{"id":2489,"date":"2015-05-18T11:00:32","date_gmt":"2015-05-18T16:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulprospector.com\/knowledge\/?p=2489"},"modified":"2016-04-12T09:35:21","modified_gmt":"2016-04-12T15:35:21","slug":"pe-french-composite-industry-sets-target-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/2489\/pe-french-composite-industry-sets-target-high\/","title":{"rendered":"French Composite Industry Sets Target High"},"content":{"rendered":"

Andy Pye looks at two innovations from Europe, the Quilted Stratum Process and Digimat-VA, both designed to hasten the progress of the composite industry\u00a0into the high volume manufacturing arena. Visitors to The JEC Innovation Awards Ceremony – held on 2 June 2015 (6pm) at the JEC Americas Welcome Reception at The Grove, Houston, TX – will get an opportunity for an early view of both, as well as nine other highlighted projects.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"CETIM's
CETIM’s Quilted Stratum Process was developed with the goal of creating a high-speed production line with cycle times of less than 90s from fiber to the finished product.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While there are potential applications in aerospace and certain industrial sectors where volumes are modest, such as agricultural machinery, materials handling and lifting equipment, and heavy vehicles, the holy grail remains the use of composites<\/a> for volume automotive parts. This has been hampered by the production rates of composites not being compatible with the needs of volume car manufacture. Automotive EOM and tier 1 suppliers are looking for cost-driven, structural lightweight parts with high production rates.<\/p>\n

Now, the goal of CETIM’s Quilted Stratum Process is to develop a high-speed production line \u2013 cycle times of less than 90s from fiber to the finished product \u2013 for long fiber thermoplastic composites (glass, carbon) and hybrid composites. Continuous fibre-reinforced composites (CFRP) are increasingly being used in the aerospace and automotive industries to cope with weight challenges and meet high performance standards. Thanks to their unique combination of stiffness, strength and density, CFRPs open up new design possibilities.<\/p>\n

The first two modules of the composite pilot line were a key exhibit at JEC Composites Exhibition (10-12 March 2015, Porte de Versailles in Paris). Taken together, these two modules form the cornerstone of the French national strategy on composite processing. The “Quilted Stratum Process\u201d (QSP) stems from a partnership between Cetim and three French production process specialists – PEI Pinette, Compose and Loiretech. QSP has funding of EUR 4.8 million from the Pays de la Loire Region.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Compose Presse. Compose is an interator of highly efficient complete turnkey systems to manufacture composites or plastics parts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the automotive and land transportation sectors, PEI Pinette supplies composite forming systems, most notably carbon fiber forming machinery, for both research and high volume production of components. Compose is an integrator of highly-efficient complete turnkey systems to manufacture composites or plastics parts. In 2013, Compose set up CT1 in a 600sq.m. state-of-the-art composite manufacturing facility equipped with RTM, hot forming, SMC and compression technologies.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1988 as supplier of prototype moulds and parts for the automotive industry, Loiretech is based in Mauves Sur Loire in the West of France and designs and manufactures complete sets of tooling for large and complex composite, thermoplastic and metallic parts. It serves customers in commercial aerospace, automotive, defence and renewable energy.<\/p>\n

The Fluid Resin Transfer Molding Thermoplastic Module represents an investment of about \u20ac14.7 million ($xx). It is coordinated by IRT Jules Verne (Advanced manufacturing, Nantes), IRT M2P (Mat\u00e9riaux, M\u00e9tallurgie et Proc\u00e9d\u00e9s, Metz), and CEMCAT, a technical centre located in the west of France dedicated to the improvement of advanced composite materials and processes for the transportation industry. CEMCAT works with companies including Renault, PSA, Airbus, Sotira, Hutchinson, as well as with public research organisations and educational institutions.<\/p>\n

QSP allows parts to be made with variable thickness, custom multilayer reinforcement. It is possible to use multi-fiber and polymeric materials from pultruded hybrid bands. Production cycles for large volumes ranging from 40 to 90s, including preforming, heating, transfer and thermoforming\/molding. Costs are competitive – the additional cost compared to conventional processing methods is estimated to be about EUR5 per kg saved (about x$\/lb).<\/p>\n

\"qsp002\"
QSP is a cost-effective solution for composites manufacturing, saving about EUR5 per kg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mechanical strength envelope shows the local areas where there is anisotropy and the level of stress:<\/p>\n