THE COMPOSITES ENGINEERING SHOW EXHIBITOR PREVIEW


A hub of innovation


With 150 exhibitors spread across the combined show floor, Composites Engineering and Aero Engineering represent a cross section of the latest developments in the UK industry. So, what can visitors expect to discover?


composite components by eliminating the lacquer completely, increasing cosmetic durability and reducing cost. To achieve the desired finish, Prodrive applies very precise


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control of the interface between the component and the mould. As each of the plies are added to the mould, there is a possibility of air bubble entrapment which hinders both adhesion between plies and the seating of the outermost layer against the mould surface. However, the new process ensures this doesn’t happen by the use of carefully developed values of pressure, temperature and duration for this phase of the manufacturing process. The company has also developed an appropriate prepreg specification with its supplier to ensure good mould surface finish. Several new products from Richmond Aerovac (stand


216) can be found at the show, including VMS2, which the company claims will change the way the industry carries out composite vacuum bagging in prepreg and resin infusion processes. The system reduces the risk of dry spots of incomplete wet out, simplifies the infusion network design, eliminates resin waste and opens up new possibilities in composite structural design. Also present, a new heavyweight breather fabric,


AB1060UHA, has been developed using a specific polyester blend to yield ultra high airflow performance at high pressure and temperature conditions (100psi and 205°C) and can be used in either oven or autoclave processing for moulding complex shapes with tight radii, replacing the requirement for two layers of breather fabric. The Aerofix 3 spray adhesive completes the line-up, which has been specially developed to hold glass /carbon fabrics and core materials in place in the moulds during the resin infusion process. A new vacuum moulding system that features spray-on, or brush-on, ‘instant’


utomotive technology and specialist manufacturer Prodrive (stand 409), has developed an answer to the problem of lacquer deterioration on visible carbon


u Prodrive has developed a new process that removes the need for a lacquer on visible carbon components


silicone bags that can be used over and over again has been launched by Bentley Creative Chemicals (stand 119). The bags can be easily made by an operator in as little as 30 minutes and according to the company, the process is much faster, cheaper and greener than traditional methods, with estimates that the new process is already saving up to 90% of labour costs. The silicone bags are more resistant to heat and chemical


attack from resins, the process is non-hazardous and has no odour and the bags can be used over and over again with


u The new vacuum moulding system using ‘instant’ silicon bags at Bentley Creative Chemicals


6 | Composites in Manufacturing | Autumn 2010


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