Cirrus Composite Airframes
I found a very interesting Youtube peek inside of the Cirrus airplane assembly factory in Minnesota. While it would be cool to learn more about the actual composites fabrication of the individual parts, there is some great information about part bonding, inspection, and final assembly of the Cirrus aircraft. They use fiberglass and carbon fiber reinforcements to create a very strong and durable fuselage, and it is great to see in action.
Personal jets made of composite materials offer many advantages and unique properties. Design of complex shapes and anti corrosion of aluminum are two advantages. Disadvantages include repeatability and upgrading/modification.
Composites that are properly designed and fabricated can be used in many applications where safety is a big concern. Proper design and inspection during production can create an airplane that can be easily maintained and have a very long life.
Great factory tour courtesy of Aero-TV:
Composite Dock
Building outdoor structures around water require special considerations. Wood rots, steel rusts, and dirt erodes. Fiberglass composites have been making strides in uses for marine-related activities. Round fiberglass pilings can replace wood pilings, and sheet pilings made of steel can be replaced with fiberglass retention walls.
The fiberglass composites have several advantages. They have a much longer service life because they do not rot or corrode. Compared to wood structures, they are more uniform in size. They are typically lower in weight to allow for lower lifting, handling, and transportation load requirements.
All of these advantages are used by a company called Green Heron Docks that builds docks in a “green” manner. Their docks are build from the previous dock sections, allowing for minimal interruption of the surrounding environment. Their installed docks will have a long life that will not require replacement related disturbance for time to come.
Their video on Youtube
As you can see, their equipment is relatively lightweight and inexpensive compared to bringing in cranes and barges. Their environmental impact is minimal, and the resulting product has a very long service life that will endure for years to come.
Automotive Application: Pickup Box
Fiberglass Composites have been used for ages in the automotive industry. There are advantages to doing this, including corrosion resistance, impact resistance, and weight savings. Toyota pickup trucks from the late 1980′s were made with steel sheetmetal beds that are very rust-prone in winter climates, especially those with salted roads. The response was to use a material that did not rust–fiberglass!
Toyota Pickup Box
This Toyota pickup box has fiberglass sides to eliminate the corrosion problem. The floor and front bulkhead are steel, as well as the missing tailgate. Using composite surely eliminated the rust problems associated with these vehicles, especially since it was used in the most apparent cosmetic areas that are most visible.
This pickup bed is not on a truck, because the frames of these trucks were also extremely rust-prone as well.
Fiberglass Grating
A composite product that I have worked with in the past is fiberglass grating. Made of composite fiberglass and resin, this material is used as a flooring and walkway material in many applications, and especially for industrial corrosive environments. It may also be used for things like waterfront docks and car washes.
Fiberglass Grating
I photographed a piece in the standing position, but normally it is laid flat as a walking surface. This walking surface may be suspended over equipment or placed directly on floors where walking hazards are present. This material is non conductive and non magnetic, very durable and very stable.
The grating is available in several resin forms for varying degrees of cost and performance suitabilities. It can be cut with sawzalls and circular saws and should be held in place with bolts or brackets. Like most composites, it is very impact resistant compared to other materials. It does have its limits, however, and should be inspected on a regular basis for cracks and deterioration.
The fiberglass grating is available from several manufacturers in different colors, thicknesses, resin formats, colors, and structural properties. Like many other composites products, there are lots of variables to consider and lots of solutions available. The nature of composites allows for custom and specific solutions to meet the needs of the end user.
The Green Aspects of SMC
Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) is used to create many composite parts especially for the transportation industry, and contributes heavily to a positive environmental impact. SMC has been developed over the last 25 years to replace steel/sheet metal mostly in transportation applications. It is widely used in many heavy duty semi truck hoods, agricultural equipment, and pickup trucks, SUV’s and muscle cars.
The main goal of this substitution is to reduce weight, which improves fuel efficiency. Other positive side effects include fewer assembly operations, additional design freedom, dent and impact resistance, and the elimination of corrosion. Several “green” resin formulations have been introduced that make use of bio resins, which use much more renewable resources such as soy products. The fillers and reinforcements in this material can also be made from recycled and renewable materials.
SMC has overcome several hurdles in order to get to its present use and application. General acceptance and education had to be proven to the OEM manufacturers and consumers. Paint application and adhesion was one large consideration that had to be proven out. There were issues with popping and blistering from the SMC surface. Making sure the SMC parts held dimensions and aesthetics was also an important milestone.
SMC has become widely used today for many applications, and will find its way into many more. The weight saving aspects are paramount for reducing fuel consumption. The anti-corrosion and dent resistance are loved by consumers.