CompositesWorld
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101 CompositesWorld.com NEWS N E W S N S N E W S E N W S W Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/FokkerTour Read more about TAPAS I and TAPAS II online "TAPAS 2: Next steps in thermoplastic aerostructures" | short.compositesworld.com/TAPAS2 Read more about the Gulfstream G650 tail online "Thermoplastic composites: Primary structure?" | short.compositesworld.com/CkJo3L82 Read about Fokker's work developing carbon fiber/PEKK floor beams online "Reinforced thermoplastics in aircraft primary structure" | short.compositesworld.com/RRQuasRl Read about Fokker's development of a thermoplastic tailplane for the AgustaWestland AW169 online "Thermoplastic composites save weight in rotorcraft aerostructure" | short.compositesworld.com/TPCtail Jef Sloan is editor-in-chief of Composites- World, and has been engaged in plastics- and composites-industry journalism for 20 years. jef@compositesworld.com Fokker Aerostructures jigs, day shift labor is used to load composite parts into the jig, and then a robot works overnight to induction weld the resulting assembly, a process that takes about six hours. A new chapter Ofringa sums up his company's wholehearted focus on thermoplastics, and the philosophy Fokker refers to as "aircrafting": "When we began our work with thermoplastics, the supposed advantages had yet to prove themselves. After a certain time they become clear, and then new, unpredictable advan- tages revealed themselves, such as the benefts of post-buckling design, fewer production steps and greater design freedom, compared to thermo- sets." Te material and design innovations represent aircrafting, which refects the Fokker commitment to and appreciation for all the details that go into designing, assembling and then maintaining a modern aircraft. Now, yet another chapter in the compa- ny's century of experience is beginning. Fokker Technologies announced on July 28 that it will be acquired by GKN plc (Isle of Wight, UK). Hans Büthker, Fokker Technologies' CEO, has said that Fokker can beneft greatly from the scale, innova- tion and fnancial power of GKN, and the combined entity will lead to new oppor- tunities for Fokker employees who will be participating in some of the world's largest and most challenging aerospace projects. "A strong focus on a limited number of unique technologies," Ofringa says, in conclusion, "has proven a successful way to create new business opportunities." ABOUT THE AUTHORS Sara Black is CompositesWorld's technical editor and has served on the CW editorial staf for 17 years. sara@compositesworld.com We create chemistry that makes comfortable interiors love light weighting 150 years Improve airline eff ciency and passenger comfort with BASF's Aerospace Materials. Our portfolio of products and technologies provides unique solutions across a wide range of applications — such as composites for seating structures, interior paneling, overhead bins, service carts, and more. At BASF, we create chemistry. www.aerospace.basf.com While at CAMX visit BASF at booth J47