.
with a lighter weight carbon fiber- In July 2016, Just Auto released a light vehicle materials market
filled polyamide component. forecast that stated that the use of CFRP materials is now growing rapidly
beyond the production of high-end, low-volume vehicles and heading
Photo Credit:The Ford Motor Co. into mainstream production. While manufacturers like Lamborghini have
led in composite research (its Advanced Composites Structure Laboratory
has developed CFRP solutions for the luxury carmaker since 2007),
automakers like Ford are now focusing on mass production. For example,
in 2015 the carmaker began mass producing carbon fiber wheels for its
Mustang Shelby GT350R.
Joe Laux, director of advanced engineering for automotive component
manufacturer Magna Exteriors, predicted in the Just Auto report that
automotive applications of carbon fiber will only increase as the 2025
deadline approaches since there is not a material that we know of that
competes on a strength versus weight basis. There are many materials that
are more affordable, but not on a comparable mass savings opportunity.
While the weight and strength benefits favorably place CFRP as
a material of interest to the automotive industry, expanding its use
has not been without challenges. Cost is certainly an issue. (See the
sidebar on page 20.) Speed of production is another significant hurdle.
As a result, composite suppliers continue to explore processes and
manufacturing solutions that can better meet automakers needs. One
such shift is a growing use of thermoplastic over thermoset composites
in a variety of new applications.
Production Benefits
While thermoset composites have features that make them attractive
to the automotive industry including ease of manufacturing at a
relatively low material cost thermoplastics offer their own difficult-
to-ignore benefits. Chief among these are the significant increases in
production speed over thermosets.
Thermoplastic parts can be processed at much higher rates of speed
than thermosets, explains Eric Wollan, vice president of technology
and business development for PlastiComp Inc. in Winona, Minn.
Typical cycle times for thermoplastic parts are two minutes or less.
Christian Obermann, general manager of Bond Laminates GmbH,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of German specialty chemicals company
LANXESS AG, points to these far shorter production cycles without
the need for any post-production processes as the chief benefit
leading the switch. LANXESS experts say thermoplastic solutions are
by far better for high-volume mass production and enabling lightweight
solutions.
CompositesManufacturing 17
This combination of speed and weight reduction is key,
and the reason that automakers like Honda are working with
thermoplastic suppliers who can rapidly produce components.
Honda is using LANXESS Tepex continuous fiber-reinforced,
high-performance thermoplastic composite, made by its Bond
Laminates subsidiary, in combination with its Durethan high-
performance thermoplastic polymer to manufacture the hybrid-
molded rear bumper beam for Hondas 2016 Clarity hydrogen
fuel cell vehicle using a one-shot molding process. According to
Obermann, this not only allows the production of parts that are
about 50 percent lighter than those made from metal, but also
results in a significantly streamlined production process for the
automotive industry.
Improved cycle times are crucial for meeting the fast pace of
automotive production, but thermoplastics possess additional
benefits as well. Mark Minnichelli, director of technical
development for BASF Performance Materials and site leader
at the companys Budd Lake, N.J., location, points to several
additional advantages of thermoplastic composites compared to
thermoset materials:
20 CompositesManufacturing
The composite seat pan for the new Opel Astra OPC is an
Untitled-1 1
CompositesManufacturing 21
12/8/15 4:35 PM
Ben Bunes (left),
Ling Zang and Chen
Wang (seated) from
the University of
Utah demonstrate a
prototype scanner that
uses carbon nanotube-
carbazole polymer
composites.
Challenging
Conventions with
Composites
University R&D projects continue to push the limits
of what can be done with composites.
By Evan Milberg
I
f there are three words you never want to tell a composites researcher, they are no, you cant. You cant take
scrap carbon fiber from an airplane and turn it into something else. You cant make a bomb detector small
enough to be portable. In this issue, Composites Manufacturing highlights research projects at six universities
that did those things and more. The forward-thinking researchers inspire innovation by challenging
conventional wisdom.
22 CompositesManufacturing
Gary Leeke, front, and Liam
Grover hit the water with the
worlds first kayak made out of
recycled CFRP.
Kayaking with Recycled Materials 300 C. The acetone and water vaporized and raised the pressure
to about 150 bar.
Project: Recycled CFRP kayak Under those conditions, it will break down and dissolve the
School: University of Birmingham resin, explains Leeke. When you depressurize and lower the
Location: Birmingham, England temperature, you can recover your fibers quite nicely. He adds
Principal Investigator: Gary Leeke that while 300 C seems scorching, its cooler than the common
heat-intensive process, pyrolysis. Leeke says that at 500 C,
CompositesManufacturing 23
From left: University of Illinois researchers Wenle Li, Michael T.
Odarczenko and Ke Yang display damage examination, coating
and microencapsulation technologies.
The challenge: create a concept vehicle designed for urban of other universities there reached out to us to find out how
environments that would appeal to the young people in they could do student projects like this, Brooks says. From an
Generation Z. educational perspective, I think its really helped open eyes.
The result was the uBox an electric vehicle and the sixth The next project, Deep Orange 7, is already far along in
concept car in the Deep Orange series, a collaboration between the process, according to Brooks. Its objective is to work on
graduate automotive engineering students at Clemson University, BMWs MINI brand to create a revolutionary MINI technology
transportation design students at ArtCenter College of Design in demonstrator facing the potential requirements to come within
Pasadena, Calif., and various automotive industry partners. the next decade as part of a collaborative real-world educational
The Clemson team used high-strength composites to reduce experience. McConomy is also working on Deep Orange 8,
the weight, minimize part count and simplify the assembly of the which is still in the concept development stage.
uBox. According to Shayne McConomy, an associate research
engineer at Clemson who mentored the Deep Orange graduate Detecting Danger
students, composites were used to make the doors, a lot of the Project: Alkane fuel scanner
internal body panels, several of the structures in the front clip
(which comprises seven pieces that make up the dash) and the
School: University of Utah
crash rail panels. He adds that the students were able to create Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
the shape of the car by putting a fiberglass overlay onto the Principal Investigator: Ling Zang
composite panels. The entire car weighs just 1,612 kilograms
(~3,554 pounds).
The vehicle incorporates TeXtreme carbon fabrics in the
door panels, rear hatch, dashboard, bumpers and cladding. The
O ne of the ways the United States Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) ensures the safety of Americans is to thwart
dangerous acts before they happen. That may be why the DHS,
team opted for fabrics because they provide the popular carbon National Science Foundation and NASA funded research at
fiber look that is aesthetically pleasing. The vehicles roof rail was the University of Utah to create a novel material for a handheld
made with high-strength pultruded composites that can be mass scanner that can detect small traces of alkane fuel vapor. Alkane
manufactured at a low cost and create a curvature desired by Toyota. vapor, when detected, can be an early warning signal for leaks in
Clemson students fabricated the uBox components using an oil pipeline or airliner or for locating a terrorists explosive.
vacuum infusion. We really wanted to have the students to According to the University of Utah, there are no small,
do their own lay-up themselves. It was important for their portable chemical sensors to detect alkane fuel vapor because
educational experience that they understand that process, the vapor is not chemically reactive. So Utah professor Ling
Brooks says. Not only did the students make the composite Zang, doctoral students Chen Wang and Yaqiong Zhang, and
panels, they made the whole car, then tested it in an echoless postdoctoral fellow Ben Bunes developed a handheld scanner that
chamber at Clemson. uses a novel, chemically-reactive composite to detect the vapor.
Perhaps the most impactful part of the entire experience for As Bunes explains, the composite itself combines single-
the students and for future work was when Clemson took the walled carbon nanotubes with a rare organic compound polymer
vehicle to SAE Internationals 2016 World Congress. A number known as carbazole. Inside the scanner, the composite helps
CompositesManufacturing 25
says. When an alkane is present, the alkane molecule likes to sit
in between the polymers, and that increases the spacing between
the nanotubes. When that happens, Bunes adds, fewer charges
are able to make the trip between electrodes, signaling a change
714-979-7681 | HOODMFG.COM
26 CompositesManufacturing
Bunes says the technology can be used to monitor crude oil
pipelines, many of which are currently monitored with sensors
that are based on pressure, which only makes them good for
detecting large leaks. He envisions putting small scanners along
the backbone of an oil pipe to monitor small leaks that are largely
undetected. Bunes adds that the scanners could also be used
A s the old adage goes, there are two sides to every story.
However, for a group of researchers
framework), valley winding (to connect the structures low points
and tension the initial CFRP layers) and
28 CompositesManufacturing
The ceramics department has to use their kilns all of the time,
says Wit. With the prepregs short bake time, we could sneak
into their schedule for four hours or come in the middle of the
night, throw something in and be out before anybodys even back
and not disturb their process of working.
While the rolyPOLY resembles a cool art installation, its
much more than aesthetically interesting. Wit and his peers are
testing the potential for robotically-wound CFRP in architecture
applications. The visual and tactile elements that you can
achieve with CFRP translate very nicely into architecture, he
says. Were looking at minimizing the complexity that goes into
the construction of a detached dwelling.
cooling, the structures steel formwork was removed from the Evan Milberg is communications coordinator for ACMA. Email
composite shell. comments to emilberg@acmanet.org.
The researchers chose the prepreg CFRP due to its
workability, consistency, stability, curing attributes, minimal
toxicity and strength. However, a literal sticking point with Wit
was the teams ability to reduce waste.
Want to Hear About
We could work with [the prepregs] more hands-on without More Research?
having to worry about wasting resin and dripping resin all over
CAMX 2016 will feature a Poster Session
the place, Wit explains. Also, we could specify the exact resin
consistency that we wanted in the tow. [During the winding where the next generation of researchers,
process], the fibers were tacky and would stick to each other engineers and industry professionals share innovations in
pretty well, but there werent pools of resin, which made it a material science and composites. For more information
really simple, yet interesting material to use.
on CAMX, which will be held Sept. 26-29 in Anaheim, visit
Preserving time was just as important as preserving materials,
so they chose materials that required only a four-hour bake time. thecamx.org or see the article on page 35.
OVENS
Batch Ovens Conveyor Ovens Drum Heaters
Questions? Wed be happy to help and welcome the
opportunity to do business together! So give our Engineers a
call at 419.502.2780 or email us at ovensales@lewcoinc.com
I
n one sense, theres nothing new about additive manufacturing structurally-sound structures that you cant make any other way.
of composites, since hand lay-up and automated lay- Manufacturers utilize composites because of the great
down are both additive processes. But the type of additive mechanical performance they get in strength-to-weight ratios,
manufacturing thats grabbing industry headlines today often stiffness-to-weight ratios, etc. Combine that with additive
referred to as 3-D printing is very different from conventional manufacturing, and they can eliminate some of the problems
manufacturing methods. inherent in todays manufacturing methods, says Timothy
Using a design stored in a CAD file, additive manufacturing Schniepp, business development director for composite tooling
equipment adds successive layers of a material (liquid, powder, at Stratasys.
sheet materials) to fabricate a 3-D object. There are many Most conventional methods to produce composites are
different ways to do this, from selective laser sintering (powder extremely labor intensive; not only does it take significant
bed fusion) to sheet lamination (laminated object manufacturing) amounts of time and money to produce such structures, theres
to material extrusion (fused deposition modeling) and binder also variability any time theres direct touch labor involved
jetting (the original 3-D printing). Today, the term 3-D printing in building high-performance parts, says Schniepp. When a
has become almost interchangeable with additive manufacturing composite structure is built for an aircraft, for example, a good
and encompasses all of these methods and more. percentage of its costs involves inspections and quality tests. As
While additive manufacturing has been around for more than we move toward additive manufacturing, not only do we get
30 years, its only recently that the industry has taken a closer rid of all that touch labor and time involved, but we should, in
look at composite materials. theory, cut out a lot of that variability.
Theres lots of excitement about composites today, says Composite materials allow greater flexibility. You can design
Lawrence Gasman, founder and president of SmarTech Markets and combine multiple parts into a single build to really optimize
Publishing, which follows the industry. The dynamic within designs for an application, as opposed to most conventional
the industry is to move to ever more complex materials as a way manufacturing methods, which optimize parts so that they can be
for the materials companies and through them the equipment manufactured, he adds.
companies to get a competitive advantage. Two years ago, the Most 3-D printing companies, including Stratasys, are
hot topic at additive manufacturing conferences was metals; this beginning their work with composites using short fiber-
year its composites. reinforced materials. You dont have to deal with cutting fibers,
Gasman says one reason for the increased interest is that and the tool paths for building a part are a little less complex,
major industrial labs capable of working with composite materials says Schniepp. As you move to continuous carbon fiber
are beginning to do more work with additive manufacturing. In reinforcement for critical applications such as high-performance
addition, while companies currently use the technology primarily structures, your requirements will continue to get more stringent.
for prototyping, the focus is shifting to small volume production The challenges are in printing the part with a continuous fiber
of complex parts. Composites are a good fit for such applications. reinforcement that results in a structure with higher quality,
When you bring 3-D printing and composites together, you sufficiently low porosity and proper consolidation while meeting
get something more than the sum of the parts, says Gasman. dimensional and other specific application requirements. Those
Potentially you could make grids within grids; you can make are the things that were working to address.
30 CompositesManufacturing
As part of the
Department of Energys
National Rotor Testbed,
research students at
the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory 3-D-printed
this turbine blade tool.
CompositesManufacturing 31
Stratasys plans to adapt some of additive manufacturing to produce high-
CompositesManufacturing 33
Photo credit: Tuxyso/Wikimedia Commons
of the technology is stabilization of the 3-D printing processes technology, thats probably not the best use of the technology. The
and qualification of the components it produces to Boeings question one would have to ask is why would you want to make
exacting standards. We are deliberate and thoughtful about the one million of the same thing? says Bheda.
introduction of additive manufacturing parts and have a rigorous Swartz says that Coca-Colas new bottles, printed on an inkjet
process for qualification, says Christodoulou. printer and featuring dozens of different names, sayings and
designs, offer a glimpse into the possibilities of 3-D printing.
The Potential is Great Many additive manufacturing systems use some variation of inkjet
Perhaps the biggest hurdle to additive manufacturing is that its printers, so theres no reason composite part manufacturers couldnt
more expensive than traditional composites manufacturing, but eventually offer similar customization and personalization for each
thats likely to change. item they produce.
I believe that today the cost is artificially high, but once The composites and the 3-D printing industries are
it starts to get market priced there is no inherent factor that only beginning to unlock the potential of combining these
contributes to cost other than the speed, Bheda says. So once technologies. I think the composites industry is willing to adopt
we solve the speed problem, there is no reason why additive that technology, but Im not sure if the 3-D printing industry
manufacturing ought to be any more expensive than any other understands composite technology well enough yet, says Dietsch.
process. As a matter of fact, you can argue that it ought to be lower Its really exciting right now to see these two worlds getting
cost because you eliminate the cost of tooling. The process also together and sharing ideas because of the higher performance
dramatically reduces material waste and is more energy efficient applications that we will begin to see.
than other production methods. As people begin to understand the capabilities of composites
The cost-effectiveness of additive manufacturing depends in 3-D printing, they will come up with new ways of using
on the shape of the part, says Ben Dietsch, president of Nona them, adds Swartz. When the internet first came out, nobody
Composites. Its more affordable to machine something that is a could conceive of something like Facebook, he says. I think
fairly simple shape, but once the complexity and the depth of the those are the kinds of breakthroughs that are going to come.
part start to increase, thats where you see more affordability from a Someone will see some use [for additive manufacturing] that
3-D-printed tool. none of us ever imagined.
Additive manufacturing also offers the potential for mass
customization. While it may someday be possible to quickly and Mary Lou Jay is a freelance writer from Timonium, Md. Email
inexpensively produce large quantities of the same item with the comments to mljay@comcast.net.
T
he career of a composites industry provide a North American platform for
journeyman can take one all across composite products, solutions, networking and
North America. For Robert Rambo, advanced industry thinking.
the compression/composites plant manager at For Rambo, CAMX will offer a unique
Cambro Manufacturing, it has included jobs in chance to meet with many of the contacts hes
Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Kentucky and currently made over the years during what he calls the
southern California. Along the way, hes gained ultimate meeting of the minds.
experience in pultrusion, compression molding, I have had some of the best scrap
RTM, vacuum infusion and more. But rarely has reduction ideas come from these meetings,
he had access to experts in all of those processes Rambo says. Not to mention all the raw
in one place. material improvements others have tried and shared with me,
From September 26-29, Rambo will get that chance by giving the companies I have worked for the competitive edge.
making the short drive from Huntington Beach, Calif., to Rambo points to when was he was in Toledo, Ohio,
this years CAMX The Composites and Advanced Materials partnering with Owens Corning to build sunrooms. Using roving
Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. from Owens Corning helped improve the sustainability and
The show, now in its third year, is co-produced by ACMA throughput of the material while also reducing scrap. Rambo also
and the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process found helpful online resources, which combined with using Six
Engineering (SAMPE). It was created to unite the worlds Sigma greatly improved Cambros scrap rate in future projects.
composites and advancedmaterials communities, and to Rambos company has also improved its workforce
CompositesManufacturing 35
Preston and his team believe that
providing access to information
can potentially have the greatest
social impact of any engineering
program in the world today.
He is a composites expert with
nearly 120 patents (including
patents pending), and his work
includes extensive developments
in guidance and sensing
technologies, materials science,
composite fabric technology and
ram-air inflated wings.
Renowned architect Greg
Lynn also will speak at CAMX
Marcio Sandri, vice president and managing Dr. J. Gary Smyth, executive director of Live. Lynn has been a leader
director of glass reinforcements for Owens global research and development at General in the acceptance and use
Cornings Composite Solutions Business, speaks Motors, presents his keynote address
of advanced materials and
about the state of the composites industry during at CAMX 2015. Smyth highlighted the
technologies for design and
the general session at CAMX 2015. importance of market disruption.
fabrication in architecture.
Much of his work can be seen
development efforts based on knowledge gained at CAMX. [At in prominent design and architecture museums, including the
CAMX,] I was able to discuss different options on how to set up Canadian Centre for Architecture, the San Francisco Museum
training certification programs, says Rambo. That made a huge of Modern Art and the Chicago Museum of Modern Art. For
difference in our skill set and training retention in the composite the past few years, Lynn and UCLA architecture professor
industry processes, which before was handled through employee Julia Koerner have been exploring the integration of composite
training experience by more of a trial-and-error process. materials in architecture with UCLA students.
Matt Chambers, president of Design Concepts (formerly JRL Rounding out CAMX Live will be Gregory Haye, the general
Ventures Inc.)/Marine Concepts, has also seen his business grow. manager of Local Motors Materials and Process Development
He credits CAMX for exposing him and his company to a wide Center of Excellence. During Hayes tenure at Local Motors, the
range of new suppliers and customers, including some in the company has emerged as a leader in 3-D printing composites
automotive industry, the composites segment of the simulation for automotive applications. Last year, Local Motors unveiled its
industry and companies that specialize in RTM. I think what LM3D Swim, the worlds first 3-D-printed car series, which has
happens with a show like CAMX is you get such a broad range of impressed policymakers on Capitol Hill.
people researching composites, says Chambers. You draw good However, the general session will not be your only chance
talent, good suppliers, good potential customers. to hear about composites innovation. CAMX 2016s featured
CAMXs growth is something that resonates personally with sessions also will run the gamut of relevant hot button topics
Chambers, as his company has been looking to expand beyond in the industry, including aerospace, recycling, 3-D printing,
the marine market. To me, CAMX is doing the same thing that material advances, automotive trends, design and simulation,
were doing [it has] diversified, says Chambers. wind energy industry growth and workforce development.
According to David Fullwood, a mechanical engineering
Whats New? professor at Brigham Young University who serves on the
One of the ways CAMX is diversifying this year is by CAMX Joint Programming Committee, 2016 will offer a wide
engaging young people through the all-new CAMX Race. array of education sessions to choose from. We are hosting
During the race, students and young professionals will use their an unprecedented number of panels and featured sessions this
mobile phones to answer trivia questions as they stop at different year to give the attendees a highly interactive environment for
exhibitor booths. The fastest group with the most questions connecting with the latest and greatest advances in technology,
correct wins cash prizes. says Fullwood. Specifically, CAMX will offer more than 250
This years general session also represents the evolution of conference sessions covering more than 100 topics spanning the
CAMX. Instead of a singular keynote speaker focusing on one entire composites and advanced materials industry.
market, the general session known as CAMX Live will
include a panel of innovators and industry leaders, a la TED Exhibit Hall and Awards
Talks, that will share insights on how composites are changing According to Steve Rodgers, a consultant at ZyynTek Sensors,
the world. CAMX has grown because ACMA and SAMPE have fully
One of the speakers at CAMX Live will be Luminati developed every aspect of the show, as opposed to zeroing in on
Aerospace CEO/CTO Daniel Preston. He created the company one element. Many of the world-class events in our industry
to provide a platform for internet connectivity to billions of concentrate on either the conference or the exhibition, says
people in the world who do not have access to internet services. Rodgers. CAMX does both and does them both very well. There
36 CompositesManufacturing
is so much good content that it is like a three-ring circus.
This year, the exhibit hall will feature about 550 exhibitors,
including booths displaying some of the latest composites
innovation. At booth B106, the Awards for Composites
Excellence (ACE) will showcase outstanding developments in
design, manufacturing and market growth. This years finalists
feature developments in pultrusion, 3-D printing, architectural
and automotive composites, thermoplastics and out of autoclave
(OoA) technology, among others. At booth M98, the CAMX
Award recognizes two cutting-edge innovations that will
significantly impact composites and advanced materials. (For a
full list of winners, go to thecamx.org/awards-competitions.)
CAMX also will feature the largest closed mold and advanced
process live demonstration at an industry trade show. If you want
to see composites in action, these demonstrationswill give youa
first-hand look at processes used in market segments like marine,
transportation, aerospace, consumer goods, recreation, corrosion,
infrastructure and architecture.
Once the exhibit hall closes on Thursday, September 29, A CAMX 2015 attendee checks out SeaHEX acarbon fiber-
make sure to attend the CAMX closing luncheon, featuring body, waterproof, floatingdronecapable of capturing HD video in
a panel of student speakers sharing ideas on how composites a variety of environments.
and advanced materials can continue to change the world. Its
also a great chance to do some networking before you head
home. the [CAMX] app and do your planning in advance in order to
Rodgers says theres a lot to take in, but thanks to the maximize the value of your experience.
CAMX app, hell be prepared. Certainly, if one is limited to
one industry conference per year this one is worthy of the most Evan Milberg is communications coordinator for ACMA. Email
serious consideration, he says. Just be diligent to get hold of question to emilberg@acmanet.org.
COMPOSITES EUROPE
11th European Trade Fair & Forum for
Composites, Technology and Applications
www.composites-europe.com
Organised by Partners
CompositesManufacturing 37
Plotting the
Road Ahead
The FIBERS Consortium outlines a plan for growing
composites manufacturing in the U.S.
G
rowing U.S. composites manufacturing requires the methods, materials, predictive modeling and workforce
development of a strategic plan derived from input development. An expanded list of topics and additional details
from all of the key stakeholders. In 2014, the National will be available in a final report that will be submitted to NIST
Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) funded a project in the coming months.
critical to that growth, and the FIBERS Consortium (Facilitating
Industry By Engineering, Roadmapping and Science) was born. Advancing Processing Methods
The FIBERS Consortium is headed by five U.S. universities Currently, raw material conversion and polymer matrix
with composites manufacturing expertise: Iowa State University, composite processing consists of manual and automated
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Delaware, methods with varying levels of process monitoring and control.
University of Massachusetts Lowell and University of New During company visits, the FIBERS team discovered that
Hampshire. These universities have worked with companies of current manufacturing trends include heavy use of liquid
all sizes across the supply chain from raw materials to field- composite molding, out-of-autoclave molding, flexible and hard
service applications to compile a comprehensive roadmap of automation, and thermoplastic materials.
growth opportunities and associated challenges within the U.S. A major opportunity/challenge for the industry is to develop
composites manufacturing industry. ACMA also was a key player, new and innovative manufacturing processes. Understanding
working hand-in-hand with the FIBERS Consortium to facilitate the physics associated with a processing method is paramount
its mission. to developing the innovations that can lead to reduced costs and
To understand the U.S. composites industry and develop a increased throughput rates, and thereby provide a pathway for the
sound growth strategy, the FIBERS team explored the industry U.S. to become a leader in composites. Advances in composite
through online surveys, regional workshops attended by more manufacturing, nondestructive evaluation, bonding and repair,
than 200 people, site visits to several manufacturing facilities and and recycling are crucial for the successful and accelerated
participation in professional conferences. The first online survey, adoption of composites beyond high-end aerospace markets
completed by more than 350 industry professionals in November and for the expanded use of composites in wind. In the 2014
2014, focused on prioritization of industry challenges. The survey, two of the six most important challenges identified were
second, completed by more than 80 people in November 2015, reducing variability in processing and new-process development.
focused on prioritization of actions. Likewise, a vast majority of respondents in 2015 indicated
This article provides an overview of some of the findings that new processes are required for growth. With widespread
of the FIBERS roadmapping activities related to processing adoption of composites, the need for faster, cheaper and more
38 CompositesManufacturing
The Path to Growth in the Composites Industry
Actionable
Solutions
Process
Automation Modeling &
Controls
Challenges
To Be
Overcome
Low-Cost
Non-
Carbon and Increase Reduce Destructive
Hybrid Fibers Availability Cycle
of Qualified
Primary Time Inspection
Workforce
Driver:
Lightweighting
Mitigate
Reduce
Waste
Variability
Material
Workforce
Material
Training
Standards
Programs
Upward
Mobility to Sustainability
Retain Skilled Planning/
Workforce Life Cycle
Inventory
robust processing methods become critical for high-volume, low- exhibit final performance properties that are highly dependent on
cost production scenarios. Cost and sustainability concerns are the processing conditions. Companies and the U.S. government
driving manufacturers to reduce the amount of raw materials, recognize the need for rapid, low-cost carbon fiber production,
waste, energy and consumables associated with processing. which was identified as one of the most important action items
Recycling technologies, including pyrolysis and solvolysis, are in the 2015 survey. Two-thirds of respondents cited the need for
being developed to reclaim expensive fibers from scrap and new resins to reduce processing time and lower per-part cost.
end-of-life parts. Raw materials (fiber, resin, core) are currently The need for shorter process cycle times and lower labor costs
expensive, have highly variable processing requirements and can is driving industry toward automation. As a result, automation is
CompositesManufacturing 39
Growth Forecast for the Composites Industry
Industry surveys conducted by the FIBERS Consortium in 2014 and 2015 identified two sectors as offering
the greatest growth opportunities for composites: automotive and infrastructure. The aerospace sector is
anticipated to lead composites with the highest penetration.
Automotive Growth will require widespread use of automation to meet the high-volume, low-cost
requirements of the auto industry and will drive the increased use of modeling of composite manufacturing
processes to design and tune these processes. The development of low-cost carbon fiber is one of the major
requirements to realizing the maximum benefit of weight reductions. Weight reductions on the order of 40
percent over todays metal-structure vehicles are possible through the combination of composites and the
resulting weight drop of the mechanical systems used on the car. Automation and cycle-time production
under 2 minutes will require R&D into new quick-curing resins and forming processes.
Infrastructure Similar to the large turbine blades in the wind energy sector, composites in infrastructure
require the materials to come at a low cost per unit weight and exhibit a long service life. The size and scale
of these composite structures, including bridges and roads, require resins with cure times that allow time for
fully wetting the part, which is in contrast to the fast cure needed by the auto industry.
Aerospace Aerospace has been a leader in the use, processing and advancement of composite materials.
This very high penetration of composites use is anticipated to continue. Together with the military sector,
these composites will continue to set the bar for performance. The higher-cost applications of aerospace
materials are critical for pushing the envelope in performance and new processes, which will enable
technologies to migrate to sectors that are constrained by lower cost requirements.
While the marine, wind, and sports and recreation sectors can continue to grow, it is not anticipated that
growth in these sectors will be as significant. However, all sectors should benefit from the advancements
in materials, processing, automation, modeling and workforce development that will be led by the auto,
infrastructure and aerospace markets.
2030
High
2020
2015
Medium
Low
40 CompositesManufacturing
expected to grow in all composite manufacturing sectors over the next foreign competitors especially in the European Union,
15 years, with high penetration especially in automotive and aerospace. where government support for composites is very high
Despite increased market demand and opportunities for Share Department of Defense knowledge in composites
advanced composites, significant challenges exist in the U.S. for manufacturing automation with U.S. industry
replacing traditional engineering metal alloys with composites. Set up regional technology centers with process and
The following four primary challenges were identified in the simulation capabilities and technical support services for
2015 survey in order of importance: use by SMEs
Reduce cycle time Without significant movement on these items, many industry
Reduce material/part variability applications will struggle to adopt composites into their design.
Mitigate waste Collaboration among industry, academia and the government are
Expand the workforce that is trained in the design critical for successful development and implementation of game-
of composite structures and the design of associated changing processes in the U.S. composites industry.
manufacturing processes for those structures especially for
complex part geometries The Future of Materials
Composite material systems are rapidly evolving to increase
Nondestructive evaluation methods, including ultrasonic the performance of existing systems notably higher strength
imaging and acoustic emissions need to be widely used as a means carbon and glass fibers as well as to develop new material
of quality control during manufacturing. A common concern systems, such as resins that can function in high-temperature
by many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) visited environments. Innovation in material formats is co-evolving with
by the FIBERS team was that capital equipment, engineering, the increased utilization of automation and out-of-autoclave
energy and material costs are too high. Unlike some industries (OoA) processes.
that recognize the benefits of research collaboration, such as Automation requires materials with tight tolerances and low
the semiconductor industry, fears about intellectual property variability to produce parts with minimal intervention during
protection are forcing many companies to duplicate research and the manufacturing process and thereby realize the full promise
development or use outdated processes and approaches. Smaller of in-service performance benefits. OoA processing is gaining
firms are also faced with limited to no access to new equipment traction in numerous industries due to dramatic reductions in
and analysis capabilities, thereby limiting their ability to explore void volume fractions that approach those of parts processed by
and justify the cost of new-process adoption. autoclave. Thermoplastic composites are increasingly deployed
Research investments devoted to cost reduction and increased for potential decreased cycle times and increased recyclability.
productivity are priorities for development of new processing The choice of materials used in composites manufacturing
methods. Industry, academia, government agencies and non- is primarily driven by industry requirements and government
profit associations should collaborate on the following: investments and regulations. Industrial requirements for materials
focus foremost on cost reductions enabled by lowered raw
Development of low-cost carbon fiber manufacturing materials costs, as well as attractive processing parameters, such
processes to accelerate non-aerospace applications as short cycle times, low processing temperatures and zero scrap
Development and implementation of robust predictive rates. Government investments in composites manufacturing
modeling, non-destructive evaluation and smart should aim to increase sustainability via recycling efforts and
automation capabilities bio-derived material sourcing and to substantially reduce the
Development of methods to mitigate or eliminate part embodied energy.
defects, followed by implementation of more process Domestic government regulations are currently directed at
control and reduction of incoming raw material variation limiting styrene and other organic vapor emissions. The FIBERS
from the supply chain team anticipates that manufacturers will eventually be responsible
Demonstration of technologies necessary in automation for costs associated with end-of-life solutions for many of their
and robotics, process sensing, monitoring and control, and composite parts. Such a responsibility provides the incentive to
process simulation develop and use sustainable material formulations that accommodate
Adoption of lean manufacturing principles recycling (or remaking) as opposed to sending to landfills.
Materials challenges for todays composites industry revolve
The federal government should: around cost, cycle time, processing bottlenecks, standardization,
reduced variability, sustainability and protection of corporate
Increase funding to train both engineers and technicians in intellectual property and trade secrets. The cost of materials,
composites manufacturing particularly carbon fiber and epoxy resins, are prohibitively high
Provide long-term support for R&D activities to assist the for widespread use in market segments such as wind power and
U.S. composites manufacturing industry to be on par with automotive. Processing cycle times are a consequence of resin
CompositesManufacturing 41
viscosities that define fill time, the length of time required to the models of in-service performance, manufacturers could use
reach and hold cure temperatures, and lot variability. a virtual manufacturing environment to examine the benefits
Lot variability forces users to always bias to the most extreme and consequences of such changes as material choices, processing
condition to design for the worst-case scenario, which errs conditions and capital equipment options before going down the
on the side of a long cure time. These issues invite negative long and expensive path of product and process development.
comparisons when referenced to steel or aluminum within the Currently, predictive modeling tools for composites fall
automotive industry. The integration of feedback control can into three categories: structural analysis, manufacturing process
help reduce the negatives of lot variability. simulation and life-cycle analysis. The structural modeling tools
Two-thirds of survey respondents prioritize the development for predicting part stiffnesses and completing stress analyses are
of new resin materials, with the primary aim to reduce process relatively mature, but their use by SMEs has been limited for
time and decrease part cost. These new materials, however, reasons cited previously. The modeling tools for process simulation,
often require costly certifications of both material systems and predicting in-service fatigue life and life-cycle inventory (LCI)
processes that are a barrier to even large industry members. are still emerging. LCI refers to examining the environmental
While industrial participants expressed conceptual interest in impact of a composite product, and an LCI model can be used to
material recyclability and sustainable practices, few economic quantify the energy use and material efficiency. Currently, life-cycle
options are presently available. Therefore, many companies studies of composites lack the granularity needed to include major
cannot make a business case for significant investment. constituents found in thermosets and thermoplastics. As a result,
The FIBERS team identified actions in three domains that designers and developers of composite products cannot easily use
build on industry strengths and overcome barriers: reduction of these tools. In addition, use of these tools is limited because only a
materials costs, reduction of materials variability and development small fraction of the constituent materials have been characterized
of new resins. Three-fourths of respondents prioritize alternatives to provide the needed inputs to these models, and many of those
to current carbon-fiber manufacturing techniques to lower its characterizations are incomplete.
cost for new market segments, while 40 percent of respondents The objective to decrease product development costs while
are proponents of a similar effort for glass fibers. Half of those improving performance compared to existing composite and
surveyed advocate for designing material performance standards metal products is the driving need for development of improved
that enable the transition between alternate materials that are predictive tools and for increasing their use across the industry.
functionally equivalent. Material variability must be distinguished Improved predictive simulations can reduce the current practice
from processing variability. Prioritized actions for material of overdesigned parts, thus reducing material usage both waste
variability include increasing consistency of material inputs and and the amount of material in the product life-cycle. Industry also
formats, as well as development of materials that facilitate defect needs to respond to the driver of greater stakeholder expectations
reduction in composites. for environmental improvement of composites, recycling and the
Concerning the development of new resins, two-thirds general link of greater life-cycle benefit to lower product total costs.
of the respondents desire acceptance criteria specific to the Indirect drivers for the use of LCI models include international
composites industry, and a majority endorse the development expectations for environmental product declarations, government
of new and improvement of existing standards for composites policies on purchases and financial institutions perception of the
component materials and for criteria specific to certain industry benefit of clear environmental profiles.
segments. More efficient and less expensive approaches to The widespread adoption of predictive modeling tools faces
qualify composite materials, such as experimentation informed challenges that include the lack of material data inputs and of a
by modeling, should be pursued. Finally, though respondents general recognition of the advantages that can be gained from
did not prioritize recycling or other life-cycle materials issues, such modeling. Currently, processes rely heavily upon in-house
the issue was consistently raised as a looming concern among experience and the design-build-test process. The reliance on
workshop participants, so research into new materials addressing past experience limits the vision of possibilities for process and
environmental concerns should be pursued. part design to what is known from past history. Virtual models
can expand the range of possibilities. Also, industry is generally
Innovations in Predictive Modeling Tools unable to demonstrate and communicate the environmental
Modeling tools are a valuable resource for investigating benefits of new composite products. Both process simulation and
new composite designs and processing methods. These tools LCI tools are hampered by a universal concern over the lack of
provide manufacturers a virtual environment to redesign existing availability of a standardized material database. Cost and access to
processes or add new ones that can facilitate improvements in training in the proper use of some of the tools is also a concern.
the manufacturing process. Unfortunately, these tools are often The implementation of demonstration projects and
underutilized for such reasons as limited access to the tools, lack initiatives, which include the use of predictive modeling tools,
of qualified personnel with experience using them or lack of can educate industry about the capabilities of these tools and
awareness that the tools even exist. show their value in expediting the design of manufacturing
By linking the modeling of the manufacturing process to processes. Additionally, it is important to expand materials
42 CompositesManufacturing
databases to include the properties needed by these simulations. college unaware of composites manufacturing as a career.
Ideally, a central clearinghouse for the data should be freely Education and training programs may not be tailored to match
available: a collaboration of federal agencies, such as the regional industry requirements, despite a significant fraction
Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the of workers remaining geographically local to their respective
Department of Commerce, NASA, the National Transportation educational institution. No national standards or accreditation
Safety Board and/or IACMI would be the obvious groups to body exists for the industry, which hinders uniform education
underwrite such an initiative. standards and transfer of skills between composites companies.
Life-cycle predictive tools also need further development. The manual, complex and craftsman nature of composites
The availability of representative, non-proprietary composite life- manufacturing impedes the influx of employees from other
cycle inventory data for the largest composite end-use product manufacturing sectors. Many design engineers are unfamiliar
groups is needed. Data is required for the majority of chemical and uncomfortable with the design flexibilities associated
constituents and composite assembly techniques. It is critical to with composites, and this restricts the broad adoption of
develop life-cycle profiles of composite recycling and benefits in composites. Until there is a significant population of engineers
recycled or repurposed composite materials. with knowledge on how to design composite parts and who
understand the processes used to make such parts, growth in the
Developing a Skilled Workforce number of composites applications will continue to be slow.
The composites workforce resides along a spectrum from Continual growth of the composites industry requires
no composites-specific training to engineers with doctoral skilled labor at all levels. Almost 70 percent of companies report
degrees. Graduates at all levels with composites knowledge challenges in the availability of a qualified workforce. While
tend to be hired before graduation. However, the alignment of expected hiring is greatest for high school graduates, a quarter of
education and training programs with industrial requirements is respondents expect to hire at the masters and doctoral levels.
variable and results in mismatches between worker skillsets and Moreover, 70 percent of companies report a challenge in
manufacturer needs. retention of their qualified workforce, and transfers to other
Currently, high school graduates enter the workforce or industries exacerbate the skills shortfall within the composites
CompositesManufacturing 43
good sector. These transfers are driven by the physical aspects of the
vibrations work environment, as well as pay differentials with other industry
segments. Company size correlates with length of employment; the
median employment at companies with retention of less than one
Adhesive Resists Vibration,
year is 150 employees, while companies with greater than 1,000
Impact And Shock employees have median employment tenures of five to 10 years.
Improvements in recruitment, retention and workforce
development require a large foundation of well-structured
EP21TDCF-3 workforce training programs, engaged industrial/educational
High strength partnerships and educational outreach in the domestic
Toughened composites industry. Greater than 80 percent of industry
Low viscosity respondents prioritize the generation of composites transfer
Cures at room temperature pathways between high school, community colleges and
universities. More than half the respondents rank high the
development of co-op and internship programs focused on
industry input and certification programs that prioritize
industrial relevance.
Each partnering education institution must have personnel
motivated to establish these pathways and programs, who
are actively engaged with and responsive to their industrial
counterparts. Academic institutions with plans to continually
update content with industry input will improve the
154 Hobart Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA competitiveness of their alumni. Industry, likewise, should reach
+1.201.343.8983 main@masterbond.com
out to academic institutions and engage in long-term, sustained
investment in strategic partnerships. Large majorities of industry
www.masterbond.com respondents prioritize re-training of the existing workforce in
transferable skills and the establishment of pathways for upward
mobility of employees throughout their career as vital to the
retention of a qualified workforce.
The future of composites manufacturing is one in which new
college graduates enter the workforce with a broad, relevant and
up-to-date knowledge of composites manufacturing methods and
materials. Projects to achieve this future include development of
industry-led standards for accreditation, creation of pathways to
climb the employment ladder and development of instruction
modules to increase composites visibility and teach a generation
of design engineers how to incorporate composites. Putting
these enabling projects in motion is the goal of a comprehensive
workforce development plan.
44 CompositesManufacturing
Next Steps
In the first FIBERS workshops, industry professionals
challenged the team to not just deliver a roadmap, but to
facilitate initiation of concrete proposed actions. This is the
first priority for the consortium. All proposed activities will
involve a broad range of stakeholders, from OEMs to material
suppliers and education experts. Many projects will require
significant funding.
The FIBERS team, working with ACMA and many workshop
participants, is pursuing the development and implementation
of more than 30 demonstration projects and initiatives. One
demonstration project is fabrication of a composite inner
hood for the automotive sector made at cycle times and costs
on par with the steel and aluminum parts they will displace.
The objective is to bring the component from concept to
market within two years. This project will engage participants
throughout the supply chain, including OEMs, material
suppliers, tooling, automation and modeling.
Another area of focus is boosting the availability of a qualified
workforce. A project team is working on an education initiative
to develop composites and processing modules that can be
deployed within existing college curricula. Education modules
can be easily implemented by teachers and faculty through off-
the-shelf modules that contain full lesson plans, a bill of materials
for laboratories and example questions. Initially these modules
may focus on undergraduate and graduate courses, but they can
be expanded to support high school, community college and
short-course programs.
Working together, the roadmap can be implemented to
grow composites manufacturing industry in the U.S. and use
composites materials to meet and exceed national objectives for
energy, fuel efficiency and performance.
Article Authors
Dr. James Sherwood is Associate Dean of
Engineering and Co-Director of the Advanced
Composite Materials and Textiles Research Lab at
The University of Massachusetts Lowell and Principle
Investigator of the FIBERS grant. Email comments to
james_sherwood@uml.edu.
CompositesManufacturing 45
Inside ACMA
ACMA Announces CM
Membership Awards Editor Upcoming Events
Wins
J oin us for the pre-CAMX ACMA
Awards Reception on Monday,
September 26, from 5:30 7 p.m.
Award
Composites
September 26-29, 2016
CAMX
Manufacturing Anaheim, Calif.
at the Anaheim Marriott. Theevent
willrecognizethe exceptional people who Managing Editor
Susan Keen November 29 - December 1, 2016
have done their part in making the field
Flynn has won ACMA Exhibits
of composites a great industry. This years
an APEX Award in the Technical & at COMPOSITES EUROPE
winners are:
Technology Writing category for her Dusseldorf, Germany
article, Thermoplastics Are on the Rise,
Outstanding in the September/October 2015 issue January 11-12, 2017
Volunteer Award: of the magazine. The article provided ACMAs Composites
Perry Bennett - insight into how and why the composites Executive Forum
Health, Safety and industry is transitioning to increased use
Washington, D.C.
Environmental of thermoplastic resins.
Director,
April 4-5, 2017
Molded Fiber Glass
Pultrusion Conference
Companies
Atlanta, Ga.
Hall of Fame
Award:
Highlights from Industry Digest
Matt Chambers If you dont have time to surf the internet for the latest composites news, dont
President, Design worry. ACMA has you covered with Industry Digest, a weekly e-newsletter that
Concepts/Marine brings you the latest news in the composites industry. Here are the top four Industry
Concepts Digest stories from the past few months.
Origami Canoe:
A Dutch company launched a Kickstarter campaign to improve one of its unique
Thanks to our sponsors, Bestbath,
products a composite canoe that folds like origami.
Johns Manville and North American
Composites. To get stories like these in your inbox every week, subscribe to Industry Digest
by going to myacma.acmanet.org/nf/new. You can also check out the column at
compositesmanufacturingmagazine.com/category/columns/industry-digest/.
46 CompositesManufacturing
New Members
Alpena Community College
Oscoda, Mich.
Denali, Inc.
Tulsa, Okla.
Dynaglass Reinforced Plastic Pte.
Ltd.
Singapore
Edon Fiberglass
Horsham, Pa.
Neuvokas Corporation
Ahmeek, Mich.
Old Town Fiberglass, Inc.
Orange, Calif.
PSI Composites
Tavares, Fla.
ACMA Educates
Rhode Island DOT
D uring the Composites Alliance of
Rhode Islands July infrastructure
workshop, ACMA and members
Creative Pultrusions Inc., Hughes
Brothers Inc., Sika Corporation and
Composites Advantage made an impact
that will influence the future of Rhode
Islands infrastructure.They presented
an introduction to FRP composites
used in infrastructure applications, such
as bridges, girders, marine piling and
concrete repair and strengthening.Among
the nearly 90 attendees at the workshop,
led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.),
were the governor of Rhode Island,
various congressmen, state representatives,
the director of the Rhode Island
Department of Transportation (DOT) and
a representative from the U.S. DOT.
CompositesManufacturing 47
Inside ACMA
IACMI Members
Meeting
Plexus and SprayCore adhesives, sealants and sprayable syntactics... improve product
D uring the July IACMI Members
Meeting in Indianapolis, IACMI
reported on progress against its objectives
quality/durability while increasing manufacturing efciencies and reducing VOC emissions!!!
to commercialize advanced composites
technology to grow use in automotive,
Plexus brand is proud to be certLHG by...
www.itwadhesives.com wind and compressed gases.ACMA
members and IACMI leadership also met
to review their joint communications
plan, recycling program and workforce
development plans. For more information,
696233_ITW.indd 1 6/3/14 5:43 AM contact Dan Coughlin at dcoughlin@
acmanet.org.
Advertising Index
Advertiser - Page
Airtech International.............................................. 45
AOC Resins.......................................................... BC
Vacuum Infusion BGF Industries Inc................................................ 3
Composites Europe.............................................. 37
Composites One.................................................. IFC
Elliott Company of Indianapolis, Inc...................... 20
GS Manufacturing................................................ 21
Hood Manufacturing, Inc...................................... 26
IP Corporation/North American Composites......... 28
ITW Plexus........................................................... 48
Janicki Industries.................................................. 44
LEWCO, Inc......................................................... 29
M.V.P. Magnum Venus Products........................... 33
Manufacturers Supplies Company........................ 5
Master Bond........................................................ 44
Mektech Composites Inc...................................... 48
Polynt Composites............................................... 7
Hexion Inc. Reichhold, LLC2................................................... 10
SAERTEX USA..................................................... 9
Technical Fibre Products, Inc................................ 11
The R.J. Marshall Company.................................. 47
Thermwood Corporation...................................... 43
Distributor for Hexion Inc. U.S. Polychemical................................................ 15
Weibo International............................................... 47
Wisconsin Oven Corporation................................ 13
BC=Back Cover
www.hexion.com IFC=Inside Front Cover
IBC=Inside Back Cover
Hexion Inc.
48 CompositesManufacturing
The American Composites
Manufacturers Association is
the worlds largest composites
industry trade group. We
are manufacturers, material
and equipment suppliers,
distributors, academia, and
end users.
We serve our members and
the industry by promoting
the competitive advantage
and versatility of composite
materials. Together we
JOIN US TODAY!
are shaping the future of
composites.
OF ACMA WWW.ACMANET.ORG
MEMBERSHIP:
REPRESENTATION IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
UPCOMING ACMA EVENTS:
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
NOVEMBER 9 - 11, 2016
ACMA Exhibits @ CompositesWorld,
A LARGE NETWORK Carbon Fiber conference
Scottsdale, AZ
APRIL 4 - 5, 2017
Pultrusion Conference
TAKE PART IN OUR CONVERSATION Atlanta, GA
/CMMAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 11 - 14, 2017
@CMMAGAZINE CAMX
Orlando, FL
/ACMA
YOUR
FORMULA
FOR
SUCCESS
INNOVATION
OGIES
LITY SERVICE
ESS YOU NEW TECHNOL
PRODUCT QUA RESPONSIVEN FOR TODAY AN
D
YOU
CONSISTENCY CAN COUNT O
N.
TOMORROW.
CAN TRUST.
19-8827
ta c t A O C to day at 1-866-3 learn more.
Con si ns.com today to
ts. Colorants.
at A O C -R e
or visit us
Resins. Gel Coa
@AOCRESINS