From the Sector

SMCCreate 2022, the design conference jointly organized by the European Alliance for SMC BMC and the AVK Expert Group SMC/BMC is postponed to 28-29 June 2022. Interested presenters still have the opportunity to submit a paper for the conference.

This conference about design in SMC and BMC composite materials will provide valuable insights in the entire product design process from idea to part manufacturing, targeted both at experienced designers and at designers that are new in applying these versatile materials.

Using SMC BMC
Within the time of 1.5 day, the SMCCreate 2022 conference will cover a wide range of subjects, all relevant for designers in their selection of materials solutions that provide performance, cost efficiency, manufacturing ability and sustainability.

Call for papers
For all interested parties who would like to contribute their expertise on topics related to SMC/BMC, there is still the opportunity to submit presentation proposals. The deadline for submissions is 28 February 2022 and can be send to Birgit Förster.

• Hexcel HexPly® XF Selected for High-Quality, Paint-Ready Parts for Sunseeker 90 Ocean Luxury Yacht
• Hexcel’s innovative surface technology yields parts with paint-ready surfaces for builder of luxury yachts

Yacht builder Sunseeker has chosen Hexcel’s HexPly® XF surface technology to produce prepreg parts with high-quality, paint-ready surfaces quickly and efficiently for its 90 Ocean luxury yacht, one of its newest models.

The lightweight composite hardtop for the Sunseeker 90 Ocean yacht is manufactured from a combination of HexPly® XF and Hexcel's HexPly® SuperFIT® semi-preg. The hardtop is lighter in weight than versions made using resin-infusion processes, and it de-molds with a pinhole-free surface that needs minimal preparation to be ready for paint. Sunseeker has recorded an overall reduction in process time of around 30%, saving three days of manufacturing time per hardtop.

The hardtop provides shade and protection for the yacht’s uppermost deck space. Its reduced weight helps to ensure the stability of the vessel, and the paint-ready finish with HexPly XF provides Sunseeker with more options for customizing its color to the individual needs of its clients.
 
HexPly XF is a lightweight, non-woven semi-preg that eliminates the need to use a traditional in-mold gel coat. The innovative surface technology significantly reduces the costly and time-consuming refinishing work typically required to impart a paint-ready finish to prepreg or semi-preg parts, and yields lightweight, consistent components in short cycle times.

Working with Sunseeker, Hexcel developed a material format, a laminate ply sequence, and a production process that satisfied the structural requirements for the hardtop and enabled the yacht builder’s production team to lay up and cure the part in a single shot – slashing cycle times.

Hexcel supplies Sunseeker with a HexPly XF product that comprises both the surface layer and the first structural reinforcement ply, eliminating the need for a cosmetic barrier coat. Neither the HexPly XF surface layer nor the following layers of HexPly SuperFIT require time-consuming debulking steps – significantly reducing lay-up time – and both are based on Hexcel's rapid-curing M79 epoxy resin system. Adhesive resin films are not needed to bond the hardtop’s foam core, as the resin content of the SuperFIT plies has been adjusted to further reduce overall process time.

Once de-molded, the cured hardtops are inspected before they are passed to Sunseeker’s finishing and painting technicians for final preparation and painting. The HexPly XF resin surface allows the yacht builder’s quality technicians to inspect the laminate below quickly and easily, ensuring the quality and consistency of the structural reinforcement plies.

“Composite materials that improve our production processes, as well as great technical support, are what makes working with Hexcel such a success story," said Stuart Vaughan-Jones, Composite Development Manager, Sunseeker. "With the switch from gel coat and resin infusion to HexPly XF and SuperFIT in the new hardtops, we are now building lighter, more consistent parts, more quickly than before, with a higher quality surface finish. XF really has ticked all the boxes.”  

Garth Thomas, Account Manager – Marine, Hexcel, said: "With the HexPly XF surface technology now well established, XF will soon be used in other large moldings where minimizing weight is critical, as well as additional hardtops across the Sunseeker model range."

After thorough consultation with the exhibitors and partners of the event, JEC Group has decided to postpone the 2022 edition of JEC World. The world’s leading composites event will now take place from May 3rd to 5th, 2022, at the same venue Paris Nord Villepinte, as well as online via the JEC World Connect digital platform.

JEC World gathers the whole value chain of the composite materials industry in Paris, France every year and is “the place to be” for composites professionals from all over the world. The event brings together not only all major global companies, but also innovative startups in the field of composites and advanced materials, experts, academics, scientists, and R&D leaders. JEC World is also the “festival of composites”, offering a unique showcase of what composites can offer to various application sectors, from aerospace to marine, from construction to automotive, and an unlimited source of inspiration for participants from these industries.

“We are fully dedicated to supporting the composites industry and to fostering its development via our events and media activities. Exhibitors and partners are strongly supporting JEC World, their leading event and want to meet in person in 2022 to activate business, share knowledge and highlight innovations. Postponing from March to May is a way to offer improved conditions to satisfy the industry requirements for such a trade fair as JEC World”, says Eric Pierrejean, CEO of JEC Group.

The JEC World team has decided to postpone the event after conducting a survey of its exhibitors and partners, confirming that a large majority is in favour of the new dates in May. As already planned, for three days, the event will offer for the first time a digital platform, JEC World Connect, in parallel to the in-person event in Paris for an augmented digital experience. Even after the show, via the JEC Web TV, unique content will be available to extend the reach of the event.

“Our main concern is to create the best possible conditions for our participants for successful networking, inspiration and business success. With a postponement of eight weeks we can enable this and offer to the industry the event it deserves. Taking the decision now, after consultation of all exhibitors, was necessary to give them planning and preparation visibility,” adds Thomas Lepretre, VP Events, Sales and Operations.

• JEC Group announces theme for JEC World 2022 and reaffirms global leadership in composites innovation, business and networking

JEC World, the leading global trade show dedicated to composite materials, their manufacturing technologies and application markets, will take place in Paris from March 8-10, 2022, under the theme Composites for a Sustainable World. JEC World 2022 will be the industry’s most awaited international face to face event after the long pandemic period. Exhibition space is already 98% booked, a clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment to meet and resume business. Those unable to join in person will be able to experience the show via the JEC World Connect digital platform.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our exhibitors, partners and visitors back to Paris to resume business and promote innovation,” comments Thomas Lepretre, VP Events, Sales and Operations of JEC Group. “JEC World will bring the composites industry together to showcase the sustainability benefits of composite materials to a global audience, and to provide a stimulating meeting-place for the industry to pursue its sustainability ambitions by exchanging knowledge, forging collaborations, and imagining new concepts to protect our environment.”

• JEC World a unique get-together on sustainability throughout the product lifecycle
• JEC World a real composites “think tank”
• JEC World 2022 will demonstrate how sustainable thinking is at the heart of the innovative designs, technologies and business models driving the development of the next generation of composites applications.

Four conferences will be held over the three days, focusing on:

• Sustainability of Raw Materials for Composites: Fueling the Circular Revolution
• Rethinking Composite Materials Production: The Path to Sustainable Manufacturing
• Design for Circular Composite Products: Turning Waste, Recycling & Reuse into Opportunities
• Applications of Composite Materials for Circularity: Towards a Net-Zero World

Innovation is in JEC World’s DNA
One of JEC World’s objective’s is to promote the composites sector’s most innovative projects. More than 600 product launches are expected to be announced over the three days of the show, which will also feature JEC’s high-regarded innovation challenges and awards ceremonies :

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate innovative global composite projects, as well as fruitful collaborations between different players in the value chain. Over more than 15 years, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards have highlighted collaborations between some 1,900 companies and recognized 203 creative projects. The winners will be announced on March 7th during a dedicated ceremony and their successful technologies will be on display throughout the show.

• The JEC Composites Startup Booster is the leading startup competition in the world of composites. In 2022, this competition will celebrate its fifth anniversary, with a special event to be organized onsite and the launch of a new “sustainability” award. And, with 20 finalists for 2022, it will recognize innovations with the greatest potential market impact and promote them to an influential audience of decision-makers. The finalists’ innovations will be displayed at JEC World’s “Startup Village.”

• For the first time, JEC World will host the 3rd edition of the SMC BMC Design Award organized by the European Alliance for SMC BMC. This international competition recognizes and promotes design excellence in the use of SMC and BMC materials. The theme of this edition is Sustainable Living, and the award is opento design students and young design professionals (less than 3 years of experience) living in Europe.

• COMPOSITES SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2021  

JEC Group in collaboration with EuCIA has published the first edition of the Composites Sustainability report 2021. This report seeks to give highlights about the part composite materials are playing in creating the sustainable European economy of the future.   

The contents of the book are comprehensive: starting with discussions around the widely recognised Life  Cycle  Assessment  methodology  for  calculating  the  environmental  impact  of  products,  it then 
moves through a series of analyses and case studies presenting the Circular Economy approach and ranging from raw materials (including bio-based) to industrial components.    

The purpose of the work, rather than results, which quickly become obsolete, is to give examples of approaches contributing to and moving towards sustainability. To do so, JEC Group has arbitrarily split
the value chain into five parts:
• Background, LCA, circular economy ;  
• Concept, design, raw materials ;  
• Production, processes, waste ;  
• Recycling, recovery ;
• Applications. 
 
The book “Composites sustainability Report 2021” is for sale online.

From November 3-5, 2021, JEC Korea 2021 will be held at the COEX and online, via JEC Korea Connect, simultaneously with the first edition of Carbon Korea. Due to the COVID situation, for its 14th edition and 4th time in Seoul, JEC KOREA will bring together exhibitors and attendees in one single hall for both exhibiting companies and conferences, and in a hybrid format with JEC Korea Connect, including digital booths and conferences in livestreaming, to better network and share knowledge.

More than 50 domestic and foreign industry representatives will exhibit in Seoul and online during three days, among which: Hyosung, Toray Korea, Jeollabuk-do pavilion, Leresche, Pinette, MFtech of France, ZSK of Germany, HOS-TECHNIK of Austria. Through this, the entire value chain of composite materials, including large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, gather in one place to showcase their latest technologies and innovations.

JEC KOREA Technical Conference + ICF International Carbon Festival will unite 20 global speakers
for 3 days at the core of the event, as well as online through JEC Korea Connect, improving the composites skills of all attendees. It will be an exchange of technical market trends and innovation under the themes of:

• New Energy / hydrogen and carbon
• Smart Manufacturing
• New mobility and aerospace

• Composites in the construction industry - The lightweight construction material of the future

Building with fibre-reinforced materials opens up completely new possibilities. In terms of engineering, design, and organisation. This is due, on the one hand, to the excellent properties of fibre-reinforced materials (FRM) and, on the other hand, to the fact that the material – unlike wood or brick, for example – is not machined or processed for its use, but custom-produced.

Excellent properties – in terms of engineering, design, and organisation
Fibre-composite materials offer a whole range of technical properties for innovative and sustainable building:
•    High mechanical rigidity
•    Low weight
•    High corrosion resistance
•    Low material fatigue
•    Low heat transfer coefficient of the plastic matrix
•    Resistance to frost and de-icing salt
•    Good draping capability

In addition, fibre composites offer numerous design options for novel and exceptional new building and maintenance projects:
•    Unique variety of shapes
•    Different structures of the textiles
•    Large spectrum of colours and colour combinations
•    Translucency of the plastic matrix
Thanks to these properties, composites can be used to produce coloured, phosphorescent, thermochromic or – through the use of LEDs or light-conducting fibres permanently integrated into the matrix – luminescent components.

In addition, there are organisational benefits for planning, construction and maintenance work with fibre-reinforced materials:
•    Easier handling and assembly of the far lighter and more flexible components – compared with steel, concrete or wood
•    Faster installation
•    Shorter construction site times in road and bridge maintenance
•    Shorter delivery times
•    Ability to integrate electronic monitoring systems

Individual composite textiles – for every lightweight engineering project
The composites experts at vombaur develop and manufacture woven tapes and seamless round or shaped woven textiles from carbon, glass, flax or other high-performance fibres on special weaving lines for individually specified round and shaped woven textiles – and can therefore offer you the best possible fibre base for every lightweight construction project.

"Regardless of whether it's a new construction or a renovation project, a façade design, a bridge or a staircase – as your development partner for composite textiles, we have plenty of experience with composites for demanding tasks," emphasises Dr.-Ing. Sven Schöfer, Head of Development and Innovation at vombaur. "We develop, create samples and manufacture woven tapes and seamless round or shaped woven textiles – in collaboration with the customer enterprise development teams and individually for the respective projects." This is how novel and unique lightweight components made of high-performance textiles are created for visionary projects.

Textechno reports launch of a new standard for the drapability and deformability of fabrics and non-wovens: ISO 21765

World market leader for precision testing equipment Textechno and their partner SAERTEX, global market leader in non-crimp fabrics (NCF) are proud to announce that the newly developed international standard ISO 21765:2020 to quantify material behaviour in terms of drapability and deformability was recently published by ISO.

The new standard ISO 21765 allows the world-wide comparable measurement of all relevant parameters regarding the deformability and drapability of all kinds of fabrics, including woven fabrics and NCFs as well as knitted fabrics and non-wovens on Textechno´s precision testing equipment DRAPETEST. This can be very useful in the carbon fibre recycling since one of the most efficient applications of recycled carbon fibres will be in non-wovens.

This is the first testing instrument world-wide to quantify not only the force which is required for deforming a fabric, but also the various defects such as gaps, undulation, or wrinkles which can arise due to the deformation.

In the frame of a publicly funded project which started in 2011, Textechno developed the award-winning automatic drapability tester DRAPETEST along with other partners, amongst them SAERTEX.  

Dietmar Möcke, CTO at SAERTEX says: „With ISO 21765, we finally have a standardized testing method with world-wide validity. It allows us to provide our customers with comparable and reproducible measurement values regarding the draping characteristics of our products.”

Ulrich Mörschel, Managing Director of Textechno adds: “We are grateful for the support from all around the world allowing us to establish the new ISO standard. The standard finally fills a gap in the testing methods for fabrics both in the fields of textiles and composites.”

Dr. Michael Effing, Managing Director of AMAC GmbH and Senior Advisor to Textechno: “A lot of research is dedicated to new production technologies of composites, non-crimp fabrics and classical fabrics for thermosets have with 33 % a significant market share in the production of all composite materials. The application of the new standard for non-wovens from recycled carbon fibres comes perfectly on time for this market sector which will gain more and more importance within the next years.

JEC Group, dedicated to promoting composite materials, introduces all-new digital event series for the composites community: JEC Composites CONNECT. On June 1-2, 2021, this first round-the-clock event will be one of the industry’s most significant events, hosting major industry players, enabling participants to discover the latest trends thanks to business conferences and get networking opportunities. This live-streamed event will also be the place to highlight innovation through competitions, awards ceremonies and keynote speeches.

JEC Composites CONNECT: a digital event to bring the composites community together
Participants can access the free non-stop digital floor from 8:30 am on June 1 to 6 pm CEST on June 2. This first JEC Composites CONNECT will work as an online trade show, with digital stands for companies showcasing their latest products, from raw materials to composites parts manufacturers with various networking rooms, a meeting requests platform, and with a conference area to access live streaming content.

Composites innovation at the core
JEC Composites CONNECT will host outstanding keynote speakers and all the major JEC Composites competitions and awards promoting innovation, research teamwork, and entrepreneurship in the composites industry.

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate the most innovative composites projects and fruitful collaborations between different value chain players in 2021.
• The 2021 JEC Composites Startup Booster competition, with live pitches and winners ceremony.
• The JEC Composites Challenge, where Ph.Ds will present their research projects in front of the jury.

The Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 2, with an opening keynote speech from inventor and genius entrepreneur Franky Zapata, a.k.a. ‘the Flying Man.’ As the CEO and founder of the company that bears his name, he became well-known for his famed crossing of the English Channel in August 2019 on his Flyboard® Air.

• Webtalk on material efficiency and recycling for the manmade fiber industry

 
The next VDMA technology webtalk is scheduled for 9th February 2021 (2-4 pm CET). The focus will be on "Material efficiency & recycling technologies for the manmade fiber industry".

The presenters and their topics at a glance:

• Manfred Dobersberger, PureLoop and Wolfgang Hermann, EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen will present an integrated shredder extrusion technology for fibrous, textiles scraps, multilayers, films, trays, straps, foam, trays but also polymer mix materials from textiles and even classical thermoplastic composite materials.
• Axel Hannemann, company Gneuss, offers recycling solutions which enable the fibre manufacturer to use their otherwise worthless fibre waste to substitute virgin material in the manufacture of high-quality fibres.
• Markus Reichwein, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers: “We at Oerlikon Manmade Fibers describe a cascaded approach into new technologies as well as different material sources outlining your need for versatile solutions.”

After the presentations, the experts will be available to answer the participants' questions. Registration is possible.