High-Performance Composites is read by qualified composites industry professionals in the fields of continuous carbon fiber and other high-performance composites as well as the associated end-markets of aerospace, military, and automotive.
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NEW PRODUCTS M A Y 2 0 1 4 | 7 1 Carbon fiber, prepreg, epoxy resin Hexcel (Stamford, Conn.) introduced several new products in Paris. Topping the list is high-modulus HexTow HM63 carbon fber. With what Hexcel says is the "highest tensile strength of any HM fber," HM63 reportedly provides good translation of fber properties in a composite, including very good inter- laminar shear and compression shear strength. Targeted to high-stiffness and strength-critical applications (satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, commercial airplanes and helicopters) it also meets the special requirements for premium sports and recreation applications, including Formula 1, marine craft, bikes and fshing rods. New HexPly M92, a "multipurpose" 125°C/257°F-cure epoxy prepreg, of- fers hot/wet T g performance of 115°C/239°F, enabling it to operate at higher service temperatures from a lower-cost 125°C/257°F cure. The system is self- adhesive to honeycomb and fre resistant, exhibits low exotherm, has a long out/tack life and is compatible with vacuum-bag cure. HexPly M77 is a rapid-curing epoxy prepreg that allows automotive com- ponents and sporting goods to be press-cured in a two-minute cycle at 150°C/302°F (80 bar pressure). It features low tack, which allows the prepreg to be cut by laser cutter. Once in the mold, HexPly M77's "optimized" gel time allows the resin to fow into contours to produce the geometries required. T g of 125°C/257°F enables cured parts to be demolded while hot to speed cycles. www.hexcel.com Carbon fiber sandwich construction cure via microwave Vötsch Industrietechnik GmbH (Reiskirchen-Lindenstruth, Germany) an- nounced that its HEPHAISTOS VHM microwave-based curing systems are now being used in a serial-production environment to cure carbon fber composite sandwich parts for aerospace applications. Microwaves selectively penetrate the material and heat the product, but the oven chamber remains cool during this process. This facilitates shorter temperature ramp up and cooling in the part, thus reducing production costs and cure cycle time. A fairing hinge on display in the Vötsch stand was manufactured with microwave technology. It reportedly is the frst nonmonolithic aerocomposite cured by microwaves. Vötsch says mate- rial characterization showed equivalent or better values compared to conven- tional heating processes. Vötsch adds that its ovens maintain ±2°K accuracy at rated temperature and can be listed in class 1, according to AMS 2750 E. Ovens are rated as high as 450°C/842°F — suffcient for processing thermoplastics such as polyehteretherketone (PEEK). www.voetsch-ovens.com NEW PRODUCTS Introduced at JEC Europe 2014 LSP surfacing film Henkel (Toulouse, France and Bay Point, Calif.) displayed its LOCTITE EA 9845 EC lightweight surfacing flm with incorporated expanded copper foil lightning strike protection (LSP), which reportedly offers a 30 percent weight reduction compared to other LSP prod- ucts. The epoxy-based system cures at 120°C to 176°C (248°F to 349°F) and reportedly reduces surface imperfections and prepaint surface preparation while boosting UV and chemical resistance. On-stand at JEC, Henkel displayed a Learjet 85 tailcone section manufactured by Bombardier in Querétaro, Mex- ico, which has qualifed the new lightweight LSP for use across the aircraft's fuselage. www.henkel.com Integrated, real-time health monitoring Fraunhofer IPT (Aachen, Germany) reported that it has developed a quasi- continuous fber-based measurement system that assesses the temperature and rate of expansion in composite structures. The system comprises fber probes up to 70m/230 ft long. In up to 7 million checkpoints, the probes record temperature variations of 0.1°C/0.18°F and expansions of 1 micrometer per meter. Fraunhofer says the small caliber of the fber, combined with its fex- ibility, means it can be built relatively easily into components and semifnished products. www.ipt.fraunhofer.de Composites cost-estimating software Galorath (El Segundo, Calif.) announced that its SEER for Manufacturing cost- estimating software is now available as an integrated module of Dassault Sys- tèmes' (Waltham, Mass.) CATIA V5 design software. The integration will allow manufacturers to use SEER's Ply Cost Estimator in CATIA and let fabricators model and test composites manufacturing processes and evaluate tradeoffs during the earliest stages of product design. SEER features composite part cost estimates for labor (setup, direct, inspection, rework), material and tool- ing. Estimates are updated and refreshed as the design evolves, and the user can save multiple scenarios for each part to compare and trade options — a feature that enables the designer to understand the cost of design decisions. Part cost estimates include ply placement, debulking, core prep and machining, panel layup, hot press forming, curing (autoclave, RTM or VARTM), postcure trim, nondestructive inspection, tool prep, cleaning and tool design and fabrica- tion. Galorath offcials said the built-in material and labor cost data are generic, but can be customized to the facility by the user. Other variables (e.g., the experience of the labor force and overall plant effciency) also can be changed. Galorath is working on integrating the same software into CATIA V6, as well as Dassault's DELMIA software. www.galorath.com; www.3ds.com 0514HPC NewProducts-OK.indd 71 4/22/2014 3:35:34 PM