CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/620463
JANUARY 2016 30 CompositesWorld Turnkey Manufacturing Systems: Materials, Markets & Maturation Integrated workcells promise afordability and less risk for scaling up composites production, but do they represent the best way forward? ยป In 2012-2013, "turnkey" integrated manufacturing systems for composite parts were a noticeable trend. Targeting every- thing from wind blades to aircraft structures to automotive parts, suppliers of production equipment were banding together to ofer entire systems to customers. Instead of ofering individual machines, these partnerships/coalitions were promising the customer a capability, selling all of the production pieces required as well as the assurance that the desired parts could be made successfully upon installation. So how is this going? Has the trend continued, and are systems up and running? In fact, integrated manufacturing systems have been felded and several examples are highlighted in the sidebars on pp. 31, 32, 33 and 34. But there is also a wide-ranging debate on this topic, for which the sidebar examples provide additional insight and back- ground in terms of how and why diferent systems have developed. Turnkey or not turnkey? "In my opinion, the industry is moving toward turnkey systems," says Diefenbacher's (Eppingen, Germany) technology and business development director Matthias Graf. In his experience, "the molder trying diferent equipment, for example, a diferent supplier for the press vs. the dosing system vs. the heating and preforming units, then automation is a ffth company to manage? Tis molder has had to struggle to make it all work together, espe- cially to orchestrate and control the whole line." But Peter Egger, director of Engel Austria's (Schwertberg) Center for Lightweight Composite Technologies, acknowledges the need for management: "If there is one supplier who ensures that all of the assorted units 'talk' to each other, then okay. Some of our customers have done this, but it has taken much time and efort." Egger notes that developing optimized control for these integrated By Ginger Gardiner / Senior Editor