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M A Y 2 0 1 4 | 7 3 Woven beam preforms 3-D weaving pioneer Biteam (Bromma, Sweden) displayed the frst produced sample, an I-beam demonstrator, made using a new weaving technology ca- pable of directly manufacturing beam-like 3-D profles in which fber orienta- tions in the web and fange are, respectively, +θ°/-θ° and 0°/90°. Developed for the aerospace, aeronautical, motor sports, automobile, engineering and building/construction markets, the beam's web and fange fbers intersect in the z-direction (through the thickness), making the preform delamination- resistant and, thus, more capable of bearing shear and tensile loads as well as imparting structural stability during premold handling and impregnation steps. The technology's inventor, Dr. Nandan Khokar contended, "This devel- opment has been particularly directed at weaving fully integrated objects, for example the wing of an aircraft, complete with skin and stiffeners/ribs, in one step to quicken manufacture of reliable and consistent composite materials." www.biteam.com New-generation, recyclable PET foam core 3A Composites (Sins, Switzerland) unveiled what it characterized as a "com- pletely new technology platform" for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam core materials, under the tradename AIREX GEN2. The company's second- generation PET foam reportedly features a very homogeneous cell structure, yet has enhanced mechanical properties compared to its predecessor, AIREX T92. While it remains a recycled and recyclable material, its formability and processability have been improved. Thanks to a lean and highly automated production process, GEN2 will offer customers a considerable total-cost sav- ings in the end application. Philipp Angst, director of product management, says, "GEN2 marks an important milestone in the further industrialization of structural foam core materials and will leverage the use of PET foam cores in yet more applications." www.3acomposites.com Automotive production products Cytec Industries Inc. (Woodland Park, N.J.) launched new products and ac- companying technologies for serial automotive production. XMTR50 a new, two-part epoxy resin system, was developed specifcally for the high-rate manufacture of components using a high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP- RTM) process, claiming a cycle time of three minutes at 120°C/250°F for a T g of 135°C/275°F. MTM 23, the industry's frst application of a volatile-organic compound (VOC)-free thermoset vinyl hybrid resin, woven glass-reinforced prepreg, reportedly enables the manufacture of parts by press molding in fve minutes or less. Cytec also introduced trademarked FM 3500 EZP peel ply, a resin-rich, fber-free composite bonding product that reportedly eliminates the need for additional prebond surface preparation. Formulated specifcally for one-piece removal, it exhibits handling properties that support manufacturing effciency. The peel ply's long shop life, durability during extended cure cycles and compatibility with most 177°C/350°F-cure prepregs allow for manufactur- ing fexibility. www.cytec.com M a t e r i a l T e s t i n g T e c h n o l o g y 1676 S. Wolf Road—Wheeling, IL 60090 PH: (847) 215-7448 Fax: (847) 215-7449 Website: www.mttusa.net ASTM D5961 Open Hole ASTM C297 2" Square Flatwise Tension C O M P O S I T E T E S T F I X T U R E S Call us today for a complete line of composite testing fixtures: -ASTM D695 -ASTM D2344 -ASTM D3410 -ASTM D5379 -ASTM D5961 -Boeing CAI -Boeing OHC -Boeing D695 -Boeing Flex -Boeing Peel -Sacma CAI -Sacma OHC -Sacma D695 -Sacma Flex -Sacma Peel Torque and Fastener Testers ASTM D6641 Combined Loading 0514HPC NewProducts-OK.indd 73 4/22/2014 3:36:49 PM