Engineering news
Composite manufacturing has taken a step forward after engineers at Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre completed research to reduce its cost and environmental impact.
The four-year European research project, Reform, has developed technologies ranging from water-jet machining to reconfigurable composite fixturing and tooling. The systems can cut the energy used in some processes by more than 50%, reduce costs by more than 45% and increase the recycling of raw materials to around 95%.
The research work, which was led by the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), and involved nine companies from five countries and four research organisations, focused on four areas: forming, machining, assembly and recycling.
The technologies are being trialled and commercialised by the development partners in the project. Engineering firm DVST is using a method for recycling composite offcuts into fixtures and boards on commercial projects. CADCAM company Moduleworks is to roll out a new recycling, cutting head, positioning and fixturing system to industry, along with a water-jet nozzle that can double cutting speeds for the same energy usage. And the German Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology is to make a tape-laying system available to composites manufacturers. The system uses a laser rather than an oven to cure the pre-impregnated composite during lay-up, which uses 50% less energy, as well as reducing scrap, time and labour costs.
Dr Rosemary Gault, co-ordinator of the Reform project at the AMRC, said: “We have performed successful trials for a large aerospace company and a wind-turbine manufacturer on the water-jet technologies and have demonstrated a 75% reduction in cutting cost and time. The water-recycling and water-jet monitoring systems have since been installed in two different small firms. While the tape-laying system is being installed in an automotive company and the recycled fixtures are being used in marine and aerospace applications.”
Gault said further trials of the carbon-fibre recycling method developed by polymer fibre research institute SICOMP are needed to reach commercialisation. “Some additional steps need to be added to clean the fibres after processing,” she added. “However, initial tests on parts made from the recycled fibres have shown good results and they should cost around a quarter of the price of virgin fibres.”