JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011 - 71

FiberSIM® 2010 delivers key capabilities to optimize designs and increase productivity throughout the composite design and manufacturing cycle. Features include: - preserving composite design intent: rules-driven, structure-based capability enables users to capture design intent and corporate standards to ensure the production of optimized composite structures; - designing for the manufacture of advanced materials and processes: multi-layer material simulation provides insight into the drapeability of non-crimp fabrics and other advanced materials, as well as the corresponding manufacturing processes; - improving communication between design and analysis: FEA interfaces with ANSYS Composite PrepPost (ACP), MSC Patran, NX Laminate Composites, BETA CAE Systems ANSA, and a generic BDF data format that maps all laminate properties to the mesh; - advanced 3D CAD integration: the composite part is represented in the native CAD model format, conveying the basic elements of the part in a standard format and improving the communication of design data throughout the enterprise and extended supply chain; - as-built part validation: the ability to validate parts, including importing machine paths from NC fibre-placement software and an interface to drive automated ply-verification inspection equipment; - enhanced user experience: the revamped user interface is tailored to specific use cases, putting key functionality at the users’ fingertips.

Carbon fibre production

Harper now offers unique multi-flow oxidation ovens to complement its world-leading thermal processing solutions, from furnaces to complete process lines for carbon fibre. Available in both research and production scale, Harper’s proprietary technology offers parallel, cross, and down airflow directions in a single oven. The uniformity specifications meet or exceed bestin-class for each flow regime. These oxidation ovens go beyond what others offer in simple temperature uniformity. This technology provides improvements in velocity uniformity, velocity range capability, modular construction techniques, advanced instrumentation and control, and superior atmospheric seals. Harper’s instrumentation improvements include a two-tier balancing methodology, responsive quench system and rapid cool-down system, emissions monitoring, and inherently safer pressure-relief system. The distinctive end-seal design eliminates loss of seal control and chimney effect as experienced with other ovens. The seals have independent adjustment of the top and bottom inside and outside slots. The design also includes separation plates between slot passes, so each pass acts as its own muffle. Each pass has an independent vent with adjustable draw control, and the exhaust plenum connects to a dedicated fan/VFD. As a result of these innovative design features, there is no vertical mixing in the seal, less air ingress and virtually no process-gas escape. www.HarperIntl.com

Multi-sector

Multi-flow oxidation ovens

Multi-sector

Leveraging composite materials and processes

> Booth W63

Automatic cut & restart > Booth M75 mechanism for impregnated fibres
> Booth T45
www.vistagy.com

Mikrosam’s engineering team has designed and manufactured an award-winning automatic cut & restart mechanism for wet impregnated fibres (patent pending). Mikrosam will be presenting this mechanism publicly for the first time at the JEC Show 2011. This automatic cut & restart mechanism is intended for use in filament winding applications to reduce the time necessary to prepare the winding process, cut the fibres when winding is finished, keep the fibres while the new mandrel/liner is mounted, and restart the winding process. Only the initial application of impregnated fibres is performed manually by the operator, while the rest of the process is performed automatically. The system can be used for any type of fibre, glass, carbon, kevlar, etc. Prior to this invention, the wet fibre cutting and placement process was done manually. The automatic cut & restart mechanism has practical applications in automated production lines for LPG, CNG and other high-pressure tanks that use multiple-spindle winding machines. With the assistance of this mechanism, the line downtime is eliminated when cutting and placing the fibres on the liners. This mechanism significantly increases the productivity of the whole production line. www.mikrosam.com

No63 March 2011 / jec composites magazine

71

Special JEC Show 2011
http://www.vistagy.com http://www.mikrosam.com http://www.HarperIntl.com http://www.reliant-machinery.com
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011
