From the Sector

Flax has accompanied people for thousands of years, in linen fabrics, in ropes, as insulation material. And until the present day. With woven tapes made of flax, vombaur makes the functional and ecological advantages of natural fibres available for lightweight design.

Lightweight and firm
Flax fibres are particularly rigid and tear-proof. Textiles made of the natural material therefore give natural fibre reinforced plastic (NFP) special stability. Additionally, flax has a low density. The components thus combine high rigidity and strength with low weight. Another functional plus: natural fibre reinforced plastics are less prone to splintering than glass fibre reinforced plastics.

Sustainable material
The cultivation of flax binds CO2 and the production of NFP generates 33 percent lower CO2 emissions than conventional fibre reinforced plastics. The energy consumption is 40 percent lower. This reduces production costs and improves the material's CO2 footprint. Punch-packing arguments for natural fibre tapes – like flax tape by vombaur – in lightweight design applications.

Circular Economy
Circular Economy – this also works in lightweight design. The number of recycling cycles without loss of quality is higher for natural fibre reinforced plastics than for glass or carbon fibre reinforced plastics: the thermoplastic matrix of the composite can be melted and recycled after a product life cycle. The natural fibres can "live on" in other products – injection moulded products for example.

Versatile applications
"Composites from our flax tapes are used to reinforce high-tech skis as well as for extruding state-of-the-art window sections – the applications are countless," explains Tomislav Josipovic, Sales Manager with vombaur. "As a development partner, we support applications for the automotive, wind energy, construction, sports and many other industries with our composite textiles."

Cobra International, Chonburi, Thailand: COBRA International, one of the world’s largest OEM manufacturers of composite goods for Water Sports, Automotive, Marine and Civil Engineering, is pleased to confirm the shipment of its first 36 composite canoes to ARE Tahiti.

COBRA has collaborated with leading outrigger canoe brand ARE Tahiti to mass produce its new OC-1 canoe, ‘Mana’. Designed by former professional windsurfer Baptiste Gossein  (JP Australia and Neil Pryde), ‘Mana’ features a closed deck on which the paddler sits on top of the hull. Available in two models; a hybrid version weighing 12kg, using an 80:20 mix of E-glass and carbon fibre reinforcement fabrics, and the PRO model – a weight optimized, ultra-light, full carbon version that weighs as little as 9kg.   

“We required the best in composite construction for both models, a stunning final finish and a build rate that could keep up with our growing order book”, comments Baptiste Gossein.

As with all of COBRA’s watersports’ projects, a perfect master model formed the basis of the mass production tooling and two sets of composite hull tooling were taken from the master plug allowing a build rate of up to 50 OC-1 canoes per month.

For the lay-up and construction process, COBRA’s high-performance PVC foam sandwich windsurf board construction provided a solid starting point.  Having selected vacuum consolidated epoxy wet layup for the mix of woven and stitched biaxial reinforcements, COBRA was able to build down to the customer’s weight target with the absolute minimum of waste and additional consumables.  Top and bottom sections of the hull were moulded separately then bonded together, with the smaller outrigger hull – known as the ‘ama’ – produced in the same way.  Prepreg carbon fibre and in-house split mould tooling was also used for the two ‘Iakos’ - the two cross beams that join the ama to the main hull. 

An in-mould applied finish coat was then used for the hybrid OC-1 while the PRO carbon fibre model benefits from COBRA’s ultra-light paint system.

“COBRA is able to provide mass production capability and rapid new model turnaround, as well as delivering consistently high quality. We are delighted with the first COBRA built OC-1s and have received exceptionally positive feedback from both customers and racers” comments Baptiste Gossein.

The next ARE project to enter mass production at COBRA will be the V-1 canoe. Similar to the OC-1 but an open boat that the paddler sits inside, the V-1 will have no rudder or steering system, requiring more finesse to manage underway.

“The OC-1 outrigger canoe is a superb example of our customer focused approach to production process development.  By working closely with Baptiste and the ARE team, COBRA is able to provide mass production capability and a rapid new model turnaround, as well as delivering consistently high quality.  This is a sector in which we expect to see significant expansion over the next few years”, comments Danu Chotikapanich, CEO, COBRA International.

At first glance, rowing boats, the Airbus 380, safety equipment and stadium roofing have very little on common. They receive their specific properties as a result of the use of special fibers, among other things: aramid fibers and carbon fibers are processed into special yarns that are frequently deployed as compound materials. These fibers are growing in demand as the world seeks to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels; new solutions are required to reduce weight and replace heavy metallic parts.

Aramid fibers are produced in a highly-chemical process that is extremely aggressive; the acrylic precursor used to manufacture carbon fibers is a different process, but again no less difficult. In these sophisticated processes, the gear metering pumps are not only responsible for the high-precision control of the melt transport; durability, resistance within aggressive environments and cost efficiency also play decisive roles.

Special materials for special tasks
The process, the expected pump lifespan and the maintenance frequency are the decisive factors for choosing the materials from which the pumps and their components are manufactured. For optimum results, Oerlikon Barmag offers solutions that intelligently combine the various materials and the latest technologies. Whether in the case of surfaces with ceramic coatings, gears and shafts featuring DLC coatings, pumps made from cobalt alloys (StelliteTM) or robust and durable Oerlikon Barmag hybrid constructions comprising zirconium oxide ceramic and duplex stainless steel – the high-precision ZP- and GM-series pumps are design-optimized depending on the intended use. Various seal systems and customized drive concepts round off the pump program.

STAMFORD – German ultralight aircraft specialist Flight Design has chosen Hexcel as its key supplier adopting low-temperature curing prepreg into its aircraft production. Hexcel’s HexPly® M79 Carbon Fiber prepregs deliver a more consistent final product by ensuring constant material quality and processing parameters and produce a lighter and stronger aircraft at a more competitive overall cost.

Flight Design has always relied heavily on composites for its aircrafts’ ultralight construction and turned to long-term composite materials partner Lange + Ritter, part of Hexcel’s European distribution network, when they began searching for a prepreg material solution. Hexcel and Lange + Ritter created several new product codes specifically for Flight Design and then supplied materials for initial handling trials and prototyping. Hexcel’s HexPly M79 low temperature curing out of autoclave solution was first used in the new F2 prototype. As part of its material supply package, Lange + Ritter also sent a team for on-site training and technical support, allowing the Flight Design production team to get up to speed with prepreg as quickly as possible.

HexPly M79 prepregs can be cured at temperatures as low as 70˚C for eight hours or 80˚C for four hours, reducing tooling costs and increasing build rates. When combined with Hexcel’s innovative air venting Grid Technology, HexPly M79 UD carbon tapes can also be laminated with reduced debulking steps to produce void contents <1% irrespective of laminate thickness. With consistently low void contents and improved mechanical properties, designers and engineers are able to further optimize highly loaded composite aerostructures.

As more and more of its composite aircraft parts are transferred to prepreg technology, Flight Design is seeing the benefits of its switch to HexPly M79. Lay-up is cleaner and more precise, low temperature oven curing is quick and energy efficient, and the manufacturing process consistently outputs exceptionally high-quality laminates and components. The long-term strategy is to integrate HexPly M79 across the range, with Hexcel materials lightening the ultralight aircraft at Flight Design even further.

“The materials and technology package from Hexcel and Lange + Ritter has been a big success for us at Flight Design,” comments Daniel Gunther, Managing Director at Flight Design. “When we took the decision to switch to prepreg, we looked at many options but only Hexcel and Lange + Ritter could offer us low temperature out-of-autoclave (OOA) curing, globally respected material quality and the customer service levels we were searching for.”

Diverging development in the two business units impact fiscal year 2019 of SGL Carbon – Group guidance for 2020 confirmed

• Consolidated sales revenues in fiscal year 2019 up by 4 percent to around 1.1 billion euros
• Consolidated recurring EBIT down by 25 percent to 48 million euros; record results of graphite specialities business did not fully compensate for the weak development in the carbon fiber business
• Composites – Fibers & Materials (CFM): Cyclical und structural weaknesses impact the result of the market segments Wind Energy, Textile Fibers and Industrial Applications, which have limited strategic significance in the medium term
• Graphite Materials & Systems (GMS): Sales and earnings on record level due to strong growth in the market segments Semiconductors and Automotive
• Non-cash impairment charge of around 75 million euros was recorded at CFM in the third quarter of 2019
• Free cash flow significantly improved
• Issue of a new corporate bond and early redemption of the 2015/2020 convertible bond has significantly improved the maturity profile
• SGL Carbon confirms guidance for fiscal year 2020: sales expected slightly below previous year; recurring EBIT approximately 10 to 15 percent below previous year level
• Dr. Michael Majerus, Spokesman of the Board of Management of SGL Carbon: “The financial development of the fiscal year 2019 conceals the fact that our strategic orientation is correct. This is evident from our growth and the increasing number of contracts and projects we acquired in our strategic core markets. Main drivers are the topics of sustainable mobility and energy as well as digitization. Therefore, we expect that we can grow our consolidated revenue by a mid to high single-digit percentage per year on average between 2020 and 2024.“

The fiscal year 2019 developed very differently in the two business units of SGL Carbon. The record results in the graphite specialities business could not fully compensate for the weak development in the market segments Wind Energy, Textile Fibers and Industrial Applications in the carbon fiber business. Group sales grew by 4 percent to 1.1 billion euros. Recurring Group EBIT declined by 25 percent to 48 million euros. Due to the ongoing weakness in the market segments Textile Fibers and Industrial Applications the business unit CFM recorded a non-cash impairment loss of 75 million euros in the third quarter of 2019. With minus 90 (prior year: plus 41) million euros, consolidated Group result declined significantly compared to last year’s good results. The Group confirms its guidance for 2020 published in October 2019.

Group sales are expected to decline slightly compared to the prior-year level, whereas Group recurring EBIT is expected to reach a result around 10 to 15 percent below the prior-year level. Consolidated net result of the Group in 2020 should strongly improve compared to prior-year level to a low double-digit loss.

Sicomin continues to assert itself as the leading formulator and supplier of high-performance, bio-based epoxy resin systems with the launch of new bioresins at JEC World 2020, Hall 6, Booth 43. The group will unveil a variety of products that are each available in industrial quantities for series production within Automotive, Wind Energy and Civil Engineering.

Bio Fire Retardant Epoxy Gelcoat for Wind Energy and Infrastructure
Sicomin will showcase SGi 128, an innovative intumescent epoxy gelcoat developed specifically for fire retardant coating applications for critical components found in the Wind Energy and Civil Engineering markets.
SGi 128 Gelcoat is produced with 38% of its carbon content derived from non-oil sources and is a halogen free gelcoat that provides outstanding fire protection for epoxy laminates and extremely low smoke toxicity. Available with both fast and slow hardeners, this easy to apply epoxy system forms a much tougher and waterproof part surface than traditional intumescent coatings. Sicomin’s SGi 128 is available in industrial volumes with short lead times and has been successfully tested to EN 13501 (EUROCLASS B-S1-d0) and ASTM E84 (Class A).

NEW Bio Resin for HP-RTM processing for Automotive
Sicomin’s new bio-resin specifically formulated for HP-RTM processing, SR GreenPoxy® 28, is the sixth product in Sicomin’s renowned GreenPoxy® range. SR GreenPoxy® 28 is a fast cycle, low toxicity, third generation bio-based formulation aimed specifically at the HP-RTM moulding processes used for both high performance Automotive structural parts and aesthetic carbon fibre components. The new formulation has been optimized for fast production cycle times and superior mechanical performance and is a more sustainable alternative to traditional resins providing exceptional performance and quality for high volume programmes.

GreenPoxy® InfuGreen 810 on display with the GREENBOATS Flax 27 Daysailer on the JEC Planets
With very low viscosity at room temperature, InfuGreen 810 has been formulated to support manufacturers seeking bio-based alternatives for producing parts using injection or infusion techniques. Produced with 38% plant-based carbon content, InfuGreen 810 holds the DNV GL certification, providing extra assurance of the product’s quality, efficiency and safety standards. This high-performance epoxy infusion system is demonstrated at JEC World through the display of the GREENBOATS Flax 27 daysailer on the JEC Planets.

At this year’s JEC World, the largest trade fair for composites held from March 3-5, 2020 in Paris, SGL Carbon will focus on the topic of serial production for the automotive, aerospace and industrial sectors. The key is customized solutions with individual component designs combined with tailored materials and production processes ready for large scale production. Under the motto “The Solution Provider,” the company will present selective innovative component solutions from all three areas in Hall 6, Booth D25. Furthermore, as an example for industrial applications, SGL Carbon will showcase at the JEC world a crossbeam made of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) used in automated Schuler press lines.

•    Composite battery enclosures for e-mobility
•    Flexible new leaf spring generation for rear axles
•    Innovative component designs for passenger airplanes, helicopters and air taxis
•    Extremely lightweight and stable transfer beam for mechanical engineering

Selective applications with focus on serial production
In the field of automotive applications, SGL Carbon will present at the JEC World composite battery enclosures as a promising new application driven by increasing demand for electric vehicles and the resulting new flexible chassis platforms. The company demonstrates a prototype of a battery enclosure based on carbon fibers. However, hybrid composites with a mixture of glass and carbon fibers are also possible.

In the aerospace sector, SGL Carbon is also expanding its portfolio of realized projects and expertise relying on the trend to use more efficient materials and processes in this industry too.
In the area of primary structure components, the company will present a demo exhibit for the door frame of a passenger airplane realized in collaboration with external partners and based on 50k carbon fiber from the SGL Carbon, which is suitable for serial production.

Live simulations and intense exchange at the booth
Visitors can experience live how their ideas can be implemented both sustainably and cost-effectively in composites thanks to simulations. Experts from the company’s own Lightweight and Application Center demonstrate the path from the concept to virtual prototypes using simulation software, with the result visible either to the entire audience or just individual visitors. To prepare, interested parties can contact the team now at the following link: https://www.sglcarbon.com/anmeldung-jec.

On March 4, 2020, the SGL Carbon stand will host its traditional get-together for customers and friends starting at 4 p.m. – no registration necessary.
 

A new non-halogenated FR compound called PAL...VersaCHARTM can achieve a new level of flame retardant performance as a coating for nonwovens and technical textiles.

PAL...VersaCHARTM has been tested to 1,950°C – the highest to date – and shown to prevent all flaming drips of polymer. Char bodies form on the compound surface, protecting against flame creation and delaying heat transfer. Rapid self- extinguishing burn behaviour protects any underlying substrate to which it is adhered.

The compound has passed ASTM E84 (Class A) with a 15/10 rating, which includes ‘clean’ smoke generation of only 2.3% of the allowable ASTM smoke limits. In addition, the compound is light weight, at a specific gravity of 1.0, and 100% non-toxic in every respect, being free from heavy metals, halogens and VOCs. 

Other properties include excellent cold crack performance, hydrophobicity, printability, extreme chemical resistance and the ability to be custom tailored for specific needs such as UV or antimicrobial performance, as volume warrants. The compound is also very competitively priced.

In addition to its use as a coating, PAL...VersaCHARTM compound can be produced as a flexible film or sheet and moulded to shape or over-moulded to most materials, including metal for corrosion resistance. As a polymeric compound it can be cast or calendered and typical durometers from 80-99A for flexible-to-high rigid formats are practical. 

Separately, an adhesive has been created which bonds to many surfaces. In internal evaluations of two laminated plies of woven carbon fibre and two plies of glass fabrics, both passed a 60 second vertical burn with no ply separation, distortion or flaming drips from the adhesive.

Dynamic Modifiers envisages many uses for PAL...VersaCHARTM, from aerospace to the protection of rigid structural materials in building interiors etc.   
 

Hexcel is collaborating with Madshus, innovator in the world of cross-country skiing, on the engineering of a range ofdry carbon fiber tapes for Madshus’ acclaimed cross-country racing skies. Hexcel’s new HiTape® Dry Carbon Tapes improve the performance, manufacturing efficiency and surface finish of Madshus Skis.

“HiTape® gives us exactly what we need for our automated production processes - consistency and quality. In particular the exceptionally clean edges of the tapes, really makes a difference in our molding process and enhances the surface finish of the finished ski. We always aim for the highest levels of quality and Hexcel HiTape® helps us to deliver that.” concludes Bjørn Ivar Austrem, Technical Director, Madshus.

Hexcel’s new HiTape® Dry Carbon Tapes for Madshus Skis will be on display at ISPO Munich 2020, from 26 to 29 January.

SGL Carbon and Solvay collaborate to develop highly-competitive advanced carbon fiber composites for aerospace primary structures

SGL Carbon and Solvay have entered into a joint development agreement (JDA) to bring to market the first composite materials based on large-tow intermediate modulus (IM) carbon fiber. These materials, which address the need to reduce costs and CO2 emissions, and improve the production process and fuel efficiency of next-generation commercial aircraft, will be based on SGL Carbon’s large-tow IM carbon fiber and Solvay’s primary structure resin systems.

The agreement encompasses both thermoset and thermoplastic composite technologies. It builds on Solvay’s leadership in supplying advanced materials to the aerospace industry and SGL Carbon’s expertise in high-volume carbon fiber manufacturing.

“For Solvay, this is an opportunity to lead the aerospace adoption of a composite material based on 50K IM carbon fiber. This is a highly competitive value proposition that brings more affordable high-performance solutions to our customers. We see this as the first step in a long-term partnership,” said Augusto Di Donfrancesco, member of Solvay’s executive committee.

“By combining SGL’s carbon fiber expertise in our newly developed, unique 50K IM fiber with Solvay’s resin formulation and aerospace market expertise, both partners are aiming to develop an advanced aerospace material system. This alliance supports our strategic direction and accelerates our growth in the attractive aerospace market,” said Dr. Michael Majerus, spokesman of the management board of SGL Carbon.

Composite materials for aerospace applications represent a multi-billion-dollar market that is expected to grow strongly in the coming decade. Solvay and SGL Carbon are uniquely positioned to develop solutions to address the needs of this market.