From the Sector

The global composites community reunited at JEC WORLD 2022 on May 3rd to 5th for three days of innovation, networking and knowledge sharing. The industry was excited to reconnect in Paris after three years and the show exceeded all expectations in terms of product launches, content, business activity and attendance. Overall, the event welcomed 32,000+ professional visits, in Paris and online, from more than 115 countries and featured 1,201 exhibitors and 26 pavilions, whilst the JEC World Connect platform offered an additional way to explore the show this year.

While fewer Asian participants were able to join the show this year due to travel complexities, the attendance of a high level of decision makers from 117 countries and all key players along the value chain resulted in a dynamic environment for networking and business. As a consequence, companies were keen to confirm their presence next year; by the time the show closed its doors, 50% of JEC World 2023 exhibition space had already been booked.  Exhibitors and attendees have expressed very positive feedback about the quality of the exhibition and such a successful come-back of JEC World as the pinnacle event of the industry.

Innovations at JEC World
With more than 500 product launches during this year’s show, JEC World remains a popular venue to introduce new products to the global market.

The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrated 10 collaborative projects, reflecting the dynamism and the resilience of our industry, and two Innovation Planets displayed 80 impressive applications.

Celebrating its five-year anniversary, the JEC Composites Startup Booster competition is now established to discover startups in the advanced composites sector.

JEC World contributing to a more sustainable world
JEC World’s conference program shone a light on this year’s theme and most impactful topic: Composites for a Sustainable World. Sustainability continues to rise as a key growth driver for the composites industry, enabling diverse application sectors to achieve ambitious sustainability goals, from energy and transportation, to building and infrastructure, and so many more. JEC World highlighted how the growing application of composites will open up exciting new horizons for human activities, improving people’s lives and leading to a better, more sustainable world.

International community
Three Country on Stage presentations showcased the structure and strengths of the composites industries of South Korea, the Netherlands and the United States. The program featured keynote presentations and business cases which demonstrate the countries’ composites expertise  in hydrogen, in sustainable excellence, and innovation in building and mobility, respectively.

Ministers, ambassadors and official representatives from 16 countries also visited the show as part of dedicated official delegation tours from the United States, Turkey, Hungary, Taiwan, Portugal, Croatia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Germany, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Sweden and Spain.

Thus, JEC World was the opportunity for government representatives to meet the leading composites actors of their respective regions or markets and show their support. Official inaugurations also took place on the Dutch, American and British pavilions.

JIAM 2022 OSAKA, organised by the Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association (JASMA), will start accepting exhibitor applications for its next edition to be held from 30 November to 3 December, 2022 in the INTEX OSAKA. JIAM 2022 has decided its exhibition theme as “It all connects at JIAM -the forefront of technology and master craftsmanship” and the show will serve as a global platform for the resolution of issues required in this era of change. The 2022 edition will be providing solutions catered to each and every needs by combining existing high-level skillsets that has survived the drastic market change in the past, with the latest technology that has built on knowledge and the history.
 
JIAM, one of the world's leading sewing equipment trade fairs, is an international trade fair that brings together cutting-edge technologies, products, and services from domestic and overseas manufacturers. The previous edition of JIAM 2016 welcomed 258 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions as well as 15,257 visitors from 72 countries and regions, mainly from Bangladesh, China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

The Discover Natural Fibres Initiative (DNFI) will announce the winner of the Innovation in Natural Fibre Research Award soon. The aim of the award is to raise awareness of the achievements of the natural fibers sector by recognizing innovative and progressive work by people and institutions at the level of production and use of natural fibers. The closing date for applications was September 10.

Interest in the award was high again in 2021, indicating that research in fields involving natural fibres is robust. The applications that were received reveal a fascinating array of projects, new topics, and both private and public sector funding for natural fibre research.

There are seven finalists, and final judging is underway. The winner of the 2021 Award will be announced in early October.

The seven finalists for the 2021 Award fall into several broad categories, including traceability and the measurement of environmental impacts of natural fibres, the use of natural fibres in manufacturing biodegradable composites, and new or expanded uses for natural fibre materials. Researchers and institutions located in Australia, India, Republic of Korea, and Switzerland are among the finalists for the 2021 award.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the worldwide demand for protective masks and apparel has resulted in a record number of new orders in the high double-digit millions of euros at Oerlikon Nonwoven. The meltblown technology from Neumünster is recognized by the market as being one of the technically most efficient methods for producing highly-separating filter media made from plastic fibers.

Protective equipment demands high-end nonwoven products
The rising demand for protective masks and other medical protective equipment since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated global ramping up of production capacities has also resulted in an increase in the demand for nonwovens for the production thereof. Initially, this resulted in bottlenecks in the provision of meltblown filter nonwovens. To this end, there had until this point be very few producers of medical filter nonwovens outside China. Meanwhile, the demand for spunbond systems is also rising. “Due to the structure of our group, we are in the fortunate position to swiftly reallocate and free up our production capacities. This means that we are able to relatively quickly deliver not only meltblown systems, but also spunbond equipment”, explains Dr. Ingo Mählmann, Head of Sales & Marketing at Oerlikon Nonwoven, talking about the positive situation at the company.

The capacities for respiratory masks available in Europe to date are predominantly manufactured on Oerlikon Nonwoven systems. “Our machines and systems for manufacturing manmade fiber and nonwovens solutions enjoy an outstanding reputation throughout the world. Ever more manufacturers in the most diverse countries are hoping to become independent of imports”, comments Dr. Mählmann. The Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown systems are being delivered to Germany, China, Turkey, United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy, France, North America and – for the very first time – to Australia until well into 2021.

Quality and efficiency in demand
Depending on the purpose of the application, medical PPE (personal protection equipment) should be breathable and comfortable to wear, protect medical staff against viruses, bacteria and other harmful substances and form a barrier against liquids. For these reasons, they are often made of either pure spunbond or of spunbond-meltblown combinations. Here, the meltblown nonwoven core assumes the barrier or filter task, while the spunbond has to retain its shape, while being tear-resistant, abrasion-proof, absorbent, particularly flame-resistant and nevertheless extremely soft on the skin.

All masks are not created equal – thanks to the ecuTEC+
Protection against infections such as coronavirus can only be guaranteed with the right quality.

The nonwovens can be electrostatically-charged in order to further improve the filter performance without additionally increasing breathing resistance. Here, Oerlikon Nonwovenʼs patented ecuTEC+ electro-charging unit excels in terms of its extreme flexibility. Nonwovens manufacturers can freely choose between numerous variation options and set the optimal charging method and intensity for their specific applications. In this way, even the smallest particles are still attracted and reliable separated by a relatively open-pored nonwoven. Nevertheless, mask wearers are still able to easily breathe in and out due to the comparatively loose formation of the fibers. To this end, it comes as no surprise that all meltblown systems currently destined for the production of mask nonwovens are equipped with the ecuTEC+ unit.

• Schleswig-Holstein Minister President visits Neumünster, Germany

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the worldwide demand for protective masks and apparel has resulted in a record number of new orders in the high double-digit millions of euros at the Oerlikon Nonwoven business unit of the Swiss Oerlikon Group. From the manufacturing site in Neumünster, Germany, the high-tech meltblown systems – with their patented ecuTE+ nonwovens electro-charging technology – are meanwhile be exported all over the world. For the very first time, a contract has now been signed with a business in Australia. Today, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister President Daniel Günther was won over on site by the technology of a ‘global player’. Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven, was thrilled, stating: “The machines and systems for manufacturing manmade fiber and nonwovens solutions from Neumünster enjoy an outstanding reputation throughout the world. It is especially in this crisis that the technology from Schleswig-Holstein has proven itself to be absolutely world-class.”

In addition to a tour of the meltblown system and its assembly and production facilities, the visit by Minister President Daniel Günther had one purpose above all: the dialog between politicians and business. Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven, and Matthias Pilz, Head of Oerlikon Neumag, jointly expressed their thanks for the support that Oerlikon has repeatedly had the fortune to experience over the past months and years in Schleswig-Holstein and looked to the future full of hope. “As a result of our additional investment at the site here in Neumünster – be this in our new technology center that will be completed by the end of this year or in our new logistics center that is already operating – we, as one of the region’s largest employers, are continuing to move forward, supported by a State Government that is also focusing on both promoting industry and business and on advancing an efficient training and educational system, as innovation is only possible with outstanding engineers”, stated Matthias Pilz. And Rainer Straub directed his appeal specifically at the Minister President: “Treat education and training as a priority. Ultimately, they will secure the future of Schleswig-Holstein as a center of excellence and manufacturing!”

Five-million-euro digitalization program

Daniel Günther, the incumbent Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein since 2017, immediately responded, making reference to one of the Federal State’s current training initiatives: “The State Government is supporting higher education institutions and students in the present coronavirus crisis. With a five-million-euro digitalization program, we are investing on the long-term digitalization of our higher education institutions. With this, we are overall creating a future for young people, particularly also for those who could very well go on to invent the next generation of manmade fiber systems.” And the Minister President was just as impressed by the willingness and readiness with which Oerlikon has been providing high-level support since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to master the present challenges as he was with the company’s meltblown technology itself. Rainer Straub explained: “When, at the beginning of the pandemic in February, demand for protective face masks increased rapidly, we at Oerlikon Nonwoven responded immediately. We ramped up all the available production capacities here in Neumünster in order to quickly manufacture nonwovens for producing face masks using our laboratory systems. As a result, we have been able to make a small, regional contribution to covering demand. In parallel, we have pulled out all the stops in order to systematically further expand our skills as machine and system builders so as to cater to the initially expected, and now also continuing, global demand for meltblown systems as quickly as possible.”

Leading meltblown technology

The Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology – with which nonwovens for protective masks can also be manufactured, among other things – is recognized by the market as being the technically most efficient method for producing highly-separating filter media made from plastic fibers. The capacities for respiratory masks available in Europe to date are predominantly manufactured on Oerlikon Nonwoven systems. “Ever more manufacturers in the most diverse countries are hoping to become independent of imports. Therefore, what we are experiencing in Germany is also happening in both industrialized and emerging countries throughout the world”, commented Rainer Straub. In addition to China, Turkey, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Austria and numerous countries in both North and South America, Australia and not least Germany will for the first time also be among the countries to which Oerlikon Nonwoven will be delivering machines and equipment before the end of 2021.

Automatized quality control of gas diffusion layers for fuel cells at SGL Carbon in Meitingen

• One of only two awarded overseas suppliers
• Long-term cooperation for a substantial production ramp-up

Mid of January SGL Carbon received the “Supplier of the Year 2019” award for excellence in quality management and contributions to strengthen the overall competitiveness of Hyundai Motor Group related to the manufacturing and supply of fuel cell components. The award is being granted by the Korean automaker once a year, evaluating several hundreds of suppliers from across the world in different categories. This time only two overseas suppliers have been awarded.

SGL Carbon and the Hyundai Motor Group have been cooperating on fuel cell technology for almost 20 years. Last year, the two companies agreed on an early extension to the existing supply agreement for SIGRACET® gas diffusion layers for the NEXO fuel cell car, encompassing a new long-term cooperation including a substantial ramp-up of the current production and supply volumes.

JEC Asia 2019 will open its doors in six days within a very positive and dynamic environment for the Composites industry. The South Korean government has decided to develop a whole Composites ecosystem. That goal will be achieved thanks to three strategic pillars: increasing R&D investment in the composites sector for equipment and machines; diversifying its materials and intermediate product providers; reinforcing excellence in research and development with major academic institutions such as Hanyang University and UNIST. Therefore, JEC Asia is a must-attend event for foreign companies to meet with this whole ecosystem.

More than 200 companies from 49 countries will attend this new edition for three days of Composites Innovation, Business, and Networking. For its 12th edition, JEC Asia 2019 will gather companies from the entire composites value chain in Asia Pacific and specifically from South Korea. They will present their latest capabilities and innovations to the composite’s community and the strategic end-user’s market. Companies like Toray Advanced Materials, Hyosung, Kolon, Hanwha Q Cells & Advanced Materials, Hankuk Carbon, Arkema Korea, and Samyang Corp. are amongst the participants, to name a few.

“The Composites Industry in Asia Pacific is dynamic and largely contributes to the global growth of the Industry. JEC Asia is the major composites platform in the region, where the full value chain gathers from raw material producers, intermediate and final processors. It also encompasses the downstream of the value chain, the original equipment manufacturers (OEM), and end-users. For its 12th edition, JEC Asia will showcase numerous features: an extensive conference program that includes the ICF (International Carbon Festival co-organized with the KCTech), composites tours and the coveted JEC Innovation Awards etc. All these have been crafted to provide the composites industry with targeted networking opportunities and an unrivaled event to develop and share knowledge on composite materials”, says Christian STRASSBURGER, Events Director APAC.

JEC Asia is the major, most insightful composites event in Asia-Pacific for products, solutions, net-working, and advanced industry thinking - 3 full days of Business, Innovation & Knowledge

JEC ASIA KEY FIGURES

• 7,000+ professional visits
• 245+ exhibiting companies from 49 countries
• 3 conference sessions
• 40+ International speakers
• 450+ business meetings
• Startup Booster competition
• Innovation awards and planet
• In parallel to eMove360° Asia

Paris - For its 12th edition and third time in Seoul, JEC Asia 2019 will gather companies from the entire composites value chain in Asia Pacific to present their latest capabilities and innovations to the composites community and the strategic end-user’s market including: Mobility, Aeronautics, Building & Construction. This year more than 245 exhibiting companies are expected with thousands of professionals from 49
countries to network, exchange ideas, explore new opportunities and strengthen their business partnerships.

Addressing the impact of composites in Mobility 4.0

During the press conference held in Seoul on July 9th to introduce JEC Asia 2019 and eMove Asia 360° main features, a roundtable gathering speakers, experts and academics from prestigious Korean research centers specialized in carbon and composites — along with Hyundai Motor and KCTech composites experts, eMove360°’s CEO & Publisher and Korean Electric Vehicle Association representatives — exchanged their views on the impact of composites in today's and tomorrow's mobility in the world with a focus on the Korean market. Discussions centered around the challenges raised by Mobility 4.0 (electric connected and autonomous vehicles) and how composites can offer highly adapted solutions for the new challenges faced by this sector, particularly in the context of the rising electrification of vehicles.

Hence, the 2019 edition of JEC Asia will welcome for the first time the eMove360° ASIA exhibition and conferences focusing on Trends in electric & autonomous mobility, Battery & Powertrain and Charging & Energy.

Celebrating Innovation and Knowledge

JEC Asia 2019 will also host the 2nd leg of the JEC Startup Booster competition, the leading startup competition in the world of composites will enable companies to find and assess innovations with a potential impact on their respective industry. The 10 finalists selected in the region by a prestigious jury, will pitch their project to win a chance to showcase their work at JEC World 2020 in Paris. The JEC Innovation Awards is a long-established and worldwide program with 3 simple goals: identify, promote and reward the most innovative composite solutions in the world. Over the past 15 years, the JEC Innovation Program has involved 1,800 companies worldwide; 177 companies and 433 partners have been rewarded for the excellence of their composite innovations. The JEC Innovation Awards reward composites champions, based on criteria such as partner involvement in the value chain, technicality or commercial applications of innovations. The award ceremony will take place on the second day of JEC Asia, on November 14th, 2019.

JEC Asia 2019 will also feature a fulfilling conference program with experts from the industry giving their insights on the latest developments in high-performance composite technologies and applications.

JEC Asia 2019 conferences main themes will focus on:

• International Carbon Festival Conference organized with our partner, KCTech.
• Automotive composite golden triangle: low CAPEX, low cost but high volume
• Automotive hybrid solutions: take the best of each material
• Aeronautics: faster processes and new materials
• Business opportunities (Raw materials, Process, Application, Countries, Region)
Finally, JEC Asia offers the opportunity to visit Composites sites. This year professionals will live a full experience of South Korea composites Industry visiting: Hanyang University, Kookmin University with Hankuk Carbon, Win & Win Co or Korean Carbon with KCTech in Jeonju.

See you @JEC Asia 2019 and eMove360° Asia, November 13 to 15,  Seoul Coex Convention and Exhibition Center

Archroma today announced that Vietnam-based Tuong Long Co. Ltd (“Tuong Long”) is the first denim manufacturer in Vietnam to switch 100% of its production to Archroma’s aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo.

Tuong Long Co. Ltd is a textile manufacturer based in Vietnam, whose plant is located near Ho Chi Minh City and employs 600 people producing up to 18,000,000 meters of fabric per year. Tuong Long manufactures and trades woven fabrics, particularly denim and khaki, stretch and non-stretch, for apparel brands in the USA, Japan, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Archroma’s Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was first launched in May 2018 as a non-toxic way to produce the traditional, iconic indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans.

During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons annually, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. As a result of its toxicity (more hazardous than alkylphenols) it is now starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers.

The new Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liq was therefore developed as an aniline-free* indigo solution for designers, manufacturers and brand owners who long for authentic indigo inspiration.

Twelve companies from eight different countries will receive a JEC Innovation Award at JEC Asia 2018. Asia-Pacific is an innovative region that sets the tone for all other regions of the globe. Once again, the JEC Innovation Awards highlight how composites bring solutions considering the new challenges in terms of efficiency, sustainability and life-cycle analysis.

This year, JEC Group awards innovations in the following categories: aerospace (structural and tooling), automotive, commercial vehicles, e-mobility, marine, railway, sports & leisure, infrastructure & civil engineering, industrial equipment, sustainability and additive manufacturing.

The ceremony will take place on Thursday November 15, 2018 at the COEX Center of Seoul (South Korea). Ida DAUSSY (Seo Hye-na), will host the ceremony in front of officials, manufacturers, scientists and composites professionals.

Category: AEROSPACE – STRUCTURAL
Winner: CSIR National Aerospace Laboratories (India)

Most of the composite structures for aircraft are made of carbon-epoxy composites, which can withstand a maximum service temperature of 130°C. As a consequence, carbon-epoxy materials cannot be used in hot zones like engine vicinity areas. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and CSIR-NAL took up the challenge of developing high temperature resistant composites for use in hot zones of light combat aircraft, which would result in significant weight and cost savings, as well as a considerable reduction in the meantime between failures (MTBF) due to thermal ageing.

The first task was to choose a material system with a service temperature of about ~ 200°C. During the material selection process, it was found that BMI resins are a relatively young class of thermosetting polymers. Hence, a carbon-BMI prepreg was selected due to a number of unique features including excellent physical property retention at elevated temperatures and in wet environments.

It was realized that weight savings and performance can be maximized using co-curing technology. This results in a large reduction of fabrication cycle times, costs and weight. Co-cured structures have fewer fasteners, which results in shorter assembly cycle times and also reduces sealing issues.

A prototype engine bay door assembly was built and tested at 180°C for flight certification. The engine bay door consists of an inner skin and co-cured outer skin assembly with eight transverse stiffeners. The stiffeners were designed with ‘J’ sections. The door size was 1.5 m length, 1 m width and 0.4 m overall depth. The co-cured door was developed using autoclave moulding. Two doors were installed in prototype aircraft and successfully flown.