SHOW PREVIEW I COMPOSITES EUROPE
The rendezvous point
Composites Europe, the European trade fair and forum for composite materials, is set to make its sixth appearance in the trade show calendar, and one that the aerospace industry’s material engineers are taking more notice of.
the complete supply chain of composites: from raw material via semi-finished goods and processing, to the latest technologies, machines and services. Show organiser Reed Exhibitions says
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many companies are predicting rising demand for composites in the aerospace industry as carbon fibre technology is becoming a key technology ingredient of choice for aircraft construction. Over 300 international exhibitors are
expected for the sixth edition of the trade fair including technology leaders, such as the SGL Group, The MAG Group and Airtech. These companies all testify that this trade fair has become a rendezvous point for some of the major names in the composites industry. For example, the SGL Group recently notched up another milestone when it opened a state-of-the-art plant in Meitingen. Costing €11 million, the facility is a key feature of the ‘AirCarbon’ project, sponsored by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), within which industrial partners under the overall control of the SGL Group are forging ahead with specific carbon fibre plastic (CFP) innovations for the aerospace industry for the first time in Europe. Meanwhile, innovative processing methods from Preiss-Daimler subsidiary, P-D Aircraft Interior of Bitterfeld- Wolfen will also be present at the show. The company produces a diverse range of glass fibre fabric and plastic body shell parts for aircraft cabins. The new company has entered into a long-term
Snakes on a plane: ‘Viper’ fibre placement systems are being employed by MAG Europe in the production of fuselage sections for the Airbus A350 XWB
cooperation with Diehl Aircabin in Laupheim, one of the most important aircraft outfitters worldwide. Another exhibitor attending the event
has recently intensified its involvement in the aerospace sector. The MAG Group, one of the leading suppliers of technology and production solutions in machine building worldwide, recently announced the purchase of the French aerospace and composites production specialist, Forest Liné. Through this acquisition, MAG IAS from Göppingen, which operates most of the operational business of the MAG Group in Europe, has gained an additional important route to composite technology and to new market and customer segments, especially in the aerospace industry. MAG is already a partner of Airbus
and produces A350 XWB fuselage sections in diameters of up to 6.3m. Airbus employs MAG’s so-called ‘Viper’
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Fibre Placement System (FPS) with 92% of the fuselage consisting of composites processed with these machines. Finally, a new product development for
mould making was recently presented by Airtech Europe, a subsidiary of Airtech Advanced Materials Group. Worldwide, the corporation is one of the leading manufacturers of vacuum foils and tools for the processing of fibre-reinforced plastics for aviation and aerospace as well as for other composite industry applications. Airtech’s new Beta Prepreg mould making prepreg can be stored at room temperature and compared with customary epoxy systems, it is said to provide superior laminate properties and assures the user of logistical cost reductions, more flexibility during manufacture and a longer service life of
the tools in production. ❙
www.composites-europe.com
AEROSPACEMANUFACTURING | SEPTEMBER 2011 17
rom 27-29 September 2011 at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre, Composites Europe will exhibit
Photo: Courtesy of MAG Europe
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