CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/919214
TRENDS JANUARY 2018 16 CompositesWorld Airborne International's (The Hague, The Netherlands) Marcus Kremers, the company's chief technology officer, talked recently with CW about its growing smart auto- mation initiatives for its customers. A composite parts producer with about 120 employees, Airborne is focused primarily on space, aeronautics, automotive and maritime industries. The latter — where the emphasis is on tidal turbine blades, ship propellers and other subsea compos- ites — comes under the purview of Airborne Maritime (AEL, based in the UK). A separate company, Airborne Oil and Gas (operating in IJmuiden, The Netherlands; Houston, TX, US; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), manufactures thermoplastic composite spoolable pipes for the petro- leum industry. Parent company Airborne International is transforming itself into an automated solutions provider, thanks to more than 20 years of experience with advanced composite manufacturing. For the past several years, says Kremers, Airborne has been developing faster, smarter and automated strategies: "We're in the business of providing our customers high-end composite solutions, whether that means manufacturing the parts in our facility, or developing industrialization packages so that they can produce the parts themselves. AEROSPACE Automated manufacturing solutions growing Customers come to us with an idea," he explains. "We help them realize that idea using our knowledge of composites and machine technology. Airborne's focus is on high-end composite components, at high production rates, at radi- cally low conversion costs." Its three-phase approach is called "Prove and Move." In Phase 1, clients partner with Airborne to develop an EnableX™, from Norplex-Micarta, allows conƟnuous fiber pre-preg to be co-cured in a single step, mulƟ-material, molding system to produce near net shapes. Building upon the predictability of conƟnuous fiber reinforced pre-preg, EnableX™ materials are: • Specifically designed for compression molding • Tested to ensure compaƟbility • Supported by our team of applicaƟon engineers, backed with our in-house laboratory and material development capabiliƟes norplex-micarta.com 563-864-7328 A N N I V E R S A R Y 0 2 HPC Charter Advertiser Source | Airborne International