COMPOSITES I MANUFACTURING PROCESSES


materials. This has taken time to evolve. For example, a few years ago the machinery to achieve this simply was not available. It’s been a gradual process, but it’s now slowly coming together. It took us between three and four years to develop these new cutting tools. However, we can manufacture them from scratch within two or three weeks, whereas our rivals normally quote between 12 and 16 weeks. Delamination, overheating and fibre


breakout still remain big issues for composite machining. “Normally, they are best resolved through using coolants - though some companies are reluctant to do this,” explains Raynor. “Coolant prolongs tool life, suppresses dust and removes chips. It also keeps the cutting edge cool and


reduces resin re-bonding. In addition to this, our new helical flutes have greater flexibility and accuracy. They offer constant geometries all the way down, and can be tailored to the part being machined. That goes a long way to overcoming these problems.”


Onwards and upwards Exactaform has weathered the economic storm quite well. It has not been affected by the downturn which has hit other companies hard, though this is largely due to the buoyant nature of the aerospace sector.


“The bulk of our output remains with aerospace,” confirms Raynor. “We supply products to some of the industry majors, such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman and we have


The new Maxi-Flute cutter for high speed routing of composite panels where superior quality is required


contracts with companies linked to the US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. Originally, we worked with some of the Formula 1 racing teams. The experience gained from handling composite materials has subsequently stood us in good stead, as it contributed to the competitive lead we enjoy today.” Adds White: “We are the largest independent manufacturer of PCD


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