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4 1 C T J U N E 2 0 1 4 Surfacing veils Technical Fibre Products Ltd. (TFP, Burneside Mills, U.K.) and Tech- nical Fibre Products Inc. (Schenectady, N.Y.) showcased their newest Optiveil carbon fber veil, which they claim is one of the lightest nonwovens available, at only 2 g/m 2 or 0.1 oz/yd 2 . The Optiveil product line ranges up to 400 g/m 2 and is used for electrical conductivity, EMI shielding and stabilization for fragile reinforcements and as an adhesive substrate. Other developments include recycled carbon nonwovens and an extended range of lightweight PEEK, nylon, PEI and PPS thermoplastic veils, which can be incorporated as interlaminar layers in a composite structure to reduce mi- crocracking and, thus, improve fracture toughness. www.tfpglobal.com New-generation, recyclable PET foam core 3A Composites (Sins, Switzerland) unveiled what it characterized as a "completely new technology platform" for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam core materials, under the tradename AIREX GEN2. The foam reportedly features a very homogeneous cell structure, yet has enhanced mechanical properties compared to its predecessor, AIREX T92. While it re- mains a recycled and recyclable material, its formability and processability have been improved. Thanks to a lean and highly automated production process, GEN2 reportedly will offer customers a considerable total cost sav- ings in the end application. www.3acomposites.com Versatile ply placement guide Anaglyph Ltd.'s (London, U.K.) visitors saw the latest versions of its soft- ware products Laminate Tools, LAP and CoDA and the new software/hard- ware capabilities of its trademarked PlyMatch ply-placement technology in action. Unlike conventional fxed, overhead-mounted laser ply placement systems, the PlyMatch system is designed to be uniquely fexible: Notably, its laser projection head and support arm and/or the mold tool can be moved by the technician without system recalibration (the system self-calibrates) and its compact design enables it to guide manual placement on vertical surfaces and inside enclosed spaces. Further, ply data can be generated by any CAD application. www.anaglyph.co.uk/Placement.htm 3-D beam weaving Biteam (Bromma, Sweden) displayed the frst sample, an I-beam demon- strator, made using a new weaving technology capable of directly manu- facturing beam-like 3-D profles in which fber orientations in the web and fange are, respectively, + °/- ° and 0°/90°. Developed for the motor sports, automobile and building/construction markets, among others, the beam's web and fange fbers intersect in the z-direction (through the thickness), making the preform delamination-resistant. This makes it more capable of bearing shear and tensile loads as well as imparting structural stability dur- ing premold handling and impregnation steps. www.biteam.com Economical press molding Dieffenbacher (Eppingen, Germany) debuted the Compress Lite, its cost- effective compression molding machine designed to process thermoset- and thermoplastic-based composites. The low-height machine features an energy-saving drive and offers what is said to be identical defection of the table and ram to help provide consistent component thickness and quality. Access to the table is provided from all four sides, easing tool changes and allowing good automation integration. Press forces in the series range from 4,000 to 12,500 kN. In the high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) market, Dieffen- bacher emphasized its fully automated production system for the manufac- ture of carbon fber composite components. It includes preform production, the HP-RTM press and equipment for post-mold work. Preforming includes fabric cutting operations, binder application and transfer of preforms to carriers. Dieffenbacher has been cooperating in HP-RTM with KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany), which supplies resin injection systems for many Dief- fenbacher presses. www.dieffenbacher.de Fast-cure epoxy for HP-RTM For serial automotive production, Cytec Industries Inc. (Woodland Park, N.J.) launched XMTR50, a two-part epoxy resin system developed spe- cifcally for the high-rate manufacture of components via high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM), claiming a cycle time of three minutes at 120°C/250°F for a T g of 135°C/275°F. Also new, MTM 23, the industry's frst application of a volatile-organic compound (VOC)-free thermoset vinyl hybrid resin woven glass reinforced prepreg, enables the manufacture of parts by press molding in fve minutes or less. Cytec also introduced FM 3500 EZP peel ply, a resin-rich, fber-free composite bonding product that reportedly eliminates the need for additional prebond surface preparation. Formulated specifcally for one-piece removal, it exhibits handling properties that support manufacturing effciency. The peel ply's long shop life, durability during extended cure cycles and compatibility with most 177°C/350°F-cure prepregs allow for manufacturing fexibility. www.cytec.com 0614CT New Products-OK.indd 41 5/20/2014 8:55:54 AM