Composite research for industry

COMPOSITE RESEARCH FOR INDUSTRY GENERATING THE MATERIAL EDGE

IRISH CENTRE FOR COMPOSITES RESEARCH

Composite materials are materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties, that when combined, produce a material which leverages characteristics different from the individual components. The individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure. The new material may be preferred for many reasons; common examples include materials which may be stronger, lighter or less expensive when compared to traditional materials.

OVERVIEW OF IComp The global composite materials industry is forecast to reach $29.9B by 2017, while market value of end products made with composite materials is expected to hit $85B. This is driven by the increased use of light-weight materials across many sectors including transportation, construction, aerospace, marine, and energy & environment. To satisfy this demand there is a requirement for intensive research programmes to ensure that the supply chain, cost base and manufacturing processes and throughput rates are appropriate for the different sectors. The number of companies in Ireland in composites is increasing and in response to this the Irish Centre for Composites Research (IComp) was established in 2009 to support this growing sector.

The vision of IComp is to provide a focal point for world-class composite research, innovation and technology transfer through a market driven research agenda to deliver positive outcomes for the Irish Economy. Since its foundation in 2009, IComp has created and funded a market driven research programme and recruited many Industry partners

VISIONS & GOALS IComp’s vision is to harness the best available national and international science and technology to ensure that Ireland derives the maximum possible benefit from the bourgeoning global composites market.

The immediate term goal is to address Irish industry’s current problems and aspirations, which have been identified by member companies, to enable them to either satisfy their customers in order to retain and increase market share or to enter the market.

A longer term goal is to develop strategies which will lead to new high added-value opportunities for Irish industry.

This will be achieved by facilitating innovation to generate new products, processes and technologies with resulting IP, licensing opportunities and spin-out companies.

A further goal, to underpin all industrially-related developments, is to establish Ireland as a significant global player in the science and technology of composite materials.

ICOMP WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SECTOR BY: Providing a technology foresight service for its members by tracking and keeping them abreast of market trends, advances in the scientific state of the art and intellectual property developments.

Providing a forum for collaboration between industry and academia.

Providing researchers with the relevant competencies and skills sets to work in industry.

Carrying out excellent research utilising the physical and human capital available to it in the higher education institutions.

PROCESSING PLATFORM In the processing platform one of the aims is to develop further capabilities to design, manufacture, characterise and evaluate composite parts for different end-users. This will enhance the processing capacity and capabilities of Irish industry.

ATP

ADHESIVES AND JOINING

As a manufacturing technology, ATP has been proven as the best method of producing advanced composites. Due to the freedom that this manufacturing process gives to the designer, final composite parts are better able to exploit special and an-isotropic characteristics. This rapid automated process produces parts with low residual stresses (particularly important in very thick parts) and eliminates post-processing and the use of expensive consumables. The structures produced using this in-situ consolidation tape placement process are high quality, well consolidated structures which have low void content, an excellent finish, superior fibre concentricity, and minimal fibre buckling.

As well as manufacturing composite parts there is a requirement to join parts together, often in combination with metal parts, rapidly and cost-effectively to form a mechanical structure. Traditional technologies used for joining metals such as mechanical fasteners (e.g. rivets and nuts and bolts), adhesive bonding and welding, are not necessarily directly transferable to composite and composite/metal structures. This is a challenge across all industrial sectors.

Additionally, there is a growing need to be able to dis-bond structures for end-of-life dismantling and recycling.

LIQUID RESIN INFUSION There is an urgent demand in the composites industry for alternative processing strategies that will reduce overall costs and increase the speed of manufacture of composite parts. Liquid resin infusion techniques offer opportunities to both reduce costs and speed up the manufacturing cycle.

Some of the key advantages of these processes are that they: (a) eliminate the prepreg manufacturing process; (b) eliminate the slitting of prepreg to manufacture tapes and tows for automated lay-up; (c) reduce labour costs and operator error associated with hand lay-up; (d) eliminate the capital and running costs of autoclave equipment, and; (e) enable complex & integrated net shape parts to be made in one operation.

MODELLING AND SIMULATION Computational mechanics and computational material science is the science of representing physical structures at various scales and simulating their behaviour under various conditions. Computational programmes are used to generate and present material data including thermo-mechanical properties, atomic bonding and bond geometries, thermodynamics, spectroscopy, electronic properties, and a variety of other physical and chemical properties.

The ATP installed at IComp is one of only seven known such installations in European High Technology Centres, enabling one member company to win a lucrative ESA contract.

Demand in the US composites market is expected to reach $10.3bn by 2019. Demand in the US composites market is expected to reach $10.3bn by 2019. Demand in the US composites market is expected to reach $10.3bn by 2019.

DESIGN, JOINING & STRUCTURES PLATFORM Through the Design, Joining and Structures Platform IComp has the equipment and modelling and experimental expertise and skilled scientists and engineers to bring new technologies to Irish companies in terms of surface engineering, adhesive bonding and dis-bonding, mechanical fasteners and induction welding.

DAMAGE DETECTION AND REPAIR As the use of composite materials grows across different sectors so does the amount of damage to such structures incurred from various sources such as impact, fatigue and erosion. There is, therefore, a concomitant need for damage detection, quantification and repair. Because of the complex structure of composite materials on all scales from molecular to macro the nature of the damage incurred is also generally complex and can range from weather erosion through delamination, matrix fracture, interface failure, fibre breakage and structural failure and a combination of some or all of these.

RECYCLING As the use of composites moves more towards the massmarket there is a growing need for recycling both waste materials and end-of-life materials and structures. Such materials may be from indigenous industries or may be imported into the country (e.g. post-consumer drink bottles) for so-called up-cycling into higher added value end uses.

IComp is initially focusing on developing strategies for the up-cycling of waste virgin carbon fibre, recycled postconsumer bottles and waste polypropylene/glass fabric.

MODELLING AND SIMULATION

IComp MEMBERSHIP IComp provides a focal point to bridge the gap between industry and academia for companies across all industrial sectors which are currently or potentially involved with composite materials. To become an industrial member of IComp it is necessary to make a nominal subscription, the size of which depends on the size of the company, and to agree to abide by the Centre’s terms and conditions

BENEFITS TO MEMBERS

BENEFITS TO INDUSTRY

Preferred access to technology generated in the IComp Research Programme, enabling companies to move up the value chain or compete for additional investment.

Single point of contact to the Composites Research community.

Participate in collaborative research with other industrial partners leading to mutually beneficial results.

Access to key equipment at reduced costs and reduce cost of investigating new technologies.

Improved productivity and increased speed to market Opens up new market opportunities and helps diversification Participation at international trade shows at reduced costs

Challenges and opportunities in the rapidly emerging global composites market and in relevant areas of science and technology are identified by IComp.

Ideas are disseminated through annual industry/academia workshops which are open to all Irish companies and research institutes.

Availability of key staff: IComp the education and training of an appropriately qualified and skilled workforce.

IComp continues to promote Ireland as the ideal location for FDI and new jobs, particularly in advanced manufacturing and supportive R&D.

CORE-FUNDED PROJECTS Industrial members have the opportunity to actively engage with the whole of the core-funded research programme via regular technical review meetings.

Full members have access to all relevant data. IComp’s industrial members contribute to core-projects by bringing their technical and market experience, skills and expertise to the R&D programmes.

INNOVATION VOUCHERS

EU HORIZON 2020 PROGRAMME

This scheme aims to start links between Irish universities and small businesses. Thus, small businesses developing a business opportunity or problem can apply for an Innovation Voucher worth €5,000 to get the support of universities on some aspects of their innovation. This usually leads on to larger collaborations and funding supports.

Running from 2014 to 2020 with an €80 billion budget, the EU’s new programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe. IComp partners are uniquely poised to take advantage of this fund by participating in IComp H2020 projects.

INNOVATION PARTNERSHIPS Companies can also all take advantage of Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Partnership Scheme to work with IComp on a one-to-one basis on projects which result in the transfer of both technology and highly skilled scientists and engineers into the supporting company.

FEASIBILITY STUDIES The EI Ireland R&D fund offers R&D finance and expertise to grow company sales and employment. The R&D fund is focused in supporting technical feasibility studies, High Potential Start-ups and in-house and collaborative R&D projects with Irish colleges or companies.

COMMERCIALISATION PROJECTS The Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme aims to convert the outputs of state funded research into innovative new products, services and companies. The Programme supports researchers in Higher Education Institutions and Research Performing Organisations to undertake research that has the potential to result in the commercialisation of new innovations by way of licenses to improve the competitiveness of Irish Industry or through the spin out of new start-up ventures.

Working with IComp may also be possible through other funding opportunities.

All Irish companies can fund their own exclusive research projects in the Centre.

For more details on how your company can collaborate with IComp please contact: Ms Michelle Cooney, Project Coordinator: Michelle.cooney@ul.ie Tel: +353 (0)61 234363

THE GLOBAL COMPOSITE MARKET Market value of end products will reach $85 billion

Transportation

Marine

➡

7% Wind Energy

Construction

➡

8%

Consumer Goods

Pipes & Tanks

9%

➡

➡

6%

Aerospace

5%

➡

➡

9%

Electrical & Electronics

Others

➡

5%

Between 2011 and 2017 industry growth of 65%

10%

➡

➡

5%

By 2017 composite materials industry will reach $29.9 billion