JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 16

EQUIPMENT Software EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT SigmaNEST saves £70,000 in composite manufacturing Prodrive is well known in the UK and Europe for its collaboration in motorsport, running race and rallying programmes for some of the biggest names including Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford. Its Composites Division in Milton Keynes specializes in the manufacture of high-quality carbon fibre components for its own race and rally programmes and businesses in the automotive, marine and aerospace industries. AD models are first machined into an epoxy blank pattern before a carbon fibre mould tool is produced, which can make between 100 and 300 finished parts. Ian Handscombe, Composites Manager, explains the process: “We cut the resin-impregnated carbon fibre and lay this up on the pattern to produce a mould about 6 mm thick, which we cure overnight in our autoclave. Making the mould from carbon fibre ensures that it expands and contracts at the same rate as the part, guaranteeing accuracy. Components are also made from impregnated carbon fibre. They are laid up in the mould to thicknesses ranging between 1 and 12 mm, with the thicker components including a honeycomb core. These are cured in the autoclave at 130°C and 6 bar.” Considerable amounts of carbon fibre are used in the production process, so maximizing utilization is extremely important for the company. Carbon fibre costs between £15 and £40 per square meter so avoiding wastage is a high priority. Initially, wastage rates were around 40%, but the introduction of SigmaNEST from SigmaTEK has halved these figures, enabling Prodrive to save around £70,000 per year. The company tested several nesting systems before selecting SigmaNEST, which reduced the material used in a sample nest from six sheets to four, significantly better than the other products it evaluated. As well as improving material utilization, work, Prodrive has been able to attract the software has also helped Prodrive to additional business which has further provide its customers with improved justified its investment in the software. service. Two-day lead times are normal in Mr. Handscombe says, “The new system the industry, so being able to respond in paid for itself in three months and is a rapid and orderly way is crucial to the hugely important to our company. It has effective running of business. Mr. been the main driver for our Handscombe continues, “We have put a lot of effort into streamlining our administration and working methods. Previously, laminators frequently had to wait for moulds and carbon fibre kits, which stopped them from working and encouraged inefficient practices and further material wastage. Now, with As well as improving material utilization, the software has also helped Prodrive to provide its customers with improved service. the fast and efficient nesting system, carbon fibre kits are improvement programme and complete planned and cut one and a half days in review of methods. We could not have advance, and the reorganization ensures achieved the increase in turnover without that moulds and instructions are ready in it. We still have many changes to make, plenty of time. Laminators are able to investing in new machinery and software, start work immediately, making much and SigmaTEK will be playing a key role better use of their time and greatly here too. We are working towards improving our overall productivity.” operating round the clock and hope to The introduction of SigmaNEST has expand into other markets including enabled the company to look at every aerospace, defence, telecommunications aspect of its composite operation. The and marine, where the flexibility, low new smooth-running process has created weight and strength of carbon fibre are extra capacity so that, in addition to important.” improving the profitability of existing More information: www.sigmanest.com jec composites magazine / No54 January 2010
http://www.sigmanest.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010

Cover
Editorial
Contents
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Companies
- Focus Aeronautics
- Jushi lets its ambitious plans out of the bag
- Dedienne Multiplasturgy Group marches on
Agenda of events
Equipment : Software
- SigmaNEST saves £70,000 in composites manufacturing
BUSINESS
Market survey
- A market with a rosy future
Niche market
- High-tech first at NASA: a crew module structure made of composite materials
Human capital
- The graduate with a degree in composite materials
FEATURE - WIND ENERGY
China
- China: No slown in global wind developments as country continues expansion
Fibre
- High-performance E6 glass fibre: Meeting the needs of the wind energy industry
Foam
- Infusion moulding structural panels
- New PET foams for wind turbine construction
Epoxy
- Blade length: Top-end limits are set by the materials
Manufacturer
- SHFRP: still limited as a player
Equipment
- Epoxy-resin infusion systems for wind-blade manufacturing
- Workflow optimization for rotor blades manufacturing
- New robotic wind-blade finishing system reduces work time by 90%
Small wind turbines
- An experimental study of rotor shapes: for small horizontal-axis wind-turbines
Maintenance
- Predictive maintenance in the wind energy industry
USERS’ PLATFORM
Composites in the world
- The world’s most environmentally friendly aircraft
- Bicycling enthusiasts can adjust bike parts themselves
- Champagne!!!
Successful partners
- High-pressure hydrogen storage tanks made by RTM
Application
- Lightweight, ultra-durable air cargo containers
- Solar Plane takes of
- First solar-powered speedboat
KNOW-HOW
Laser projection
- Recent innovations in laser templating
Nanochemicals
- LEO semi-solid resin film
Mould
- DEMOCRAT, an electrostatic process
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - Editorial
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 6
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Focus Aeronautics
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 8
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Jushi lets its ambitious plans out of the bag
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 10
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Dedienne Multiplasturgy Group marches on
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 12
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 13
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - Agenda of events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 15
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - SigmaNEST saves £70,000 in composites manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - A market with a rosy future
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - High-tech first at NASA: a crew module structure made of composite materials
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - The graduate with a degree in composite materials
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - China: No slown in global wind developments as country continues expansion
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - High-performance E6 glass fibre: Meeting the needs of the wind energy industry
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Infusion moulding structural panels
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - New PET foams for wind turbine construction
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Blade length: Top-end limits are set by the materials
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 29
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - SHFRP: still limited as a player
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Epoxy-resin infusion systems for wind-blade manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Workflow optimization for rotor blades manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - New robotic wind-blade finishing system reduces work time by 90%
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 35
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - An experimental study of rotor shapes: for small horizontal-axis wind-turbines
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 37
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 38
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Predictive maintenance in the wind energy industry
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 41
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Champagne!!!
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - High-pressure hydrogen storage tanks made by RTM
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Lightweight, ultra-durable air cargo containers
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Solar Plane takes of
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - First solar-powered speedboat
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 47
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - Recent innovations in laser templating
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 49
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 51
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 52
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - LEO semi-solid resin film
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 54
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - - DEMOCRAT, an electrostatic process
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 57
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 58
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 59
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #54 - January 2010 - 60
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