BMW Dingolfing Plant Tour: THE 7 SERIES CARBON COREd2hcx0y942a51n.cloudfront.net/Digital_Issue/2016/1116CW_Digital.pdf · BMW Dingolfing Plant Tour: THE 7 SERIES ... FRP enables portable,

BMW Dingolfing Plant Tour:

THE 7 SERIES CARBON CORE

BMW 7 Series Plant Tour:

CFRP GOES MULTI-MATERIAL & MAINSTREAM

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in a low-res PDF format— CLICK HERE —

NOVEMBER 2016

VOL 2 No- 11A property of Gardner Business Media

Brazilian FRP wall system delivers homes and schools in days / 32

Cored glass/PU speakers/tabletops enhance interior design / 40

FRP enables portable, light-tight dome for driving simulator / 44

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COLUMNS 4 From the Editor CW editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan returns from three trade shows with a new appreciation for the enormity of composites change over the past two decades.

6 Past, Present and Future Guest columnist Lou Dorworth says the wind and auto industries can learn much from the aerospace industry in this composites repair commentary.

8 Perspectives & Provocations IACMI's Dale Brosius observes that in the already fast-changing composites industry, there is good reason to expect the pace of innovation to pick up.

10 Gardner Business Index Gardner Business Media's Steve Kline, Jr., reports the GBI Composites Index through the month of September 2016.

» DEPARTMENTS 12 Trends39 Calendar40 Applications41 New Products42 Marketplace 42 Ad Index

» ON THE COVER At the BMW 7 Series production facilities in

Dingolfing, Germany, BMW's composites engineers have developed wet compression molding, or wet pressing, to speed CFRP production. Here, flat noncrimp fabric stacks that have been coated with epoxy resin await transfer by overhead robotic arms to the wet press mold for processing. Read more on p. 24.

Source / BMW AG

FOCUS ON DESIGN44 Composites Enable

Portability in Driving Simulator FRP design enables portable, light-tight, enclosure with an image-projection-grade inner surface.By Sara Black

CompositesWorld (ISSN 2376-5232) is published monthly and copyright © 2016 by Gardner Business Media Inc. 6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. Telephone: (513) 527-8800. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH and additional mailing offices. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CompositesWorld Magazine, 6915

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accurate. In applying recommendations, however, you should exercise care and normal precautions to prevent personal injury and damage to facilities or products. In no case can the authors or the publisher accept responsibility for personal injury or damages which may occur in working with methods and/or materials presented herein, nor can the publisher assume responsibility for the validity of claims or performance of items appearing in editorial presentations or advertisements in this publication. Contact information is provided to enable interested parties to conduct further inquiry into specific products or services.

FEATURES24 CW Plant Tour:

BMW Group, Dingolfing, GermanyCFRP has gone mainstream at automaker BMW’s (Munich, Germany) highly automated, busiest and largest manufacturing site in Europe, where BMW has spent more than a half-billion euros to bring its multi-material BIW for its new 7 Series model to life. CW recently toured the 7 Series plant for a look at how 16 CFRP parts, each made by one of four technologies, are combined with aluminum and steel components to form what BMW engineers have dubbed the Carbon Core.By Ginger Gardiner

32 Inside Manufacturing: Fast-Build Construction with CompositesA supplier of a variety of products into the automotive, wind energy, agribusiness, general industrial and construction markets in its native country, Brazilian composites manufacturer MVC Plasticos (São José dos Pinhais) is fast making an international mark, exporting a modular wall system made from composites that can deliver affordable homes, schools and daycare centers in a fraction of the time required for conven-tional construction. By Ginger Gardiner

32

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CompositesWorld.com 1

NOVEMBER 2016 / Vol: 2 No–: 11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PUBLISHER Ryan Delahanty [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeff Sloan [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Mike Musselman [email protected]

TECHNICAL EDITOR Sara Black [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR Ginger Gardiner [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR – Heather Caliendo ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Susan Kraus [email protected]

MARKETING MANAGER Kimberly A. Hoodin [email protected]

CW SALES GROUP

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NOVEMBER 20164 CompositesWorld

FROM THE EDITOR

»I was on the road a fair amount in September, traveling to Novi,

MI, for the SPE Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibi-

tion, to Chicago for IMTS and then to Anaheim for CAMX. Each

event offered a nice glimpse of the many ways composite mate-

rials and technologies are

meeting a variety of manu-

facturing challenges today.

If you read this column

regularly, you know that I

have a sensitivity to the high

level of activity in the composites

industry and its proclivity for rapid change and adaptation. And I

certainly saw much evidence of that during my travels.

However, it wasn’t until the end of my last day at CAMX that I

came to a full appreciation of the path composites have traveled

over the past two decades. On that day, I had an appointment

with an exhibitor that manufactures curing ovens. I arrived at the

company’s booth and met the marketing and communications

person there, a gentleman I’d not met before. He told me that,

indeed, he was relatively new to the industry. Or, rather, he was

new to the composites industry as presently constituted.

As we talked more, he revealed that he’d previously worked for

another composites industry supplier in the mid- to late-1990s,

but he had subsequently left that employer and worked in other

industries and markets until 2016, when he returned to compos-

ites with his current company.

The last composites-related tradeshow he’d attended for his

previous employer was a SAMPE conference. “I don’t remember

much about it,” he recalled, “except that it was small and focused

almost entirely on composites in defense and sports cars.” CAMX

was his first tradeshow in the new job, and, gazing around the

exhibit hall, he could not believe the difference. “I look around at

the composites industry now and . . . holy cow!”

Many of you reading this likely have no experience or memory

of the composites industry that spans 20 years, so it is difficult to

put its current state of the industry into context with the past. And

even if you have 20 years or more of experience, the gradual nature

of change likely makes thoughtful retrospection an “I remember

when” rarity. But, if we think about my new friend at CAMX and

what he “missed” in his almost 20 years away from composites,

it is daunting. He missed: Composites breaking into commercial

aerospace in a big way with the 787 and A350. The development

of the F-35 jet fighter, the military’s largest consumer of composite

materials today. The wind energy boom that fueled unprecedented

use of composite materials in wind blades. The closed molding

revolution, which is fast putting open molding in the rearview

mirror. The application of carbon fiber in sporting goods, ranging

from golf clubs to hockey sticks to tennis rackets. And a dizzying

array of mergers and acquisitions. In short, he missed a lot, and

he returned just in time to witness firsthand how composites will

move into high-volume automotive production.

These megatrends have been launched by different people

and companies for the reasons we always list when we talk about

composites: High strength, light weight, durability, corrosion

resistance, etc. But we often overlook the fact that these mega-

trends are only possible because the composites industry is what

I call chronically dynamic — full of people not just comfortable

with change, but obsessed with it, willing to tinker and try and

poke and prod and fiddle and tweak to solve a problem or meet a

challenge. This is engendered, in part, by the dynamic nature of

composites themselves, the products of almost infinite resin, fiber,

tooling and processing variations, which makes tinkering so easy

and tempting.

The big question we face now is this: What will our chronic

dynamism produce over the next 20 years? This is difficult to

contemplate because understanding where we’re headed requires

impossible-to-come-by knowledge of the disruptive technologies

the future might have in store. A good starting point might be this

simple statement: The application of composite materials has, over

the past two decades, gotten easier, faster and less expensive, and

it will only become more so in the two decades to come.

So, don’t go anywhere, but if you do, be prepared to come back

to a much-changed composites world.

In the composites world, change is

good – and habitual.

JEFF SLOAN — Editor-In-Chief

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COMPOSITES: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

» Composite repair technology has progressed significantly

over the past three decades, in large part because the aerospace

industry has led the way. In Part I, we sketched the history of aero-

space composites repair, tracing the developmental steps that have

resulted in standard repair designs, materials and methods. These

have built confidence among maintenance and repair organiza-

tions (MROs) that composite structures can be successfully and,

increasingly, cost-effectively repaired.

The aerospace industry is introducing automated methods (e.g.,

robotic CNC machining) and standardizing repair technician

training, aimed at better quality, reduced cost and faster turn-

around, and is extending bonded repairs to increasingly larger

areas of damage and flight-critical primary structures. This effort

has been largely the result of industry collaboration through the

Commercial Aircraft Composite Repair Committee (CACRC),

administered by SAE International (Warrendale, PA, US). SAE’s

Performance Review Board will be the certifying body for general

and, soon, aerospace composite repair technicians.

The above holds much promise for those in other industries

willing to benefit from the aerospace industry’s pioneering experi-

ence in composite repair. The wind turbine industry, in the repair

of composite wind blades, and the now weight-conscious, and

therefore, composites-aware, automotive industry both stand

to gain. In each case, a similar spirit of collaboration, in terms of

training and standardization, has the potential to improve quality

and cost, and establish an effective supply chain.

Opportunities and challenges. For wind energy and automo-

tive repairs, one challenge will be the current lack of standards.

Wind turbine OEMs today bear little responsibility for developing

repair methods and standard materials because they typically

cover maintenance only for the first few years as part of the wind

blade warranty. Thus, the onus of blade inspection and repair falls

on wind farm developers/operators and their subcontractors. For

example, the industry has struggled with the step vs. taper debate,

and with how to replace multiaxial reinforcements in a way that

matches constituent fiber axial orientation to ensure sufficient load

transfer. Repairs, then, have commonly been oversized, not aero-

dynamic and possibly lacking in load efficiency. But as training has

increased and as aerospace industry knowledge has been adapted,

blade repair techniques have improved. Further, significant devel-

opment in epoxy and polyurethane resins and cure methods for

blade repair have provided better bond performance, making

systems more tolerant of environmental conditions during repair

and the large temperature range blades experience in service.

The automotive situation is more nascent and critical. Three

years ago at SPE’s Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibi-

tion, the prevailing opinion was that carbon fiber would never

Composite repair: Lessons learned, challenges and opportunities, Part II

figure significantly in new car design and “we’ll just replace parts vs.

repair them.” McLaren, Lamborghini and other high-end manufac-

turers, however, already have vehicles on the road with significant

amounts of carbon composite structures and have teams of “flying

doctors” who perform aerospace-type repairs. However, they have

not yet developed a system of zones or limits for allowable damage

and composite repair designs. (Such a system has been proposed

for wind blades.) These OEMs have done some analysis of front

and rear impact, identifying where fractures might occur, which is

used to assist the “repair doctors” with NDI. But not much has been

done with side impact, and right now it is common to see composite

monocoque “tubs” scrapped, even though they are repairable.

Damage analysis, repair design and substantiation methods could

easily be adapted from the aerospace industry.

In any case, the flying doctor scheme won’t be sustainable long

term. BMW is already expanding its use of carbon structures into

higher volume models, and as auto composites increase, so will the

demand to repair rather than replace damaged composite parts.

Current methods, in which large component pieces are sectioned

and replaced to address smaller, locally damaged areas of a carbon

fiber structure, don’t make sense with increasingly larger fleets.

Using existing localized repair methods already developed in the

aerospace industry could bring composite structural repair capa-

bilities to certified automotive collision repair centers. This would

ultimately reduce the cost of new-generation vehicle repair to a level

more closely aligned with the wishes of insurance companies and

vehicle owners. Infrastructure for training and certification of auto

collision repair centers is already well-established in many other

areas through the international, nonprofit Inter-Industry Conference

on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR, Hoffman Estates, IL, US).

It would benefit the auto industry to begin collaboration now and

to intelligently transfer and adapt technology and lessons learned,

rather than re-inventing it, so that development of automotive

composite repairs does not take 30-plus years, as it has in the aero-

space industry.

Mr. Dorworth will discuss this topic in detail at CompositesWorld’s

Carbon Fiber 2016 conference (Nov. 9-11, Scottsdale, AZ, US).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lou Dorworth has been involved with the advanced composites industry since 1978 and has worked with Abaris Training (Reno, NV, US) since 1983, where he currently manages the Direct Services Division. He is a member of the Society for the Advancement of Material & Process Engineering (SAMPE, Covina,

CA, US), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME, Dearborn, MI, US) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE, Bethel, CT, US), as well as a frequent conference presenter and co-author of the popular textbook, Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication & Repair, published by Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc.

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Analysis and optimization methods tailored for composites are necessary to go

beyond “black aluminum” designs.

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PERSPECTIVES & PROVOCATIONS

» “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” This line,

famously but falsely attributed in 1899 to Charles Duell, commis-

sioner of the US Patent Office, as part of a recommendation to

shut down the Patent Office, nonetheless points to some common

present-day assumptions that certain technologies have gone as

far as they can go. Moore’s Law in semiconductors, for example,

which, while slowing, may not yet be fully dead. Or the common

trope that “automakers have taken powertrain technology as far

as they can, so now they have to rely on lightweight composites

to improve fuel efficiency.” Inevitably, within days, an announce-

ment comes out disproving the notion, as an OEM unveils a new

transmission with more speeds, or cylinder deactivation, or an

improved

hybrid vehicle.

I’ve seen that

movie too many

times over the

years.

In 1970, Alvin

Toffler’s Future Shock

popularized the feeling

people have when “too much change occurs in too short a period

of time.” But looking back, 1970 seems quite placid compared to

today’s world. By some estimates, we generated more data during

the past two years than has been created in the entire history of

the human race up to two years ago. By 2020, an estimated 50

billion smart connected devices will populate the planet. Big

Data, the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 are all hurtling us

toward ever greater “information overload.” Much of this is being

enabled by continuing advances in computational speed (thanks

to Moore’s Law) and technology that increasingly puts informa-

tion quite literally at our fingertips (or eyes, ears and brains). We’re

barely comfortable using a new technological marvel or handheld

device only to find it quickly replaced by something even smarter,

faster and cheaper.

We’ve become used to this in the electronics industry. But what

about the composites industry? Is it experiencing an electronics-

like acceleration in technological development? I believe it is.

From my perspective, the rate of composites innovation today is

higher than I have ever seen, and the implications are significant.

One implication is that the innovation locus is changing. From

the 1970s to the 1990s, it was the aerospace and defense industries

taking the lead in advanced composites. But recent history indi-

cates some resistance to change: The Boeing 777X and F-35, for

example, are built predominantly with fibers and resin systems

developed in the 1980s. It’s pretty clear that the industrial market

has taken the lead in disrupting the status quo.

That brings us to the second implication: Now, more than

ever, it is difficult to define the state of the art for many aspects

of composites technology. As soon as you think you know who

is leading, someone comes up with a better — faster, cheaper,

stronger (you pick which adjective) — way to achieve the same

goal. Take high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM), for

example. Ten years ago, 10-15 minutes was considered fairly fast

for parts the size of an automotive roof panel. Three years ago,

this dropped to five minutes, and today’s resin formulations are

able to cure in under two minutes, assuming we can get them into

the mold fast enough. In fact, BMW is making many carbon fiber/

epoxy parts for their vehicles in two minutes using “wet pressing,”

a highly automated version of what used to be a low-tech “mix and

pour” process. Who needs HP-RTM when you can simply do this?

Other areas of innovation abound. Novel low-cost and

low-energy precursors for carbon fiber, rapid and low-waste

preforming technologies, and thermoplastic overmolding of struc-

tural inserts are also moving forward with abandon. And although

it’s become ingrained that we cannot accurately predict crash

behavior of composites, I’ve seen plenty of recent demonstrations

that we can, indeed, do so.

Then there’s polymer 3D printing. It’s gone from shoebox size to

full cars and large tools in the short span of three years (a recently

printed tool for Boeing was certified to be a record in terms of

dimension — certain to be superseded in 2017, if not before). There

are efforts to do the same in metallic 3D printing, which will trans-

form the tooling industry.

And just a few years ago, there were only a handful of compa-

nies with promising technologies for recycling carbon fiber

composites. Today, there are dozens, and the long-term survival of

each of these service providers will depend on its ability to create a

compelling value proposition beyond landfill avoidance.

As part costs come down and the market grows, there will

be room for many materials and many processes. However,

that brings up a third implication: This new landscape makes

managers’ jobs even tougher — what investments do we make in

capital and R&D that won’t be obsolete in two years? There are no

easy answers to this question, but it sure feels great to be aboard

this fast-moving train!

Innovation: Moving faster than ever

The rate of composites innovation is higher than I’ve ever seen, and the implications are significant.

Dale Brosius is the chief commercialization officer for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI, Knoxville, TN, US), a US Department of Energy (DoE)-sponsored public/private partnership targeting high-volume applications of composites in energy-related industries. He is

also head of his own consulting company and his career has included positions at US-based firms Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, MI), Fiberite (Tempe, AZ) and successor Cytec Industries Inc. (Woodland Park, NJ), and Bankstown Airport, NSW, Australia-based Quickstep Holdings. He also served as chair of the Society of Plastics Engineers Composites and Thermoset Divisions. Brosius has a BS in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA.

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GARDNER BUSINESS INDEX: COMPOSITES

As third-quarter 2016 closes out, new orders and employment go up.

» With a reading of 50.7, the Gardner

Business Index showed that the US compos-

ites industry, in September, had expanded

for the second straight month. The growth

was slightly slower, however, than that seen

in August.

New orders grew for the third month in

a row, although the rate of growth dipped

a little bit in September. Nevertheless, the

new orders subindex was at its second

highest level since June 2015. Produc-

tion increased for the second consecutive

month. Although the production growth rate

slowed in September, it still was reasonably

strong. With the exception of one month,

the backlog subindex had contracted since

December 2014. However, the backlog

subindex has shown comparatively dramatic

improvement since January of this year.

Employment increased in both August and September.

This subindex had been alternating between growth and

contraction since February. Exports continued to contract in

September, and the rate of contraction accelerated somewhat

during August and September. However, the overall trend

in that subindex since November 2015 appeared to remain

positive. In September, supplier deliveries lengthened for the

fifth time in six months.

Material prices increased for the eighth month in a row. The

rate of increase decelerated slightly in September compared

with August. However, the index remained near the highest

level it has reached since the summer of 2015. Prices received,

as September closed out, had decreased every month but

one since August 2015. Also, the future business expectations

subindex decreased marginally in September. That said, the

overall trend in the subindex had been up since January.

Among the target markets for US composites manufacturers,

the aerospace industry contracted for the second time in four

months. The level of the aerospace subindex in September was

at its lowest since January. It has been a much rougher go for

the automotive industry recently. The automotive subindex

in September had contracted every month but one since

November 2015. Also, another manufacturing subindex, which is

mostly consumer goods, expanded in September for the first time

since March.

In preparation for the September Gardner Business Index

survey, a change was made in the options available to manu-

facturers asked about their future capital spending plans. The

survey gave respondents the additional option of selecting zero

(US$0) for future spending plans. This represents a new lowest

option, replacing the previous low, which was a range from US$0

to US$125,000. For that reason, it is not possible to compare

September’s value to that recorded in previous months.

September 2016 — 50.7

Steve Kline, Jr. is the director of market intelligence for Gardner Business Media Inc. (Cincinnati, OH, US), the publisher of CompositesWorld magazine. He began his career as a writing editor for another of the company’s magazines before moving into his current role. Kline holds a BS in civil engineering from

Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. [email protected]

A GBI reading of >50.0 indicates expansion; values <50.0 indicate contraction.

60

50

40

Sep

15

Oct 1

5

Nov

15

Dec

15

Jan

16

Feb

16

Mar

16

Apr 1

6

May

16

June

16

Jul 1

6

Aug

16

Sep

16

50.7GBISEPTEMBER 2016

REGISTER TODAY FOR WEBINAR AT: Reg Link: http://short.compositesworld.com/Siems1116

DATE AND TIME:Nov. 16, 2016 • 2:00 PM EST

PRESENTER

PRESENTED BY

JOHN O’CONNORDirector of Product and Market StrategySiemens PLM Software

siemens.com/plm

Collaborative Composite Aerostructure DevelopmentEVENT DESCRIPTION: Collaboration between the disciplines of analysis, design, and manufacturing

for composite aerostructure development is a challenge to achieve without

specialized solutions. This presentation describes approaches to achieve

rapid analysis-to-design cycles for composite aerostructures. Central to

these capabilities is the ability to support an awareness of the unique

manufacturing constraints associated with automated layup processes, like

fiber placement.

This presentation will cover the solution for composite structure sizing/

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methodologies described in this presentation, you can create manufactur-

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SPE’s Automotive Composite Conference spotlights diverse approaches to RTM while Teijin and a European research trio spot new opportunities involving SMC.

AUTOMOTIVE


TRENDS

The Society of Plastics Engineers’ (SPE) Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition (ACCE; Sept. 6-9, Novi, MI, US) has grown to become the world’s largest composites-only event devoted to automotive manu-facturing. With almost 1,000 attendees, more than 90 presentations and 75 exhibitors, it has become an accurate reflection of the state of autocomposites design, material and process development.

Although there is obvious and great interest in auto-composites, how they might be inserted into the automo-tive supply chain remains to be seen, and many of the presentations emphasized technologies designed to help composites clear the design and cycle-time hurdles they face. Because of this, there was substantial emphasis on processes, particularly compression molding, injection molding, preforming, and on materials, with emphasis on thermoplastics. That said, thermoset advocates weren’t sitting on their hands, and proved that the automotive end-market is critical to their success. Some highlights:

One of the most intriguing presentations came, surpris-ingly, at the end of the last day. Philipp Rosenberg, from Fraunhofer ICT (Pfinztal, Germany) discussed work he’s done using in-mold sensors to modulate pressure require-ments for high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM). Dubbed pressure-controlled RTM (PC-RTM), the process uses cavity pressure to drive process control, with other variables, such as mold gap and compression time, modi-fied to promote good resin flow at low pressures — 20 bar, compared to 120 bar. Advantages are faster cycles, lighter and less expensive molds and possible use of core materi-als without core crush.

Another RTM variable was presented by J. Javier Acosta, R&D composite project manager at Fagor Arrasate (Gipuzkoa, Spain). Fagor’s compression RTM (CRTM) process uses mold-gapping during injection to promote resin flow and reduce cycle time compared to RTM and HP-RTM. Acosta showed a carbon fiber/epoxy demonstra-tor car roof part that could be made in volumes of up to 90,000 units per year from one CRTM machine. That same volume reportedly would require two HP-RTM systems and seven RTM systems.

The utility of chopped carbon fiber was demonstrated by Hiroyuki Hamada, from the Kyoto Institute of Technology (Kyoto, Japan), who described his work with what he calls K-class carbon fiber — non-standard carbon fiber reclaimed as waste from the carbon fiber manufacturing process. This continuous, unsized carbon fiber was used in the direct

fiber feeding injection molding process (DFFIM), in which fiber is fed into the injection barrel, where it is sheared by the feedscrew prior to mold injection. Testing with polypro-pylene, polycarbonate and polyamide showed promising physical properties. A modified check ring helped increase mean fiber length to 2.63 mm.

Hironori Nishida, from Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan), introduced advanced automatic tape placement (AATP), which uses a Tajima Group (Kasugai, Japan) embroidery machine to quickly build carbon fiber preforms. It was used to fabricate a composite transverse steering structure that not only reduced weight from the sheet-metal version (2.4 kg) to a carbon fiber version (0.9 kg), but also reduced waste by 50% and processing time by 75%.

The future also appeared to be bright for composite leaf springs. Sigrid ter Heide, global market develop-ment manager transportation at Hexion (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), highlighted that company’s work with ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Friedrichshafen, Germany) to develop a material and process for the RTM manufacture of a glass fiber/epoxy leaf spring for an automotive axle. It withstands prolonged fluid contact and has good corrosion resistance, and consumes less energy during manufacturing than steel competitors — 13,010 MJ for steel vs. 3,180 MJ for composites.

SPE ACCE 2016 proves big and busy

Cincinnati Inc. (Cincinnati, OH, US) used the Big Area Additive Manufacturing machine co-developed with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN, US), to “print” a Shelby Cobra body (a blue one) a couple of years ago. It proved so popular that Cincinnati printed another, and brought it to SPE ACCE to demon-strate additive manufacturing’s potential. Source | CW / Photo | Jeff Sloan

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Epoxy resins specialist Magnolia Advanced Materials Inc. reports that it has completed its move into a new, larger manufacturing facility, located on Northeast Expressway in Atlanta, GA, US.

For more than a decade, Magnolia had operated out of an old 32,000-ft2 (2,973m2) facility that could no longer contain the company’s custom-formulated epoxy resin business. “We utilized the old location as long as we could, including exterior storage containers, but we needed a larger, more efficient building in order to continue our rapid growth,” says CEO Rick Wells. “As a custom formulator, we have specific needs. Retrofitting

Magnolia Advanced Materials upgrades to larger facility

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Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) announced Sept. 13 that it has agreed to acquire Continental Structural Plastics Holdings Corp. (CSP, Auburn Hills, MI, US) for US$825 million. CSP will become a wholly owned subsidiary through which Teijin intends to establish the foundations of a North American automotive composite products business and to accelerate its expansion as a Tier 1 supplier of high-perfor-mance composites to the global automotive market.

The shares of CSP will be purchased by Teijin Holdings USA Inc., the Teijin Group’s US-based holding company. The acquisition is scheduled to be completed in December 2016 after satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

Since its establishment in 1969, CSP has become a leading manufacturer of thermoset composites in the auto industry and is now the world’s largest sheet molding compound (SMC) manufacturer for automakers in the US, Europe and Japan. CSP provides full-service engineering support, and holds more than 50 patents covering materi-als development and manufacturing processes in compos-ite materials formulation and design. The company has 14 facilities in the US, Mexico, France and China and posted consolidated sales of more than US$634 million in 2015.

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Teijin to acquire Continental Structural Plastics

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Chem-Trend (Howell, MI, US) a producer of release agents, purging compounds and other ancillary molding products, has acquired Huron Technologies Inc. (Leslie, MI, US) a maker of customized mold release agents and related products, including release agents, mold condi-tioners, cleaners and flushes. Chem-Trend presi-dent/CEO Devanir Moraes said that combining the product lines “will provide end-users and distribu-tion partners with a more comprehensive range of release systems and complementary molding process aids that create even greater value, effi-ciency and productivity.”

SGL Group (Wiesbaden, Germany) inaugurated the precursor production line at its FISIPE site (Lavradio, Portugal) on Sept. 15, following four years of R&D, construction and qualification, involving a US$33.57 million investment. The precursor is now used in production of the compa-ny’s new generation of high-end industrial SIGRAFIL carbon fibers at its facilities in Moses Lake, WA, US, and Muir of Ord, Scotland, for applications in auto-motive, aerospace and other industries.


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At this year’s Association of German Engineers (VDI) conference in Mannheim, which focused on plastics in automotive engi-neering, Aliancys (Schaffhausen, Switzerland), Daimler AG (Stuttgart, Germany) and Menzolit GmbH (Heidelberg/Rohrbach, Germany) discussed their successful collaborative effort to improve sheet molding compound (SMC) technology for use in several Mercedes passenger cars. The resulting reduction in production waste and improvement in SMC quality and consistency made it possible to realize a new segment of large Premium Class 1 components, including the decklid of the Mercedes SL Roadster. Although outer body panels for decklids are normally designed in two pieces (an upper horizontal and a separate license plate segment), the SL Roadster’s decklid was envisioned as a one-piece solution,

SMC improvements in Europe reported

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to eliminate the cost of producing two parts that must be secondarily bonded. The large, horizontal, highly visible part demanded high quality and surface aesthetics. Success there, the three collaborators say, indicates that SMC will be the technology of choice for many new car series to come.

The group’s SMC decklid efforts date back to 1999, when the complex production process, early on, was less consistent than desirable and scrap rates were erratic and sometimes high. This led to a program, now more than a decade in duration, to improve SMC parts and broaden the scope of SMC application. Since then, about 5 million data points have been collected at various points along the process chain and evaluated with data mining tools during the manufacture of close to 10,000 parts. Based on an analysis of the data correlating to the parts with the best properties, six factors were identified that most strongly influence part quality. They are identi-fied in the full article presented at the conference, which can be can be found at the following link: static.aliancys.com/pictures-cases/daimler/smc-technology-4.0-sep-2-2016-vdi--english.pdf.

Learn more about SMC and its history here: www.compositesworld.com/columns/automotive-smc-the-wheel-comes-full-circle(2).

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Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. (Rockford, IL, US) announced at IMTS 2016 on Sept. 12 that it is forming a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, US) to develop a very large additive manufacturing system that will target laydown rates of 454 kg/hr on a build envelop of 23 ft wide by 10 ft high by 46 ft long (7m by 3m by 14m). Dubbed Wide and High Additive

Ingersoll, ORNL taking big additive manufacturing to new levels

Source | Ingersoll Machine Tools


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Manufacturing (WHAM), the machine would be an order of magnitude faster and larger than current large-format additive manufacturing systems and could be commer-cially available sometime in the next 18-24 months.

The WHAM system includes automatic exchange of the printing extruder with a high-speed, 5-axis milling attachment, enabling conventional subtractive finishing operations. The machine will be developed initially to apply Techmer’s (Clinton, TN, US) ABS polymer with 10% chopped carbon fiber reinforcement.

Tino Oldani, president and CEO of Ingersoll, says, “Our machine design expertise, combined with the ability to develop a complete process for our customers, makes WHAM a logical step forward. Our partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory gives us a huge advantage.” Targeted end-markets include wind energy, aerospace, automotive and defense.

Ingersoll has entered the WHAM development process through a cooperative R&D agreement with ORNL. “Our collaboration with Ingersoll on the development of a 3D printer that provides a volume not possible with current printers could open up new markets and applications in defense, energy and other areas of manufacturing,” says Bill Peter, director of the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL.

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Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd. (MRC, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) and Fiberline Composites (Middelfart, Denmark) will form a joint venture company to manufacture and distribute carbon fiber composite lami-nates for wind turbine blades. MRC will supply high-perfor-mance, large-tow carbon fiber produced at its Otake Production Center to the joint venture based in Denmark. The joint venture will then leverage the molding and processing technologies of Fiberline, a composites pultru-sion manufacturer, to enable a lightweight, price-competitive composite laminates supply to the wind turbine blade market. MRC will seek to expand its share in the carbon fiber wind turbine market through this joint venture.

Notes about newsworthy events recently covered on the CW Web site. For more information about an item, key its link into your browser. Up-to-the-minute news | www.compositesworld.com/news/list

MONTH IN REVIEW

®

®

Spirit AeroSystems completes 500th Boeing 787 composite forward fuselageThe company has been delivering these assemblies and components to the 787 program since 2007 and unit 500 was delivered to Boeing in September.10/12/16 | short.compositesworld.com/Spirit500

GE buys LM Wind Power for US$1.65 billionLM Wind Power will operate as a standalone unit within GE Renewable Energy.10/12/16 | short.compositesworld.com/GEbuysLM

Orbital ATK, Stratolaunch partner up for space launchesOrbital will provide multiple Pegasus XL air-launch vehicles for use with the composites-intensive Stratolaunch satellite-delivery aircraft.10/12/16 | short.compositesworld.com/OrbStrat

Quickstep F-35 production exceeds 100 parts/monthThe Australia-based manufacturer makes doors, panels, skins and other composite parts for the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.10/11/16 | short.compositesworld.com/QS-F35-100

IACMI, LIFT to invest US$50 million in Detroit scale-up facilityThe Corktown facility, in Detroit, MI, US, will be updated and upgraded to help develop and mature composites manufacturing processes and materials. 10/11/16 | short.compositesworld.com/IACMI-LIFT

CFRP rotors empower new EnWheel energy storage systemsGermany-based STORNETIC’s EnWheel flywheel energy storage system features large carbon fiber flywheels that rotate at speeds up to 45,000 rpm.10/10/16 | short.compositesworld.com/EnWheel

Blue Origin successfully tests escape system, lands New Shepard rocketOn Oct. 5, the company successfully conducted an in-flight escape test of its New Shepard system.10/05/16 | short.compositesworld.com/BlueNStest

Mitsubishi Regional Jet test aircraft arrives in USThe single-aisle, 70- to 90-passenger aircraft is the first regional jet to adopt composite materials for its wings and vertical fins.10/03/16 | short.compositesworld.com/MRJtoUS

Brazilian composites sales drop in first half of 2016Sales in the Brazilian composites industry totaled US$335 million in the first half of this year, 30% less than the same period in 2015.10/03/16 | short.compositesworld.com/Brazildown

Hexagon Composites, Agility Fuel Systems finalize mergerThe resulting company, Agility Fuel Solutions, will manufacture composite pressure vessels for natural gas vehicles.10/03/16 | short.compositesworld.com/HexAgMerge

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Plant Tour: BMW Group Dingolfing, Germany

CFRP goes mainstream at BMW’s highly automated and busiest plant, where the multi-material BIW for the 7 Series comes to life.

» BMW AG’s (Munich, Germany) largest manufacturing site in

Europe — in area (2.8 million m2) and volume (360,000 cars in

2015) — is situated in Dingolfing, Germany. More than 17,000

employees — 12,000 in the plant and another 5,000 in surrounding

support facilities — turn out 1,600 cars per day. Dingolfing not

only produces 15 models, including all variations of BMW’s 5,

6 and 7 Series, but also one model each of the 3 and 4 Series. It

also turns out components for BMW’s electric vehicles and, as

the company’s Center of Competence for aluminum, it builds car

bodies for Rolls-Royce (Manchester, UK) as well.

“We’ve learned how to handle complexity,” emphasizes Plant

Dingolfing managing director Josef Kerscher. “We are the only

automotive manufacturing facility worldwide to handle not only

this many different models, but also engines from three to 12 cylin-

ders, as well as plug-in hybrids.”

The Dingolfing complex began as the Hans Glas GmbH auto

factory, which BMW acquired in 1967. Since 1973, BMW has

produced almost 10 million vehicles there. Over the past three

years, Dingolfing has undergone an upgrade valued at more than a

half billion euros for the new 7 Series production alone, including

increased automation and aluminum die casting along with a new

carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) production hall and a new

state-of-the-art facility to produce the first body-in-white (BIW)

combining steel, aluminum and CFRP, known as the Carbon Core.

The multi-material BIW is a big reason why the 7 Series is

breaking new ground in top-of-the-line vehicle performance and

luxury (for more on the latter, see Learn More). The BMW 7 Series

is 130 kg lighter than its predecessor and its principal competitor,

the S-class Mercedes. Although only 3% of the BIW parts are CFRP,

totaling 13 kg, they account for 40 kg of weight savings. It contrib-

utes to what BMW calls Efficient Dynamics, which reduces fuel

consumption and emissions while enhancing the driver experi-

ence. “I get 100 km from 4.5 liters of gas,” says Kerscher. “This is

what you would expect from a very small car, not from a luxury

sedan. The key to this is lightweight construction.”

The BMW 7 Series is now in full production. “The launch was

very successful,” says 7 Series product manager Christian Metzger,

“achieving cost, quality and volume targets.” The launch was

the culmination of a three-year program that included not only

product development, but also a three-year process in the plant to

develop all of the required manufacturing processes. The latter was

CW’s focus as it toured Dingolfing’s 1.6 million-m2 Plant 2.4.

By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor

Plant Tour: BMW Group Dingolfing, Germany


NEWS

CFRP: 4,000 parts per daySixteen CFRP parts make up the Carbon Core, each manufac-

tured using one of four technologies (Fig. 1 and see Table 1 in the

expanded online version of this article noted in Learn More, p.

30), with each chosen to meet specific part shape and property

requirements, yet minimize weight. Michael Ahlers, BMW head

of Process Chain Body-In-White and Exterior, points out the

Carbon Core parts on a 7 Series BIW displayed at the entrance to

the plant’s 11,000m2 CFRP production/logistics area. Noting the

B-pillar (Fig. 2, p. 26), Ahlers explains, “It uses CF prepreg covered

with a film of epoxy adhesive. Both are hardened to the formed

steel B-pillar in one press step.” High-pressure resin transfer

molding (HP-RTM) is used in the roof rails, made in the nearby

BMW Landshut plant, to meet roof pressure test requirements,

while wet compression molding (or wet pressing, see Learn More)

enables cost-effective, short-duration cycle times for parts such as

the tunnel, sills and selected roof bows (Fig. 3, p. 27).

When asked about galvanic corrosion, Ahlers explains that for the

rear cross member/upper trunk cover (Fig. 4, p. 27), the only CFRP

part in touch with aluminum, adhesive is used to isolate the CFRP

from the aluminum. There are no through-hole fasteners to act as a

corrosion bridge. Also, the aluminum is painted (black) to prevent

corrosion from environmental factors. “The key is to have the right

materials and to have them support each other,” says Ahlers.

The cross member/trunk cover is molded from sheet molding

compound (SMC) reinforced with recycled carbon fiber. The fiber

is a lofted material, derived from 7 Series waste as well as waste

from cutting dry fabrics for BMW’s i3 and i8 moldings. These

leavings are carded and formed into nonwoven mat. “In this

process, the knowledge is where to put the resin in and how to

Fig. 1 Carbon Core: Multi-material BIWThe BMW 7 Series body-in-white (BIW) is the first to mate aluminum, CFRP and high-strength steel, a combination BMW calls the Carbon Core. Source | BMW AG

16 CFRP parts4 different technologies

CFRP Wet CompressionMolding

CFRP Resin Transfer Molding

CFRP-Steel HybridCF Sheet Molding

Compound

press it all to avoid dry areas, which happens if you have too much

fiber,” says Ahlers. “But, if you have too little fiber, you have too

much resin and not enough mechanical properties.”

The recycled carbon fiber SMC parts are not made by BMW, but

instead are delivered from a supplier and use epoxy resin. The type

of epoxy used, however, is optimized per process. For example,

Hexion’s (Columbus, OH, US) quick-curing EP TRAC 0600/EK

TRAC 06130 epoxy is used in the 7 Series’ HP-RTM roof bows and

the wet compression molded tunnel.

BMW continues to work closely with its resin suppliers. “We

have developed faster resins since the i3 and i8,” Ahlers notes,

Next iteration of i models’ CFRP Dingolfing, Germany is BMW’s largest manufacturing

site in Europe. It produces more than 350,000 cars per year among 15 different models, including three variations of the new BMW 7 Series (left). At right is

the BMW i3 all-electric. Source | BMW AG

Next iteration of i models’ CFRP Dingolfing, Germany is BMW’s largest manufacturing

site in Europe. It produces more than 350,000 cars per year among 15 different models, including three variations of the new BMW 7 Series (left). At right is

the BMW i3 all-electric. Source | BMW AG


PLANT TOUR

“and we also did all new testing, starting with coupon testing to

feed the simulations and then moving up through components to

qualify each material for each part.”

At this point, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing’s head of Press Shop

and CFRP Production Peter Wolferseder takes over the tour. As he

leads the way into the open production area, he explains that the

CFRP Shop’s 100 employees cover three shifts, five days per week.

Inside, a bank of 10 automated CNC milling machines supplied

by EIMA Maschinenbau (Frickenhausen, Germany) flanks the

left side with a line of presses opposite — five for wet compres-

sion molding and two for hybrid B-pillar pressing — all supplied

by Dieffenbacher (Eppingen, Germany). Many of the tools in the

presses, he says, are supplied by FRIMO (Lotte, Germany). “We

have a good relationship with them, and we also build some tools

in-house.”

Walking past the CNC milling cells, Wolferseder shows how a

wet-compression-molded tunnel part is placed into the front of

the machine while another is milled at the back, for maximum

throughput and efficiency (Fig. 5, p. 27). “No dust escapes,” he

points outs. “It is a completely clean environment.”

Fig. 2 Hybrid CF/steel B-pillarUsing carbon fiber prepreg reinforcement enabled a thinner, high-strength steel B-pillar, saving 2 kg while providing superior crash performance. Source | BMW AG

Wet pressing of sillsThe sills that run along the lower sides of the BIW are assembled

from two CFRP parts, also wet compression molded. A sill manu-

facturing cell equipped with two KUKA (Augsburg, Germany)

robotic arms applies epoxy resin simultaneously to two dry textile

preforms. The non-crimp fabric (NCF) for the preforms is made

at BMW’s joint venture plant SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers,

60 minutes away in Wackersdorf, which also supplies the i3 and

i8 lines. The resin is mixed and injected via a dual-head system

supplied by KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany), with an integrated

volume flowmeter that records the quantity applied to each stack.

The resin forms a pool in the center of the stacks, leaving about an

inch or so around the edges. “If the resin goes to the edges, then the

needle grippers we use to pick up the preforms would get covered

in resin and no longer work,” explains Wolferseder (Figs. 6a and 6b,

p. 28). “The resin application is programmed to fully impregnate to

the edges during the pressing.”

Why two robots instead of one? “Because both preforms should

be the same,” Wolferseder responds, “with the resin sitting on them

for the same amount of time. If you only had one robot, one preform

would have resin sitting for some seconds more than the other. Also,

the robots are not very costly, so it is no issue to have two.”

Designed with latency, so cure does not begin until the press

cycle, the resin sits for some seconds, penetrating through the

preforms vertically. The wet preforms are picked up and placed

in the press by the robotically actuated needle grippers. The press

then applies pressure according to specified ramp, with the final

10 mm of “daylight” closed very slowly. “Our special recipe to

produce these parts is to coordinate the temperature, pressure and

resin curve,” says Wolferseder.

Two molded stacks are produced with one stroke (Fig. 6c, p.

28). “We will cut these in half so that we end up with four parts

from one cycle,” says Wolferseder. “We mostly use tools with four

cavities to increase the overall output capacity of our machines.”

He points out that this is a completely unattended process and

totally reliable. “There are two people at the end to take parts off

the line and to do QA checks. If there is a defect, they can address

this in the machines,” says Wolferseder. “Wet pressing is not

unique,” he adds. “What is unique is this industrialization.”

Hybrid B-pillarsThe prepreg used to reinforce the B pillars is delivered from

Hexcel Austria (Neumarkt) using epoxy resin from an undisclosed

supplier and carbon fiber from SGL Carbon SE (Wiesbaden).

It arrives precut to shape and on trays, which are stacked onto

trolleys and rolled into the workcell’s feed station. “The solid green

layer on top is the epoxy adhesive which will bond the CFRP to

the hot-formed steel B-pillar,” says Wolferseder, “but also provide

isolation against galvanic corrosion.”

A robot picks up two of the adhesive-coated prepreg preforms

and places them on a light table to enable an automated stack

orientation check, which is completed in a few seconds by a Vision

Machine Technic (Mannheim, Germany) system. The robot then

picks up the preforms again and after returning to the work-

cell’s periphery swivels to the other side of the robot transit aisle


NEWS

Fig. 3 Wet pressed “backbone”Wet pressing is used to make the tunnel (top photo), which forms the backbone of the 7 Series Carbon Core BIW, as well as three of the roof bows and four sill reinforcements, while HP-RTM is used to make the roof rails (bottom photo) and central roof cross member. Source | BMW AG

Fig. 4 Recycled SMC C-pillarBoth the 7 Series C-pillar (shown here) and rear cross member/upper trunk cover use recycled carbon fiber SMC. Source | BMW AG

Fig. 5 Automated milling maximizes throughputAutomated CNC mills enable molded parts — tunnel shown here in machining (top photo) and quality assurance (bottom photo) — to be loaded/unloaded at the front of the machine while another is being milled at the back, for maximum throughput and efficiency. Source | BMW AG

BMW 7 Series Plant

and places the preforms into one of several drawers in a convec-

tion oven. Here, the CFRP preforms and the steel B-pillars are

preheated before pressing. The preforms are then transferred from

the heating drawer to a forming station where they are placed onto

and shaped by a set of pins that essentially form an articulated

tool. After this is completed, the two shaped preforms are mated to

two preheated steel B pillars and then fed into the press. A twin-

cavity tool, supplied by Koller Formenbau (Dietfurt, Germany),

molds a complete set of left and right B-pillars in one stroke. Wolf-

erseder explains that the presses used here are the same as those

employed in wet pressing, but the pre-and post-press equipment

is completely different.

After a high-temp, high-pressure cycle, the two finished parts

are removed and set on a shelf where they will cool at ambient

temperature. “The cooling stage is needed in order for the parts to

finish hardening,” says Wolferseder, “and also for the two workers

at the end of the line to be able to handle them.” The robot receives

a signal that the temperature of the parts is cool enough and then

transfers them to the conveyor belt where the workers will pick

them up, perform a visual inspection for quality and will also

remove the peel ply/foil on top of the prepreg. “The CFRP allows


PLANT TOUR

us to use a thinner, more lightweight steel

part,” says Wolferseder, “saving 2 kg while

providing superior crash performance.”

Dingolfing Body ShopA short drive from the CFRP Shop is the

40,000m2 Body Shop, where CFRP parts and

metal parts from the Press Shop are joined

into modules, which then are assembled

into the 7 Series BIW. CW’s tour here is led by

Christoph Roth, head of production for the

BMW 7 Series Body-in-White. Scanning the

floor from an overhead viewing bay, the high degree of automa-

tion is obvious — 460 robotic arms are used in the shop’s 7 Series

section alone, overseen by 130 technicians per shift.

Roth explains that CFRP parts come into this building through

an exterior washing area where dust from machining is removed.

“All of the parts do this except for the B-pillars because they are

not machined and they are also not bonded during BIW produc-

tion, only welded,” Roth explains. “This washing and then drying is

necessary because all of these parts will be bonded, so the surfaces

must be very clean.” The CFRP parts are fed into the Body Shop

on a just-in-time (JIT) basis, directed from the overall produc-

tion control system. After drying, the parts are sent to one of the

20 automated production cells that join the CFRP parts to metal.

These cells produce parts for all 7 Series derivatives, including left

and right hand drives and the extra-length version.

“Figuring out how to join all of these parts and the production

cells needed was the challenge,” says Roth. “Every joining method

already existed somewhere in the automotive industry, but the

challenge was how to bring it all together with these new materials

and make it all work for our production cycles.” The roof frames

and lower sill reinforcements are glued and riveted, but the rivets

are used only to hold the glued surfaces in contact until the epoxy

adhesive cures. “We decide on what fasteners to use depending on

where the part is in the car, the material and also the access,” he

explains. “If you can only access one side, then you use flow-drill-

screws, for which we have also developed very innovative new

technology.” The latter require no pilot hole, feature an undercut

beneath the heads and very fast installation, which heats up the

surrounding material and, as a result, “welds” the fasteners in to a

degree. Roth continues, “We use 150 flow-drill-screws per each 7

Series BIW. If the machine can gain access to top and bottom, then

we can use rivets.”

Roth describes one area where fasteners have been eliminated:

“The aluminum casted part that is glued

to the CF SMC rear support replaces up to

30 separate parts but has now been inte-

grated into a one-piece unit.” Walking past

multiple rectangular, fenced-in produc-

tion cells, each with two or three robotic

arms moving parts through various prepa-

ration and joining operations, he points

out a worker who is performing ultrasonic

inspection on a completed subassembly.

Fig. 7 Tunnel workcellRobotic arms apply epoxy adhesive to the CFRP tunnel, checking placement, width and continuity via cameras before bonding to metal components.

Source | BMW AG

Fig. 6 Wet pressing of sillsWet compression molding of sills begins with robotic applica-tion of epoxy resin onto flat NCF stacks. These are transferred to a mold (a, b) and pressed (c).

Source | BMW AG

A

B

C

29CompositesWorld.comCW-half-Revchem.indd 1 9/8/16 1:04 PM

NEWS

Fig. 8 Subassembly preparationMultiple CFRP-containing subassemblies are prepared for attachment to the Carbon Core BIW, like this one that contains the RTM roof rail (top), sills and hybrid B-pillar (bottom and center but CF on downward face of both) and SMC reinforcement for C-pillar (far right). Source | BMW AG

“Three parts per shift are pulled from each station and tested

either nondestructively or with light force to ensure strength.”

Tunnel assembly cellTrolleys with CFRP and metal parts are loaded into the auto-

mated production cell. A Kuka robotic arm picks up a CFRP tunnel

and rotates it beneath a mix, meter and dispense (MMD) nozzle

for application of epoxy adhesive (Fig. 7, p. 28). The part is then

placed under a set of cameras for a quick QA check of adhesive

placement vs. a reference. “There must be no interruptions in the

length, and it also checks the width of the adhesive bead,” explains

Roth. “It doesn’t worry about the thickness because we apply more

adhesive than necessary and also use spacers, which maintain the

distance between the parts for uniform bondline thickness.”

Fig. 9 Carbon Core takes shapeAssembly proceeds as the BIW passes through subsequent stations for attach-ment of side assemblies (shown here). Other subassemblies are robotically lowered into position and fastened or welded until Carbon Core completion.

Source | BMW AG

BMW 7 Series Plant


PLANT TOUR

“We use roughly 150m of glue per 7 Series

BIW,” says Roth. There are drums of adhesive

from Sika AG (Baar, Switzerland) and also

MMD machines at each production cell. “We

have used SIKA and bonding for metal parts

for years,” says Roth, “but the adhesive we use

for the CFRP stations is a specialty adhesive

for CFRP-to-sheet-metal bonding.”

The tunnel is then mated to the steel

components of this subassembly. Rivets are

applied to affix the CFRP and steel pieces

together until the epoxy hardens five

hours later, when the BIW goes into the

paint oven. The tunnel production cell

produces 17 units per hour.

When asked about issues encountered

while developing the various press cells,

Roth responds, “The challenge was how to

qualify personnel to repair and maintain

these new machines for joining multiple

materials. So, we pulled our best mainte-

nance personnel and placed them within

the process development group so that

they would understand the technology

behind these machines and processes.”

These personnel then became specialists

for the new joining equipment. “It is key

that they were involved from the begin-

ning,” Roth adds.

Building the Carbon CoreOther cells that join CFRP and metal parts

include those for sills, B- and C-pillars and

roof rail assemblies. Most of the completed

subassemblies that contain CFRP are used

to form the BIW’s mid-section. The C pillar

reinforcement and upper trunk cover are

on the rear section (Fig. 8, p. 29). The front

section is all metal.

Once a subassembly is completed, it

is loaded by elevator onto an overhead

conveyor that transports it to the BIW

assembly line. Assembly of the BIW begins

with key steel and aluminum chassis

pieces joined and welded atop a moving

sled. The BIW then progresses through

subsequent stations where additional

subassemblies are lowered, robotically

placed, fastened and/or welded until the

Carbon Core is complete (Fig. 9, p. 29).

Final assembly lineCompleted BIWs are painted before

proceeding through Hall 52, which

produces 5, 6 and 7 Series vehicles. An

adjacent Hall 50 produces BMW 3,4 and 5

Series cars. A car rolls off the line every 83

seconds in Hall 52, and every 58 seconds

in Hall 50. Each hall contains 350-400

stations on three levels: Pre-assembly

modules are on the ground floor (level

0) and transported up to level 2, where

vehicle assembly is completed and then

back down to level 1 for the finishing line.

“All of our cars are built to order, so this

presents a challenge,” notes CW’s guide

Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/BMW7Series

The 7 Series is breaking ground in top-line vehicle luxury. See CW’s online Side Story titled “BMW 7-Series: New definition of luxury” | short.compositesworld.com/7SeriesLux

Read more in “Wet compression molding” online | short.compositesworld.com/wetcomp

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NEWS

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DeWAL PTFE Tapes & Films — for tighter vacuum seals and cleaner mold separation.

Used as an alternative to sanding and painting Used as peel-ply on molds

Used between a mold and a carbon-fiber composite

DW 134

DW 204-HD

DW 202 & DW 2000

for Hall 52, head of assembly at BMW

Group Plant Dingolfing Robert Küssel.

“There is no other auto manufacturing

center that has this much complexity.”

Stopping at one position in the line,

an instrument panel is fed up from the

ground floor through an elevator. This

station’s technician walks over and

attaches a robot to the completed IP

module. He then guides it to a car moving

slowly through the line where he places

it inside, but the robot does the installa-

tion. The whole process is controlled and

documented by the equipment. “Parts

are sequenced in Logistics in what we call

Lineside Supply,” says Küssel, “this builds

in a lot of flexibility to our assembly lines.

We can easily adapt to new parts and new

models.” He notes the whole building is

fed by 200 multi-car material supply train

cars per hour.

On the finishing line, cars are tested

again for functionality of each subsystem.

Transported to the ground floor, they are

driven through a short test track to check

noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

A certain number of cars per shift are

selected for road testing on a longer test

track adjacent to the assembly halls, and

a subset of those go out on the highway

next to the facility for a longer test. “It’s

all about quality,” says Küssel. “Our

customers expect a very high level of

quality from us.”

CFRP-integrated industrial productionAnd that is the real story of this plant:

Efficiency in manufacturing, yet quality in

every detail, despite myriad individually

specified components. Carbon parts may

be made in their own shop, but they are

prepped, joined and painted with all of

the other BIW parts into a coherent, well-

designed and high-performance platform.

CFRP is just another specialty, another

complexity, another functionality rolled

into what BMW already does so well. It

has become standard procedure, but only

because the company recognized and

addressed challenges early on, in areas as

diverse as the carbon fiber supply chain,

part processing, isolation from galvanic

corrosion, quality control and technician

training.

“We use CFRP not just here and there in a visual part to be flashy,” says Küssel, “but in

a way that adds functionality and performance to the car.” Articles in the industry press

suggest that BMW will extend CFRP use into new Motorrad motorcycle models and

an all-electric i5 crossover SUV

expected to be revealed next year

and in production by 2019. Upon

exiting Plant 2.4, and seeing several

camouflaged, pre-production

vehicles undergoing tests, CW’s

question is: “which Dingolfing

model will be next?”

CW senior editor Ginger Gardiner has an engineering/materials background and more than 20 years in the composites industry. [email protected]

BMW 7 Series Plant


INSIDE MANUFACTURING

A Brazilian modular wall system that can deliver affordable homes and schools in days is exported to meet global needs, including for refugee resettlement.

» MVC Plasticos began in 1989 as an engineering plastics fabri-

cator for the automotive industry. Based in the city of São José

dos Pinhais, in the Brazilian state of Paraná, it expanded, opening

manufacturing locations in Catalão (GO), Camaçari (BA) and

Maceió (AL). Now a composites manufacturer, it supplies a variety

of products into not only the automotive but also the wind energy,

agribusiness, general industrial and construction markets.

“Our philosophy is to use composites to replace traditional

materials,” notes Erivelto Mussio, MVC’s development manager of

building products. Using a variety of fibers, resins and other mate-

rials, it has expanded its processing repertoire to include contin-

uous lamination, vacuum forming, thermoplastic extrusion, resin

transfer molding, resin infusion and pultrusion.

It is in the field of construction that MVC Plasticos has begun

to make its international mark. Building on its experience with

continuous lamination and pultrusion, the company began devel-

opment of its MVC Wall System in 2003. It is a modular construc-

tion system based on industrialized production of composite

sandwich panels made from fiberglass-reinforced composite

sheets and insulating core, connected at corners and other joints

by pultruded profiles. “The original idea was to build affordable

houses,” explains Mussio. But soon it became clear there were

opportunities in many other types of construction, including

banks and schools. MVC also has supplied specialty panels for

the ceiling of the award-winning Carrasco International Airport in

Montevideo, Uruguay.

The selling point? Although onsite construction time depends

upon the building type and size, once a foundation (typically a

concrete slab) is completed, Mussio says assembly and finishing

of the wall system proceeds with comparatively “Lego-like”

simplicity, taking only 12-15 days for small buildings (e.g., a 70m2

house) and 60-120 days for larger, more complex structures (e.g.,

a 3,100m2 school), or roughly 30% of what conventional construc-

tion would require. That’s not to suggest, however, that MVC Plas-

ticos sells temporary structures. All MVC Wall System components

are designed for a minimum 50-year service life.

No surprise, then, that the company is negotiating expansion

throughout South America and is completing certification as far

Fast-build construction with composites

By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor


NEWS

away as Germany to export its modular housing for resettlement of

Syrian refugees. “The need is so large,” Mussio points out. “We are

not yet sure how many houses will be built, but there is potential

for thousands.”

Intensive industrial manufacturingFast onsite build of the MVC Wall System is possible because

most of the construction is completed in the MVC factory. “We

have industrial production of the building components,” explains

Mussio. These include pultruded structural profiles — such as

columns and beams — and then the “blade” sandwich panels for

walls and ceilings. The walls are rolled out complete with window

and door openings and with electrical installations inside (Fig.

1, p. 36). When the components arrive at the building site, they

only need to be assembled, and then painted and finished with

plumbing and light fixtures, floor coverings, etc.

The panels use glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin facesheets,

produced via continuous lamination (Step 3, p. 34) and include

an orthophthalic gel coat surface resistant to ultraviolet radiation.

MVC Wall System

The glass fiber rovings used in pultrusions (Roving 366) and panel

facings (Roving ME 3050) are supplied by Owens Corning Fiber-

glas A.S. LTDA (Rio Claro, SP, Brazil). The orthophthalic polyester

resin — which includes alumina trihydrate to meet fire resistance

requirements — is sourced from Reichhold Do Brasil LTDA (São

Paulo). The composite facesheets are continuously laminated, cut

and then bonded to EPS (expanded polystyrene) or polyisocyan-

urate (polyiso) foam cores with polyurethane adhesive in low-

pressure vacuum presses (Step 4, p. 34). Before they are bonded

between the facesheets, the foam core slabs are routered and pre-

fitted with the electrical conduit and outlet boxes.

EPS foam offers an insulation value (heat resistance) of R-4 to

R-5, while polyiso foam is rated as R-6 for 1-inch thickness (the

higher the value, the greater the insulation; see Learn More, p.

38). Although it is not used in the MVC Wall System, fiberglass

batting is rated at R-3. “For the climate in Brazil, where we don’t

have a cold winter, EPS is sufficient,” Mussio notes, adding that

“for Europe, however, polyiso foam is needed. We don’t change

the thickness of the panels, but instead change the insulation

Affordable construction materials for emerging communities

MVC Plasticos’ modular construction system is based on industri-alized production of composite sandwich panels and pultruded profiles. The MVC Wall System offers safe, energy-efficient and attractive residential structures (photo on p. 32) that can be built at a rapid pace. The modular concept also has given a significant boost to Brazil’s effort to promote public education, with MVC’s multiple school building designs (examples above and right), and has become an important facet of MVC Plasticos’ module/model development efforts.

Source | MVC Plasticos



4 Facings are bonded to foam core — with electrical conduit pre-installed — using polyurethane adhesive in a vacuum press (at right of image).

5 Panels are machined to create openings for windows and doors and receive bonded edge profiles. They are then labeled and readied for shipment to building sites. Source | MVC Plasticos

6 At the building site, base fixation profiles are adhesively bonded to the foundation with epoxy and fastened with screws in preparation for wall erection. Source | MVC Plasticos

3 Wall and ceiling panels begin with composite faceskins made via continuous lamination. Source | MVC Plasticos

2 Structural columns, beams and connecting profiles are pultruded at the MVC factory. Source | MVC Plasticos

1 Each model of house, school or special project is computer-designed in-house by MVC to meet standard building regulations and specific customer requirements. Source | MVC Plasticos Source | MVC Plasticos and Gazeto do Povo


NEWSMVC Wall System

7 Composite wall panels and vertical pultruded columns are adhesively bonded and mechanically fastened into base fixation rails. Source | MVC Plasticos

8 Pultruded beams are adhesively bonded and mechanically fastened to the panel tops to support conventional roof construction. Source | MVC Plasticos

9 Buildings are finished using conventional doors, windows, paint, flooring and fixtures. Source | MVC Plasticos

capacity through the type and density of foam.” He says MVC

prefers to keep the panel thickness standardized because they

are connected using pultruded profiles, which are made to

specific measurements. To change the panel thicknesses — the

walls are typically 10 cm and the ceilings are 5 cm — would

require a cascade of tooling changes for the pultrusions.

Finished panels are routed for windows and doors (Step 5,

p. 34) and outfitted with adhesively bonded edge profiles. All

components are then labeled and grouped appropriately for

shipment to building sites.

Reduced onsite assemblyAt the building site, MVC’s customer, the construction

contractor, takes over. Base fixation profiles are bonded to the

concrete foundation using structural epoxy adhesive (Step 6,

p. 34) and then affixed with corrosion-resistant, stainless steel

self-tapping screws. Panels are then adhesively bonded into the

base profiles and a silane-based sealant used in shipbuilding

is applied to ensure moisture resistance. To bear overhead

roof-and-beam loads and join panels at junctions and corners,

pultruded vertical columns are installed at each panel’s vertical

sides, adhesively bonded and screwed into base profiles and

panel edges (Step 7, this page). Pultruded cover pieces are used

to conceal the panel/column seams as well as any additional

piping or conduit installed by the builder. Next, horizontal

pultruded beams are placed on the tops of the wall panels, to

form a load-bearing structural frame to which roof joists can be

attached (Step 8, left).

In larger, more complex structures, galvanized steel profiles

are used in place of selected pultruded profiles to increase

load-bearing capability. Mussio also notes that there are cases

(e.g., roofing structures) in which standards are still lacking for

composites. “So conventional materials are used here to speed

structural calculations,” he adds. From there, commercially avail-

able doors and windows are fitted into the factory-engineered

Air terminal top treatment

In an unusual application, MVC Plasticos supplied 22,000m2 of overhead composite panels for the Carrasco International Airport main terminal building.

Source | MVC Plasticos



openings, and the building is finished using conventional mate-

rials (Step 9, p. 35).

Modular design controls costBecause the MVC Wall System is based on modules, MVC Plas-

ticos can mass-produce standard components, yet combine these

to provide a wide range of design alternatives to meet specific

building project needs. “The engineering process is longer than

the construction process,” Mussio points out, “so the cost would

be too high if we had to engineer a new construction for every

building. Also, we need enough quantity of the same structures for

industrial production, so this requires some standardization.”

MVC Plasticos also has developed standard structural models:

three for schools in Brazil and four options for schools in Argen-

tina, including two- (208m2), six- (850m2) and 12-classroom

(3,100m2) models and daycare centers (1,060m2). The school

buildings contain administration/office space, kitchen, class-

rooms, bathrooms and a covered play area, with the larger models

also including warehouse and storage rooms, service areas and

dressing rooms.

Of course, there are always projects that demand some-

thing different. Mussio says changing the color of the resins in

the pultruded profiles and panel surface sheets is possible, and

although panels are normally kept within a 3.5m width and 12m

Fig. 1 Wall panel anatomy

The composite-faced wall and ceiling panels feature foam cores pre-routed and fitted with electrical conduit and outlet/fixture boxes. Source | MVC Plasticos

Composite material

Electrical outlet box

Conduit

Composite material

Compound core

Metallic finishing 2006.10.30A logo mark “Shikoku Chemicals Corporation”

ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR CFRP

LATENT CURING AGENT FOR EPOXY RESINCombination of P-0505 (Hardener) and L-07E (Stabilizer) used together with epoxy resin achieve a one-part system with excellent storage stability, lower curing temperature and shorter curing time.

www.shikoku.co.jp/eng/products/cureduct.html

HIGH MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, HIGH Tg, FLAME RETARDANT THERMOSETTING RESINSHIKOKU Benzoxazine can improve thermal, mechanical and flame retardant properties when compounded as an additive in other resins, such as epoxy.

www.shikoku.co.jp/eng/products/benzoxazine.html

CUREDUCT™ P-0505 / L-07E

BENZOXAZINE P-d / F-a type

THE SLOVER GROUP (Sales representative)Vernon Clements | [email protected]: 713.468.1795 Ext.103

SHIKOKU INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONYosuke Kurita | [email protected]

Tel: 714.978.0347 Ext. 102


NEWSMVC Wall System

length to accommodate transportation by container or truck,

panel dimensions can be varied. For example, MVC supplied

narrower 2.5m wide by 7.5m long panels to form the lower (inner)

surface of the parachute-shaped Carrasco International Airport

terminal (photo, p. 35). Further, the 22,000m2 of panels did

not differ in appearance, but were split between three designs,

according to wind resistance requirements. Areas inside the

terminal at the structure’s center were not exposed to wind, but

those in outer regions were, and had to resist additional loading.

Ensuring that system components can meet the structural

requirements of each project was MVC Plasticos’ greatest chal-

lenge, says Mussio. “Developing the MVC Wall System was very

difficult because there were no internationally accepted standards

to make the static calculations for the pultruded structural system

components,” he explains. “We needed proof of our construction

methods and the load-bearing capabilities.” Additionally, compos-

ites are designed with different compositions based on the types

of fibers, reinforcement patterns, resins and processes used. “So

there are many, many possibilities to produce the same structural

profile,” says Mussio. “This variation in materials produces large

variations in strength and stiffness, the structural properties. To

overcome this challenge, we had to make many prototypes, physi-

cally test them and then provide not only our structural calcula-

tions, but also all of our own test data.”

But the extensive development has become a plus. “Now we are

benefitting,” he explains, “because, for Germany, we can send all

of our test data and they can verify our calculations and structural

performance, and compare that with other systems.” This also was

key in the selection process used by Brazil’s National Program to

Restructure and Equip the Public School System (PROINFÂNCIA).

“Our constructions were verified as technically superior to projects

using conventional construction systems,” says Mussio.

MVC has made a significant investment in order to ensure its

system is readily usable by the construction industry worldwide,

including a dedicated design and development center, an exten-

sive and well-equipped material and physical testing laboratory

and a staff of civil and structural engineers. The latter have enabled

development of all the fixation and installation details, which are

explained and illustrated by the necessary drawings and reference

documents for each project.

Advantage for the underservedMVC’s combination of superior performance and speed of

delivery is a definite advantage, and not one typically enjoyed

by the students and families who benefit from these composite

construction projects. But the value is undeniable. For example,

in 2011-2012, the MVC Wall System was used to rebuild 35

schools in 12 municipalities that had been destroyed by heavy

heavy loads love light support

Trunk and cargo load floors made with BASF polyurethane chemistry offer the best of all worlds. Less added weight, superior strength and maximum stability. Plus, our unique polyurethane chemistry combined with paper honeycombs saves space, reduces sound and vibration, provides good adhesion for substrates, and resists heat and wear. Big idea – small package. Because at BASF, we create chemistry.

Learn more at www.automotive.basf.us



System nevertheless has been used

in more than 280,000m2 of built area,

including large residential developments,

such as the 436-house project in the city

of Japeri, in Rio de Janeiro, completed in

December 2013. Built as part of the My

House My Life Program for low-income

families, each of the project’s 37.8m2

houses includes two bedrooms, a living

area, kitchen, bathroom and laundry/

service area. In 2014, MVC also initiated

construction of a large 250-house project

in the city of Igrejinha.

In 2016, the company formed a strategic

partnership with Argentinian resin manu-

facturer PLAQUIMET (Buenos Aires).

According to PLAQUIMET director Eric

Engstfeld, production from a new manu-

facturing plant there is slated to begin

in 2017, with the goal of providing new

alternatives that will speed commercial/

residential development there and accel-

erate its participation in the global trend

toward energy-efficient and sustainable

construction.

As part of its forward-focused strategy,

MVC Plasticos continues to develop new

designs. The O.BOX, a clever one-room

module, can be a cost-effective retail/

service space or modules can be

combined to provide aesthetic yet afford-

able options for first-time homeowners.

The CONEKTA+ concept uses stackable

composite units to achieve more sustain-

able multi-story housing. (View these in

the online version of this article, via the

link in Learn More.)

In the middle of the 20th Century,

“Casa de plástico” was heralded by futur-

ists around the world. MVC Plasticos’

21st Century achievements in materials,

process and an economical approach

has finally realized that future, one made

possible by fiber-reinforced plastics.

CW senior editor Ginger Gardiner has an engineering/materials background and has more than 20 years in the composites industry. [email protected]

rains in the Brazilian state of Alagoas.

Two-room schools were completed in

less than 30 days and six-room schools

in less than 60 days — note that the

concrete foundations alone typically

required 15 and 30 days, respectively.

Thus, students were able to resume their

classroom education more quickly than with conventional construction, and enjoy

more comfort, quality and safety vs. temporary, trailer-type units.

Although many of its housing projects comprise 20 units or fewer, the MVC Wall

Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/MVCWall

Read more online about the advantages of composites for building insulation in “MVC Wall System: Insulatively instructive” | short.compositesworld.com/MVCInsulat

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Dr. Donald F. AdamsPresident50 years of Composite Testing Experience

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We provide quotes for a variety of grips, fixtures, and jigs. We carry over 40 types of fixtures in stock, available for immediate delivery.

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ASTM C 393, D 7249

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ADVERTISING INDEX

39

CALENDAR

CompositesWorld.com

Composites Events

See more events at: short.compositesworld.com/events

Nov. 1-3, 2016 — Orlando, FL, US NBAA (National Business Aviation Assn.)

2016 Annual Meeting and Conventionnbaa.org/events/bace/2016

Nov. 2-3, 2016 — Birmingham, UKAdvanced Engineering UKadvancedengineeringuk.com

Nov. 9-11, 2016 — Scottsdale, AZ, US Carbon Fiber 2016carbonfiberevent.com

Nov. 14-16, 2016 — Sao Paulo, Brazil Feiplar Composites + Feipur 2016feiplar.com.br

Nov. 15-17, 2016 — Suntec City, SingaporeJEC Asia 2016jeccomposites.com/events/jec-asia-2016

Nov. 16, 2016 — Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK Composites in Sportcompositesinsport.com

Nov. 28-29, 2016 — Stuttgart, Germany 2nd International Composites Congress (ICC)composites-europe.com/1st_international_composites_congress_icc_28.html?

Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2016 — Stuttgart, Germany Composites Europe 2016composites-europe.com

Dec. 6-7, 2016 — Newport Beach, CA, US Cyclitechwww.cyclitech.events

Dec. 6-8, 2016 — Phoenix, AZ, USCPVS 2016: Composite Pressure Vessel

Symposium 2016cpvsymposium.com

Dec. 7-9, 2016 — Pasadena, CA, USAdditive Manufacturing Americas 2016amshow-americas.com/welcome-additive-manufacturing-americas

Dec. 12-14, 2016 — Düsseldorf, Germany Wind Turbine Blade Manufacture 2016amiplastics-na.com/events/Event.aspx?code=C756&sec=7154

Jan. 23-24, 2017 — Paris, FranceICCM Paris – 19th International Conference on

Composite Materialswaset.org/conference/2017/01/paris/ICCM

March 6-9, 2017 — Ft. Worth, TX, USAeroDef 2017aerodefevent.com

March 13-15, 2017 — Beverly Hills, CA, US SpeedNews 31st Annual Commercial Aviation

Industry Suppliers Conferencespeednews.com/commercial-aviation-industry-suppliers-conference

March 14-16, 2017 — Paris-Nord Villepinte, FranceJEC World 2017jeccomposites.com

March 21-22, 2017 — Scottsdale, AZ, USSPE Thermoset 2017 TOPCONeiseverywhere.com//ehome/179523

March 26-30, 2017 — New Orleans, LA, US NACE Corrosion 2017nacecorrosion.org

April 4-6, 2017 — Hamburg, Germany Aircraft Interiors Expo 2017aircraftinteriorsexpo.com

April 4-6, 2017 — Detroit, MI, US SAE 2017 World Congresssae.org/events/composites-europe.com

May 22-25, 2017 — Seattle, WA, USSAMPE Seattle 2017nasampe.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=621210&group=

P.O. Box1366 Norwich Rd.

Plainfield, CT. 06374Office: 860.564.7817Cell: 860.608.4696Fax: 860.564.1535

Adhesive Prepregs for Composite Manufacturers

[email protected]

Lightning Strike Prepregs

www.geiss-ttt.com

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APPLICATIONS

› Using patented technology and a wide range of finishes, SD4 Technologies (Muskegon Heights, MI, US) is turning its lightweight Dakore laminated panels into speakers and creative solutions for acoustic and furnishing challenges in restaurants, office buildings, RVs, boats and trade show displays. SD4’s panels feature a sandwich construction of paper honeycomb core wrapped in fiberglass, then sprayed with Baypreg polyurethane supplied by Covestro LLC (Pittsburgh, PA, US). This not only provides good flexural and torsional stiffness and resistance to deflection, but also cuts weight by 50% vs. conventional laminated panels.

“We’re using a proprietary mix of the Baypreg products to get the specific performance we need,” explains SD4 president David Miller. Used in composite automotive load floors for years, Baypreg two-part polyurethane offers, in addition to low weight, good mechanical properties and an efficient, low-VOC emission, short-cycle manufacturing process.

SD4 has found a receptive market in western Michigan’s extensive office furniture industry. “Traditional materials for tabletops and architectural panels are heavy,” says Miller. This requires more manpower for installation and also increases shipping costs. Particle board, a common alterna-tive, lacks the strength-to-weight ratio needed for many applications. In one case, SD4’s customer was able to build a 4 ft by 8 ft by 2 inch (1.2m by 2.4m by 51 mm) library table, with a 75-kg weight reduction, using Dakore panels in the top instead of particle board. Miller says SD4 also has made 0.6m by 1.2m panels that look like marble and granite, “but weigh only 9 kg. We actually suspended these from the ceiling of a restaurant as a demonstration and, with our speaker technology, were able to fill a whole dining room with music.” Surface finishes also include laminates, wood veneer, concrete, dry erase/marker board and stone veneer, and a variety of edge effects.

Miller explains that SD4 now receives many inquiries from architects, thanks to the growing trend for noise cancellation and white-noise/sound-masking systems aimed at improving privacy and productivity in the workplace and enhancing customers’ experience in bars and restaurants.

CORED GLASS/PU SPEAKERS, TABLETOPS IMPRESS

SD4 Technologies’ Dakore composite panels combine aesthetic surface finishes with lightweight materials, presenting new opportunities in interior design and furniture construction. Source | SD4 Technologies


New Products

» DATA GATHERING/MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Mobile app for tooling boardsCoastal Enterprises Co. (Orange, CA, US) has intro-duced Precision Board Mobile, a mobile app designed to help composites professionals get more information on Coastal’s high-density urethane tooling materials. Available at the Apple App Store or on Google Play, the app has a number of features, including the following: • Product Overview: Overview of Precision Board, its applications, features and benefits, as well as the densities and sheet sizes available. • Technical Data: View SDS and MSDS, technical data sheets, material options and more. • Request a Sample: Instantly order a sample of Precision Board.

• Request a Quote: Provide a brief description, and Coastal will provide a quote. • Contact Us: Call, send an e-mail or get directions to the Coastal facility. • Precision Board FAQ: Frequently asked questions for tooling and signage. • Images & Videos: Tooling and sign photo galleries and videos. • Social Media: Options for staying connected with Coastal.www.precisionboard.com

» CNC MACHINING EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES

Robotics systemFives Liné Machines Inc. (Granby, QC, Canada) has launched Liné Machines Robotics to provide cost-effective and flexible robotics solutions for the

aerospace and other industries. This robotics system is designed to provide solutions around seven core processing areas: 1) milling, trimming and drilling; 2) deburring and polishing; 3) cleaning and surfacing; 4) forming; 5) inspection and scanning; 6) automa-tion, tooling and part handling; and 7) peripheral equipment for machine tools. Solutions will be explored in laser, waterjet, milling, shot peening, scanning, vision and other applications.metal-cutting-composites.fivesgroup.com

NEW PRODUCTS

CompositesWorld-halfpage.indd 1 3/7/16 10:35 AM


MARKETPLACE / ADVERTISING INDEX

MANUFACTURING SUPPLIERS

Blended Continuous Filament Thermoplastic and

Reinforcement Fibers for Composites

Contact Randy Spencer at 401-828-1100 ext 111 or

[email protected]

Available in various temperature ranges

800-762-1144 • 626-961-0211 • Fax 626-968-5140Website: http//:www.generalsealants.comE-mail: [email protected]

Used world wide by composite manufacturers

Distributed by:AIRTECH INTERNATIONAL INC.

Tel: (714) 899-8100 • Fax: (714) 899-8179Website: http//:www.airtechintl.com

Manufactured by:®

PO Box 3855, City of Industry, CA 91744

ADVERTISING INDEX

RECRUITMENT/ HELP WANTED

Diamond and Solid Carbide • Technical Advice • Rotary Drills/Routers • C’sinks/Hole Saws • Stock and Specials

Designed For Compositeswww.starliteindustries.com800.727.1022 / 610.527.1300

VacuumTables.com • 773.725.4900

• Work Holding applications• Eliminates clamps/adhesives• Reduces set-up time• Retrofits all machines• OEMs and Dealers Wanted

Vacuum Tables for Composites

COMPOSITE LAMINATES.

Thermoplastic LaminatesFrom Stock

PPS • PEEK • PA 6Plain or woven surface

.0625” & .080”[email protected]

203.265.3608 9:00am - 3:00pm

Ultrasonic C-Scan Inspection Systems for your

High Performance Materials

• Automated Ultrasonic C-Scan Systems for Simple and Complex Geometries• Multi-Axis Gantries and Immersion Tanks• System Upgrades

www.matec.comEmail: [email protected]

56 Hudson St., Northborough, MA 01532 • 508-351-3423

24305 Prielipp Road, Suite 102, Wildomar, CA 92595

FOR SALE BY OWNER20,000 Sq. Ft. Fiberglass Mfg. Plant

19 acres along with proprietary product line Location: Mid-OhioContact: Tony Gerich 419-564-1272

[email protected]

A&P Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Coverwww.braider.com

A.P.C.M. LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39www.prepregs.com

Abaris Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20www.abaris.com

Airtech International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 18www.airtechintl.com

Anderson America Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14www.andersonamerica.com

BASF Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37www.automotive.basf.us

C.R. Onsrud Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3www.cronsrud.com

Chem-Trend Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9www.chemtrend.com

Coastal Enterprises Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17www.precisionboard.com

Composites One LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30www.compositesone.com

www.forcomposites.comComposites Industry Recruiting and Placement

COMPOSITES SOURCESPhone (225) 273-4001 • Fax (225) 275-5807

P.O. Box 40086, Baton Rouge, LA 70835Email: [email protected]

BUSINESS FOR SALE

43

ADVERTISING INDEX

CompositesWorld.com

ADVERTISING INDEX Continued

DeWal Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31www.dewal.com

Diversified Machine Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40www.dmscncrouters.com

Duna USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Coverwww.dunagroup.com

Emerald Performance Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22www.cvc.emeraldmaterials.com

Fives Cincinnati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5www.fivesgroup.com

Flow International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23www.aquarese.fr

Geiss LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39www.geiss-ttt.com

General Plastics Manufacturing Co. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21www.generalplastics.com

Grieve Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16www.grievecorp.com

Hawkeye Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41www.duratec1.com

Hufschmied USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14www.hufschmied.net

Master Bond Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15www.masterbond.com

McClean Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17www.mccleananderson.com

North Coast Composites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15www.northcoast.us

Pacific Coast Composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19www.pccomposites.com

Revchem Composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29www.revchem.com

Shikoku International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36www.shikoku.co.jp

Smart Tooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18www.smarttooling.com

Superior Tool Service Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19www.superiortoolservice.com

Torr Technologies Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21www.torrtech.com

Walton Process Technologies Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16www.autoclaves.com

Web Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20www.webindustries.com

Wisconsin Oven Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Coverwww.wisoven.com

Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38www.wyomingtestfixtures.com

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICESTATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)1. Title of Publication: CompositesWorld

2. Publication No.: 2376-5232

3. Date of Filing: October 1, 2016.

4. Frequency of Issue: Monthly.

5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 12.

6. Annual Subscription Price: $89.00.

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (not printer): 6915 Valley Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029, Hamilton County.

8. Complete Mailing Address of the Headquarters of General Business Offices of the Publisher (not printer): 6915 Valley Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029, Hamilton County.

9. Names and Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: (Publisher) Ryan Delahanty, 300 Cardinal Lane, Ste. 200, Saint Charles, IL 60175 (Editor-in-Chief) Jeff Sloan, 463 South Arriba Drive, Pueblo, CO 81007 (Managing Editor) Mike Musselman, 2675 South Lincoln Street, Denver CO 80210

10. Owner (If owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each individual must be given. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, its name and address must be stated.): Gardner Business Media, Inc., 6915 Valley Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. Richard G. Kline, 796 Huntersknoll Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45230; Rosemary L. Kline, 7740 Oyster Bay Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45244; Steven R. Kline, 49 Glasgow Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374.11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None.

12. Does Not Apply.

13. Publication Name: CompositesWorld

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2016.

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Average No. Copies Actual No. Copies of Each Issue During Single Issue Published Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Datea. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run) .........................................................30,378 ......................................31,731b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions (Include Advertisers’ Proof Copies/Exchange Copies) ..........................26,319 ......................................26,857 (2) In-County Paid or Requested Mail Subscriptions (Include Advertisers’ Proof Copies/Exchange Copies) ............................... N/A ...........................................N/A (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors and Counter Sales (Not Mailed) ......................................... N/A ...........................................N/A (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS ..................................................................................... N/A ...........................................N/Ac. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b(1), (2), (3) and (4)) ........................................................26,319 ......................................26,857d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free Copies) ..................................1,449 ........................................1,405 (2) In-County Nonrequested Copies (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free Copies) ..................................... N/A ...........................................N/A (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed through the USPS ........................... N/A ...........................................N/A (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail ...........................1,910 ....................................... 2,769e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4))........3,359 ....................................... 4,174f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) ...............................................29,678 ......................................31,031g. Copies Not Distributed .............................................................................700 ...........................................700h. Total (Sum of 15f, 15g) ........................................................................30,378 ......................................31,731 i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c/15f × 100) ..................88.7% ...................................... 86.5%

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

Richard G. Kline, President


FOCUS ON DESIGN

Composites enable portability in driving simulator FRP design enables portable, light-tight, enclosure with an image-projection-grade inner surface.

» Devices that simulate the reality of operating complex machines

have become important and increasingly sophisticated tools in

applications as diverse as pilot flight training, driver response/

reaction research and virtual reality games. Composite materials

play an important role in this growing niche market, enabling

lightweight, dome-shaped enclosures with support structures

that accommodate arrays of projection equipment and motion

controllers.

Pagnotta Engineering Inc. (PEI, Exton, PA, US) has a long history

and a reputation for excellence in flight simulator design and

construction. Recently the company and partner JRL Ventures

LLC (dba Design Concepts, Cape Coral, FL, US) collaborated on

a driving simulator dome (Fig. 1, below) — a first for both — for the

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network’s (TRI-

UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada) Challenging Environment Assessment

Lab (CEAL). Inside the dome, dubbed DriverLab, the driving skills

of older people and those with illnesses will be assessed under

many conditions, as a means to evaluate the impact of TRI-UHN-

developed patient treatments.

Designing within many constraints“Images projected onto screens surround the driver, who will

actually be ‘driving’ a specially modified Audi A3, which sits on a

turntable inside the composite dome, which in turn is mounted on a

motion-control platform,” explains PEI engineering manager,

Alex DiEdwardo.

To stay within the overall payload capacity of the motion system

(car included), the weight budget for the PEI-designed and JRL-

fabricated deliverables was limited to 3,000 kg. That covered a 5.8m

diameter, 4m tall, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) projection dome,

HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) ducts and a steel

floor frame, with overhead lifting fixtures and mounts for power and

motion control. “This limited

the weight of the FRP dome and

HVAC ducts to just under 1,000

kg,” says DiEdwardo. In addition,

the structure had to be stiff

enough to resist buckling and

maintain a fundamental natural

frequency above 15 Hz, to prevent

excitation caused by the energy

input of the motion platform.

By Sara Black / Technical Editor & Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor

Fig. 1 Composites for virtual reality-based testing

The DriverLab simulator dome, designed and fabricated for the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network’s (TRI-UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada) Challenging Environment Assessment Lab (CEAL), is made up of infused, cored fiberglass panels joined with metal fasteners. The dome contains an actual car on a turntable inside, and sits on a motion platform. Source (all photos) | PEI


Illustration / Karl Reque

Driving Simulator Dome

PEI/Design Concepts DriverLab Driving Simulator Dome

› Turned flanges between the dome’s adjacent panels act as effective load paths, increasing dome stiffness and ensuring post-move stability and light-tightness.

› Fabrication via vacuum infusion and use of foam tooling kept resin volume down and dome weight within budget.

› Hospital fire safety requirements were met through the use of commercially available, fire-resistant foam core, infusion resin and finishing products.

In terms of laminate strength, PEI determined that typical

designs for aircraft flight simulators, which must withstand 2.5G

quasi-static accelerations in any direction, combined with 1G

gravity, would be sufficient, explains DiEdwardo. “These values are

much higher than the typical operational loads, and are specified

to protect occupants from a software-driven motion system failure

or a hydraulic strut failure.”

A big challenge was the fact that DriverLab would be routinely

exchanged for four other lab modules that would share a common

6m by 6m, six-degrees-of-freedom hydraulic motion platform, so

the simulator structure had to be capable of being unbolted from

the platform, lifted and moved (Fig. 2, p. 46), with no risk of over-

turning. Thus, the design had to account for stresses in the entire

structure, including the metallic floor frame, taking into account

the dome’s access door, for lifting load cases as well as overturning

stability, says DiEdwardo.

“From our past experience working on a swappable payload

flight simulator at NASA Langley,” he says, “we knew that lifting

stresses can really influence the design of the dome components,

due especially to the flexure of the floor frame during lifting.”

Those stresses meant that the dome’s access door would require

extra attention, to maintain a light-tight seal after moves.

The dome’s interior wall (the tool-side surface) would function

as the image projection surface. Strict requirements for that

surface and the projection system’s optics were provided by Inter-

national Development of Technology (Breda, The Netherlands),

4m

5.8m

HVAC duct

Aluminum bracket (reinforces flange at floor frame)

Alignment cones (ensure accurate mating to motion platform)

Steel floor frame (three sections, bolted together)

Aluminum door frame (ensures light-tight composite door alignment/position)

Mechanically fastened,

out-turned flange (acts as stiffening

structure, creating load

paths for inertial loads)

HVAC duct

Lifting point

Lifting point for transport

Alignment cones

Infused, cored

fiberglass panels


FOCUS ON DESIGN

the simulation engineering firm contracted

by TRI-UHN to develop the DriverLab’s tech-

nical specifications. Those requirements drove

PEI to design the dome in a toroidal shape,

with an upper cap (see drawing, p. 45) to allow

sufficient surface area for the multiple projec-

tion scenarios. Laminate finish requirements were strict in terms

of smoothness to ensure quality of the projected graphics on the

composite surface (Fig. 3, p. 47, above right), so manufacturability

and tool quality needed careful consideration during the design

phase. Lastly, driving simulations would include water sprayed

onto the car inside the dome to simulate rain, so the floor element

had to be designed to capture and drain the water.

Keeping weight and costs lowThe dome structure’s FE model was created using Femap software

for pre- and post-processing, together with NX Nastran (both

supplied by Siemens PLM Software, Plano, TX, US). The modeling

software enabled static, quasi-static and modal (natural frequency)

analyses, and determination of maximum dynamic loads and

stresses due to the motion platform and lifting scenarios, so that

design factors of safety could be applied. The software’s buckling

eigenvalue solution

module and classical

engineering equations

helped PEI ensure

buckling factors of

safety were met, says DiEdwardo, and ultimately resulted in the

dome’s laminate architecture, which would consist of cored fiber-

glass sandwich segments bolted together with metallic fasteners.

“Our solution to get the strength and stiffness that we needed

was to construct the segments with [out-]turned flanges bolted

together, to act as stiffening structure and provide a smooth inner

surface,” explains DiEdwardo. “The thick, uncored flanges are

very effective in providing an efficient load path for inertial loads

from the projectors, and from the motion-control platform, and

allowed us to keep the cored field regions of the dome and cap

very light in weight, while keeping construction simple.” He adds

that flanges were reinforced with aluminum brackets where they

connected to the floor frame and to the projector mount in the

dome cap.

Trade studies were conducted to optimize the FRP laminate

thickness and number of skin plies, ply orientations, and core

density and thickness for the segments. The trade studies also

helped optimize the metal floor frame-member sections for

strength and stiffness, as well as ease of shipping and installation.

The final design of the frame comprised three sections that bolt

together.

Fig. 2 Emphasis on frequent portability

The dome is “swappable” with other simulator payloads, so it must not only be lightweight but also able to withstand lifting stresses when moved, via CEAL’s overhead lift (pictured here) onto or off of the common hydraulic motion platform.

Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/DrvierLab


Although the fiber architecture details are proprietary, ±45°

biaxial noncrimp glass fabrics from Vectorply (Phenix City, AL,

US) were selected for the skins, because they would best handle

the shear loads over the dome’s cored field regions, a conclu-

sion confirmed by the FE model. “Because this simulator would

operate in the basement of a hospital building, it had to meet

building fire codes,” DiEdwardo adds, particularly to avoid fire

spread to upper floors. Therefore, Airex foam core material,

13-19 mm thick and supplied by 3A Composites Core Materials

(Colfax, NC, US), was chosen for its fire-retardant properties. AOC’s (Collierville, TN, US) Firepel polyester infusion resin, also

was selected, in part, for its fire-resistance properties.

DiEdwardo reports that early manufacturing discussions with

Design Concepts focused on keeping costs down through open

mold/hand layup. But as the design matured, it became apparent

that the weight budget would be tough to meet by that route.

Design Concepts suggested that vacuum-infusing the parts, which

typically costs more than hand layup, would better control resin

volume and, therefore, part weight.

To keep infusion costs as low as possible, Design Concepts

CNC-machined the molds for each segment from expanded

polystyrene (EPS) foam. The shaped EPS was sheathed with fiber-

glass and resin, then overlaid with syntactic, which was machined

to the final dimensions of the dome’s inside surface. Given the

small part count, the low-cost foam molds saved time and cost but

posed the potential for lack of vacuum integrity during infusion.

That problem was solved with Diamondback tooling gel coat from

Polycryl (Oakland, TN, US). For the production parts, Hawkeye

Industries’ (Bloomington, CA, US) Duratech vinyl ester in-mold

primer was applied over the prepped mold surfaces prior to dry

layup, to enable cured parts to be painted with fire-resistant paint.

Before final parts were fabricated, PEI and Design Concepts

infused test panels using the selected materials and performed

coupon-level B-basis tension, compression and shear strength

tests in accordance with ASTM International (W. Conshohocken,

PA, US) methods. Says DiEdwardo, “Stresses determined using

the FE model were compared to the test allowables to ensure we

would get the performance we needed from the structure.”

One of the project’s biggest challenges was the door and door

frame design, says DiEdwardo. “It’s tough when designing simula-

tors to replace the lost stiffness when you have to cut an aperture

in the structure,” he explains. The door frame was designed around

existing hard points on the motion platform, and includes an

additional aluminum frame, mechanically attached to the dome

segment via post-bonded flat FRP panels (see drawing, p. 61).

The composite door itself was hand-fitted to the frame by Design

Concepts’ technicians, to ensure the seal was light-tight for best

projection performance, and the frame serves as a stiffening

element to help keep the door alignment consistent.

A unique product“The FRP weight ended up being 1,000 kg, including ventilation

ducting,” DiEdwardo reports, ”so we met the weight requirements

without issue and also used cost-effective materials to meet the

cost budget.” The dome also successfully completed factory accep-

tance testing by IDT and TRI-UHN prior to installation. And the

fully outfitted DriverLab was finally lowered through floor grates in

front of the TRI-UHN hospital into CEAL’s underground research

facility in August of this year.

PEI is hopeful that the success of DriverLab will open up new

opportunities for more driving simulators.

Driving Simulator Dome

Fig. 3 Focus on interior surface optics

Strict optical requirements outlined by simulation engineering firm International Development of Technology BV (Breda, The Netherlands) governed the design of the dome’s interior (tool-side) surface, which functions as the image projection surface. The projectors are visible, here, mounted to the inside of the dome’s cap.

Sara Black is CW’s technical editor and has served on the CW staff for 19 [email protected]

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

CW senior editor Ginger Gardiner has an engineering/materials background and has more than 20 years in the composites industry. [email protected]

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