CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/866813
SEPTEMBER 2017 54 CompositesWorld See us at SAMPE Booth # E42 SHOW PREVIEW SHOW PREVIEW Nonwovens for advanced composites Technical Fibre Products Inc. (TFP, Schenectady, NY, US) is exhibiting new nonwoven fabrics. The first is a novel PTFE nonwoven that acts as a release material and breather fabric and offers a combination of hydrophobic and non-stick properties. Also new for 2017 is a range of lightweight nonwovens with increased flexibility, smoothness and fiber volume. These new materials, designed for advanced composites, have been compressed to deliver a higher density, reduced thickness and smaller pore structure for a given areal weight. They have been designed to give improved conformability when working with complex mold shapes and, due to the thinner structure, increase the achievable volume fraction. The veil is available in a range of fiber types and areal weights. TFP is introducing a nano-functionalized nonwoven, created on TFP's commercial nanocoating line in Schenectady. The incorporation of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes or nanofibers, into or onto a nonwoven can provide multiple benefits including enhancement of surface conductivity, EMI shielding, thermal management and structural properties. Booth L79. www.tfpglobal.com Test equipment for fibers Textechno (Mönchengladbach, Germany), a manufacturer of test equip- ment for fibers, yarns and rovings, is showcasing ROVINGTEST, which measures the most important properties of rovings simultaneously. ROVINGTEST can be used to characterize all yarns and rovings made from carbon and glass fibers. One parameter assessed by ROVINGTEST is the friction properties of rovings when in contact with metal or ceramics, and, related to that, it can alert the user to the existence or generation of broken filaments, e.g., due to contact with surfaces. Moreover, the friction from roving to roving can be measured, which is an important parameter for simulating draping and forming processes. Spreading behavior and homogeneity of filament orientation also can be measured, which is particularly important in the production of organosheets and tapes. Booth B52. www.textechno.com Thermoplastic and thermoset materials TenCate Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, CA, US) is highlighting new thermoplastic and thermoset prepreg technologies. On display are several related aerospace and high-end industrial applications. The first application is an HP Spectre Ultrabook computer case manufactured with TenCate's Cetex TC920 polycarbonate/ABS carbon fiber laminate. TenCate says this high-volume application demonstrates the versatility of thermoplastic composites in cost-competitive applica- tions, such as laptops, tablets and handheld consumer devices. The final details of the lower case are injection overmolded for manufacturing efficiency. TenCate's Cetex polycarbonate/ABS carbon fiber laminates provide UL-94 fire safety without the use of secondary fillers. Also in TenCate's booth is a Thermoplastic Composites Research Center (TPRC, Enschede, The Netherlands) part developed with the assistance of GKN/Fokker (Papendrecht, The Netherlands). This TPRC part uses scraps of TenCate's Cetex TC1100 PPS thermoplastic prepreg to manufacture an aerospace-grade aircraft access panel. New from TenCate is TC380, a toughened, out-of-autoclave-capable, high-compression-after-impact (CAI) epoxy prepreg for aerospace applications. TenCate notes that with older-gene-ration toughened epoxies, the toughening mechanisms essential for CAI performance often degrade the critical properties of service temperature, open-hole compression strength and moisture resistance. TC380 uses a proprietary toughening mechanism that does not degrade the modulus of the epoxy, maintaining service temperature and open-hole compressive strength, while providing good compression-after-impact performance. On the thermoplastics side, TenCate recently launched Cetex MC1322, a PEKK-based, chopped fiber bulk molding compound (BMC) aimed at compression-molded commercial aircraft applications. TenCate also is highlighting Cetex TC1225, a PAEK-based thermoplastic prepreg with a lower processing temperature, which is said to enable cost-effective overmolding with higher temperature PEEK resins for finer details and integrated structures, such as rib stiffeners. TenCate is showing a TPRC- produced ortho grid-stiffened panel where the carbon fiber-reinforced ribs were injection overmolded on the TC1225 PAEK-based laminate. Booth N2. www.tencateadvancedcomposites.com