COMPOSITES
Innovation, automation
& recyclability at THE innovation processes at work in the composite market constituted the main topic at JEC Europe 2012 conferences and trade show which opened its doors in Paris, Porte de Versailles, from 27-29 March. JEC Europe attracted some 1 150 exhibitors and 30 000 visitors. Professionals from all over the world flocked to the three-day event to see the launching of new products, exhibits of spectacular parts, and demonstrations of the most recent technologies. JEC Europe 2012 boasted 49 500 m² in surface area – an average four times larger than any other composite trade show in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The worth of the global composite market went from €38 billion in 2000 to €72 billion in 2011. In a decade, the sector has managed to structure itself around regional, national and international clusters, strategic alliances and research centres. At an average 6%-per-year increase, the market will be worth €91 billion by 2015. Thanks to a large number of remarkable cooperative associations, the composite industry has been able to innovate and increase its capacities in markets where composites are already well established, like marine or construction. For other sectors, specialized clusters have accelerated the penetration of composites, for example, with the use of composites in aircraft structures rising from 35% to 50%. In the automotive sector, transnational value chains are leading to profound changes in areas like structural parts or under-the-hood parts, such as carbon body frames, or nanotubes in the energy storage
JEC 2012 Facts & figures about JEC 2012 • 49,500 m² of exhibiting area • 1 150+ exhibitors in 2012 • 30 000+ visitors • 74% foreign exhibitors • 70% foreign visitors • 96 countries represented
www.jeccomposites.com systems of electric cars. Automation is a broad field that includes things like equipment, software, and the integration of manufacturing steps. The most significant advances over the past decade have occurred mainly in North America and – especially – Europe, which has the highest automation rate: 83% compared to 70% in Asia, to take one example. JEC provided a lot of scope for these processes. Users are being won over more and
more by composite characteristics that match current needs. These characteristics are low weight, strength, thermal insulation, corrosion resistance, acoustic insulation, fire protection, design flexibility, textural possibilities, surface quality, and recyclability. France plays a leading role in thermoplastic composites and plant-fibre-reinforced parts. For example, Normandy is the world’s leading producer of long high-end flax fibres.
BASF presented its novelties for composites at the Paris JEC Composites Show in March, among them more automotive lightweighting innovations. The new Opel Astra OPC sports coupé features a seat pan made from continuous-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic laminate (known as ‘organo sheet’). The plastics used here are polyamide specialties from BASF’s Ultramid® range. This is the world’s first auto seat pan in a mass-produced vehicle that uses this technology. BASF developed two Ultramid specialties for the Opel Astra OPC seat pan: a nonreinforced grade serves as impregnating material for the glass-fibre fabric, while an impact-modified short-fibre-reinforced Ultramid grade is used for overmoulding the preform, creating the required ribs and edges by a classic injection moulding process. The high strength of the fibre-reinforced laminate allows significantly lower wall thicknesses, reducing the weight of the seat pan by 45%. 76
APRIL / MAY 2012
(PHOTO: BASF – THE CHEMICAL COMPANY, 2012)
Three plastic matrix systems hold huge potential for RTM
A conceptual study of a multi-segmented convertible roof module. The component consists of a polyurethane foam core which is sandwiched between carbon-fibre reinforced cover layers BASF’s Lightweight Composite Team is simultaneously investigating the potential that three plastic matrix systems, epoxy resin, PUR and polyamide, hold for
www.basf.com
continuous-fibre reinforcement in resin injection processes suitable for mass production, including in particular resin transfer moulding (RTM).