Higher Properties, Lower Cost

Tag : e-glass fabric

Another new simulation package, called Morfeo, comes from Cenaero(Center of Excellence in Aeronautical Research) in Belgium. Itsimulates crack propagation in 3D with advanced finite-elementmethods. Morfeo uses “multi-level” approaches toanalyze welded or adhesively bonded structures for failureprediction. It has been used commercially to simulate frictionwelding and composite pipe structures.
Meanwhile, Vistagy in the U.S. released version 5.4 of its FiberSIM composite designsoftware, which includes new connectivity to SimXpertfinite-element analysis software from MSC Software Corp. in Santa Ana, Calif. Version 5.4 lets a designer and an analystwork on a composite part in parallel without lengthydata-conversion time, thus shortening the design cycle, Vistagysays. Version 5.4 also contains new tools for rendering complexcores, such as color coding of ply boundaries to visualize thembetter.
For building large physical models inexpensively, Croma FoamProcessing Technologies in France (represented here by Fulcrum Composites ), a maker of 3D foam-cutting machines for polystyrene, partneredwith Cirtes, the European Center for Rapid Prototyping and Design,in France. They jointly developed the patented Stratoconceptionprocess, which takes the CAD file of a part and converts it intocross-sectional slices. Croma’s foam-cutting machine thencuts the slices out of a PS foam block that have very precisemating surfaces. Cut pieces are scored and glued together to makethe large shape, rather like gluing sliced bread together to make aloaf. The process can even model hollow parts with interiordetails.
COMPOSITE RECYCLING
With growing mass production of composite parts, Europeanprocessors are developing ways to recover value from thermosets andfiber-filled scrap. For example, Ranger SpA in Carate Brianza, Italy, an automotive composite molder, takesscrap SMC parts, grinds them to 10-15 mm size and sends the regrindto Menzolit in Germany. Menzolit substitutes the reground SMC forhalf of the calcium carbonate in BMC formulations, or typically 25%of the BMC mix. Ranger also cooperated with Menzolit to develop aBMC in which reground SMC replaces one-third of the formulation.That BMC is used to mold swimming-pool panels, which are expectedto consume over 200,000 lb/yr of recycled SMC.
With increasing use of carbon fibers, new efforts are being made torecover these costly fibers from scrap. Two new processes removeplastic from carbon-fiber composite waste, one by pyrolysis, theother by chemical dissolution. CFK-Valley Stade Recycling inGermany has a patent-pending pyrolysis process to reclaim carbonfibers from thermoset or thermoplastic composites. The CFK processreportedly retrieves high-quality fibers 30 to 60 mm long. CFK haslong-term composite waste-collection contracts with Airbus inGermany, France, and Spain. It is building a pilot plant to startup next year and plans to build an industrial plant by 2010.