CompositesWorld
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JUNE 2015 8 CompositesWorld PERSPECTIVES & PROVOCATIONS » My frst "Perspectives and Provocations" column appeared two years ago, in the June 2013 issue of CW predecessor Compos- ites Technology. Twenty-four episodes later, it is useful to look back on several of those columns and ofer some updates, based on my personal experience. Tat initial column looked at the large commitment BMW (Munich, Germany) and SGL (Wiesbaden, Germany) are still making to put carbon fber into automotive primary struc- ture, via the i3 and i8 platforms, and it questioned whether any other OEM would follow suit. Two years later, none have done so, although several have announced closer ties to fber suppliers as they continue to evaluate the poten- tial. Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting BMW engineers and managers in Munich, and had substantial discussions about the path they have traveled, lessons learned and the road forward. In March this year, I noted here that I believed they eventually would like to see carbon fber used on their mainstream 3- and 5-Series platforms — a fact they did confrm — but it is going to take signifcant steps beyond today's costs and cycle time to get there. I also was able to see, up close and personal, the preforming and molding processes used on the i3 and i8 structures. One can grasp immediately areas for improvement, but at the same time, one cannot help but be impressed by what is already being done. Simply put, BMW is well ahead of the rest of the industry in understanding what can be done with carbon fber, and the new 7-Series platform, a true multi-material vehicle of steel, aluminum and carbon fber (including recycled fber), is evidence of what they've learned (see p. 16 in "CW Trends"). Most of all, I came away impressed with BMW's openness and willingness to share these experiences with others, because it knows that getting to true cost reduction requires more OEMs and suppliers to get on board and grow the market. In January of this year, I attributed slowing growth of carbon fber sales into sporting goods to lack of innovation, combined with the industry's becoming a victim of its own success. I did mention I was in the market for a new tennis racquet, and after trialing several, I did buy the latest Wilson ProStaf model, which features braided carbon and aramid fbers in the throat area to improve torsional stifness. Shortly after, I was contacted by Oxeon AB, which ofered to let me try one of the new line of Prince racquets, which use Oxeon's TeXtreme Spread Tow thin fabric in the handle and throat areas, also to reduce twisting upon ball strike. I selected a model that matched very closely my Wilson racquet specifcations in terms of overall weight, balance and head size, and have been testing it. While I'm far from having professional talent, the Prince racquet has a diferent "feel," even though it's very close to the Wilson racquet in specifcations. I'm impressed with the control it ofers on volleys and overheads, and I am now playing with it as much as I play with my Wilson. Te Prince also has a very "cool" look to it, and the pattern of the TeXtreme fabric is, deliberately, visible. Both racquets are improvements upon my previous equipment … so maybe there is a bit more engineering and innovation in this market than I initially postulated. My column in High Performance Composites from March 2014 was very bullish on the prospect of a US Department of Energy (DoE)-sponsored composites manufacturing institute, noting that such investments in the non-defense side of advanced composites was greatly needed to boost innovation for vehicle and wind energy applications, among others. Following a lengthy proposal process over the course of 2014, President Obama announced that the DoE had selected a team for the new insti- tute, led by the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN, US). Staked with an initial investment of US$70 million from the DoE and more than that in matching state and industry cost-share, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Inno- vation (IACMI) seeks to greatly reduce the costs of advanced carbon fber and fberglass parts and improve the predictive reliability of simulation and design tools to make such parts compelling options for lightweighting and more efcient energy applications. IACMI operations should ofcially commence soon (see the IACMI update on p. 20, in "CW Trends"). And I have ofcially joined the Institute as its chief commercialization ofcer. I am looking forward to helping industry work with the IACMI to make this dream a reality. And, of course, to stimulate subject matter for future columns. Revisiting some past perspectives "I have ofcially joined the Institute as its chief commercialization ofcer." Dale Brosius is the head of his own consulting company, which serves clients in the composites industry worldwide. Services include strategic planning, market analysis, assistance in mergers and acquisitions activities and technical support. His career has included positions at US-based frms, Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, MI), Fiberite (Tempe, AZ) and successor Cytec Industries Inc. (Woodland Park, NJ), and Bankstown Airport, NSW, Australia-based Quickstep Holdings. For three years he also served as the general chair of the Society of Plastics Engineers' annual Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition. Brosius has a BS in chemical engineering from Texas A&M; University and an MBA.