Making Your Own Prepregs
Composite materials that are used as reinforcements can be impregnated with resin ahead of time, are called prepregs. You use a prepreg in manufacturing different composite parts by cutting it out and laying it onto your mold, shaping as required. Since it has already been impregnated with resin, there are not any concerns with spreading the resin and curing agents on the dry materials while they are in the mold.
Pre-impregnated materials can be purchased from a composites supplier, or they can be made yourself. Woodward Aerospace shows us how.
UK Promotes Composites Manufacturers
I ran across an interesting video demonstrating case studies of composite manufacturers in the United Kingdom. This video paints a very pretty picture of companies that use these materials to manufacture a wide range of items including: aerospace, bicycles, bridges, auto racing parts, etc.
This video has some great video footage of automated composite manufacturing using advanced composites materials. Automating these processes has long been a challenge and hurdle to using composite materials for commercial applications.
This video seems to be done by a UK government agency called the “Department of Business Innovation & Skills” promoting a national strategy for composites industry growth. It supposedly demonstrates companies working together to develop new composites technology.
Composites Outlook
Anybody in the composites industry will tell you that things changed drastically. Market Analyst Lucintel recently completed a report titled “Global Composites Market 2009-2014: Opportunities, Market and Technologies.” This report discusses the continued decline of several markets through 2009 depending upon the recovery of the economy as a whole. The worldwide economy of goods and services needs to recover to help the composites industry as a whole.
The composites industry represents a $19 billion section of the economy. Construction, automotive, and marine composites applications dropped off significantly, while wind energy, aerospace, and corrosion applications saw growth opportunities. The expansion of Asian economies, especially infrastructure has been a bright spot for composites application and opportunity.
Composite RFQ
An interesting website that I recently discovered is called CompositeRFQ.com, which is a website dedicated specifically to the composites industry, and filling Requests for Quotes. This website works to match composites fabrication shops with those businesses and individuals needing composites fabrication work completed.
A project is posted by the person with work needing to be performed. The proper industry is selected, choosing from aerospace, architecture, automotive, boating, military, and sporting goods. Additional information documents can be attached for further scope identification. Bidding details can then be specified by the person posting the project.
Composites fabricators with related expertise and experience can bid on these projects in an effort to identify work opportunities for their business. If a bid is accepted, the details are worked out directly between the bidder and the buyer, eliminating any third party costs and delays. Bidders and Buyers can go back and leave feedback after the job is complete.
Composite RFQ has some free accounts to go in and look around. There is a very interesting page about using Composite RFQ that very easily explains how it work s graphically.
This site is a great tool to bring the composites world together between buyers and sellers. The old word of mouth method of finding fabricators and customers is great, but does not always lead down the best path. Small fabrication shops have difficulty advertising their services to the appropriate customers that might be looking for the type of work that they do, and now they can go and bid directly on the types of projects they can handle.
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