CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/882089
TRENDS OCTOBER 2017 22 CompositesWorld A NEW GENERATION OF CNC MACHINES TURN TECHNOLOGIES INTO SOLUTIONS W I T H M E C A N U M E R I C Through its extensive range of CNC machine centers specialized in milling, cutting and engraving, MECANUMERIC provides the appropriate and best technical solution for each application. Included yours, of course. S H A P E Y O U R S U C E S S MECANUMERIC.COM 3 AXIS MILLING MACHINE 5 AXIS MILLING CENTER WATERJET CUTTING MACHINE Tired of waiting for the benefits of carbon fiber to reach the trucking industry, Wingman Industries (Callaway, VA, US) founder AJ Cesternino developed his own approach to improving the steel beams that support truck trailer chassis. His patented Superbeam uses a double-web I-beam — formed by welding two steel I-beams together — with a carbon fiber- reinforced plastic (CFRP) element inserted between the webs. An injected epoxy compound (0.125- to 0.25-inch/3.2- to 6.4-mm thick) bonds the CFRP insert to the steel, protecting the CFRP from damage and absorbing any differences between the two materials due to temperature and load. Bonding also avoids drilling bolt holes through fibers, risking delamination during assembly. Testing completed in 2016 at Applied Technical Services Inc. (Chesapeake, VA, US) compared a double-web steel I-beam and a Superbeam reinforced with a pultruded CFRP beam from Strongwell (Bristol, VA, US). The simply supported beams were loaded mid-span using a 2.5-inch/63.5-mm aluminum roller at a rate of 0.125-inch/3.2-mm per minute. The CFRP-strengthened steel Superbeam showed a 76% increase in load capacity over the unreinforced steel I-beam — 11,506 lb/5219 kg vs. 6,536 lb/2,965 kg. The benefits aren't difficult to iden- tify. "Instead of a standard 36-inch/915-mm steel beam, you could use a 16- or 18-inch (406- or 460-mm) Superbeam to handle the same loads," Cesternino contends. "That smaller beam requires less steel, is lighter weight, easier to transport and easier to install." He notes that Superbeam could be welded or bolted onto current bridge girders as reinforce- ments without interrupting traffic, and notes that the concept has been extended to rods, truss structures and railroad ties. "I believe this could transform not only our current crisis in corroded infrastructure, but also provide revolutionary improvements in transpor- tation and a wide variety of construction projects," says Cesternino. He notes that previous all-composite beams have been rejected by state Dept. of Transportation (DOT) engineers because of the issues with fastening, microcracks and delamination. Superbeam, however, has been well received by the Virginia state DOT, with discussions in progress on possible demonstration projects. Cesternino's steel beam manufacturing partner Valta Crane Systems (Brantford, ON, Canada), a manufacturer of overhead cranes, would like to see Superbeam commercialized because it offers crane beams that require less steel, are lighter and, thus, require less support. But most importantly, beam height could be reduced by 50%. Now focused on working with industry partners to industrialize Superbeam production, Cesternino looks forward to ideas from composite materials suppliers and fabricators about how to produce CFRP reinforc- ing beams most cost-effectively. CFRP-reinforced Superbeams best steel beams Source | Wingman Industries