CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/517026
CompositesWorld.com 35 NEWS N E W S N S N E W S E N W S W European Thermopastic Composites Update Harald Heerink. But he points out, "In the past, there have been some huge expectations concerning thermoplastic composites, which were never fully met. One of the root causes for this was a general lack of in-depth knowledge of these materials." CW had the chance to visit TPRC and several nearby TPRC members' facilities, and learned that the Centre, its partner frms and key thermoplastics-focused groups in other parts of Europe (see "European consortia, galore!" on p. 41) aim to change that paradigm. Consortium members are conducting an array of research projects intended, ultimately, to improve the entire thermoplastics value chain, including processing methods, for composite parts. A knowledge institute Why is Europe such a hotbed for thermoplastics development? One very strong motivation is that European countries have adopted stringent vehicle end-of-life goals (see "Learn More"), and, therefore, favor thermoplastics for their recyclability. Another, says Arnt Ofringa, director of R&D; at Fokker Aerostructures (Hoogeveen, Te Netherlands), is that his company and others in Europe, including TenCate Advanced Composites BV (Nijverdal, Te Netherlands) and DSM (Heerlen, Te Netherlands), invested in thermoplastics technology consistently for 25 years and now are reaping the benefts. "Tis investment was kept up," Ofringa points out, "even during the major aerospace downturn of the mid-1990s." Dutch thermoplastic R&D; programs attracted the attention of Boeing in 2007, says Heerink, which led to initial collaboration related to thermoplastic structure among Boeing, TenCate, Fokker Aero- structures and the University of Twente. In 2008, the group undertook two joint research projects on materials, joining and bonding, with assistance on best practices from Te University of Shefeld's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC, Shefeld, UK). "Te efort found numerous themes that required a decent amount of fundamental research," says Heerink. Tat led to an agreement to form the TPRC in 2009, which, in essence, created a new member of Boeing's GlobalNet network of research centers, which exists to provide innovation and development of materials and technologies for the aircraft manufacturer. Tree years later, TPRC's facility became oper- ational, adjacent to the University of Twente's campus, says Remko Akkerman, a professor at the University of Twente and the TPRC's technical director: "We were able to create a base, with the right equipment, to conduct research. It's a 'knowledge institute,' based on Boeing's consortium model, where members all along the value chain help shape our roadmap for research activities." Membership in the consortium can be "full" Tier 1, or Tier 2, which involves a lesser monetary commitment. Tier 1 members are Boeing, Fokker Aerostructures, TenCate, Alcoa Fastening Systems and Rings (Torrance, CA, US), the University of Twente and Saxion University of Applied Sciences, with multiple campuses in Te Netherlands, including Enschede. Currently, Tier 2 members are Coriolis Composites (Queven, France), Daher- Socata (Nantes, France), Pinette Emidecau (Chalon Sur Saone, France), Instron (Norwood, MA, US), KVE Composites Group (Te Hague, Te Netherlands), Aniform (Enschede, Te Netherlands), Dutch Termoplastic Components BV (DTC, Almere, Te Neth- erlands), and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). In addition, Heerink explains, there are a dozen "bi-lateral" project members that conduct projects to become familiar with thermo- plastic materials for a fee but are not consortium members. Most of the current bi-lateral participants are auto industry OEMs and their Tier suppliers. TPRC's building houses layup tables, a lab-scale auto- clave manufactured by Italmatic (Cassina de' Pecchi, Italy), an Reinforced thermoplastics: Big Euro-business Currently, thermoplastic materials play a larger role in composites manufacturing in Europe than elsewhere in the world. A Dutch cluster of thermoplastics expertise has pushed the materials into many aerospace applications. TenCate, with one of its ther- moplastic prepreg machines shown here, is a key supplier. Source | TenCate/© TenCate Focused, but far-reaching An interior view of the Thermoplastic Composites Research Center (TPRC) facility in Enschede, The Netherlands, adjacent to the University of Twente campus. Although it is compact, the center houses equipment and workcells that enable an array of material research projects backed by The Boeing Co. and other key OEMs and suppliers. Source | CW / Photo | Jef Sloan