Maximilian Hacker is 25 years old and the owner of BRComposites. He absolved his training as procedural mechanics of plastic and rubber technology, specialized in fibre composites.

 Activities previous to his self-employment:

1. Fischer & Entwicklung Landshut
2. Pilatus Aircraft Schweiz
3. Company with Formel 1 experience   (company name is not mentioned because of legal reasons)

CE: COMPOSITES EUROPE Team

MH: Maximilian Hacker

CE: Please introduce yourself. Who are you and what is your responsibility at BRComposites?

MH: BRComposites has exists for two years now. We are a young and very innovative company with a continuous strong growth. Furthermore, we think that  well-trained employees and to the original rules of craftsmanship are very important.

I am proud to say that we are already training employees. In my opinion there is still a lack of skilled workers in the composites industry.

We develop and offer individual production to our customers. Productions up to 10,000 standard parts are easily possible. In this way the volume of production is growing. Our production is done without autoclaves and everything is hand-made.

BRComposites

CE: So how did you experience the COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011 show? What are your impressions?

MH: This is the first time for BRComposites as an exhibitor at the COMPOSITES EUROPE. Actually we have been planning the first exhibition in 2016. At least that has been the conclusion of a family dinner. However, by coincidental, I got a phone call from the COMPOSITES EUROPE team the next day. During this conversation I received information about a funding possibility through BMWi. Because of the funding possibility and the sponsoring by Jost Chemicals, which is a close partner, we decided to book a booth for the COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011.

Mr. Hacker was reacting spontaneously when we asked him about his feelings as participant of the CE 2011. He was euphorically describing the exhibition as gigantic. The company had a huge success, a great number of good meetings and contacts. The booth was constantly busy because so many visitors were interested in their products. In his opinion, the exhibition service and the whole organisation was very commendable.

We closed the interview by talking about the presentation of innovations brought by BRC.

BRComposites presented flexible carbon protectors which is already used e.g. by the v. The jacket (have a look at the picture) in the background is specially made for extreme mountainbikers and is equipped with flexible carbon protectors. All visitors have been wondering what kind of material this is. However, we could not get any detailed information.

Thank you so much for the interesting and open conversation with Mr. Hacker.

Q: Question

MS: Answer of Michael Scharmer

Michael Scharmer (man on the right side on the picture) www.msc-polymer.com/

Q: Please introduce yourself and MSC Polymer AG.

MS: MSC Polymer AG is a capital markets company LC. I am in the bord of directors as a director of technology and the Chief Executive Officer. 1988 the company was founded as a technical consulting company. Later on it had been developed towards a distributor of materials. Glass fibre reinforced epoxy laminates are the backbone of the classical PCB. Our customers already expected that we supply materials for premanufactured and pretooled. So we had to invest in suitable machinery and step by step we became a manufacturer of glass fibre reinforced parts for broad applications (despite PCB, our core business). We are at at the COMPOSITES EUROPE show because we had more and more inquieries asking for new materials as they are being shown here.We knew nobody in this industry, now we know a lot! Exhibitions are not only to attract new customers, but also to come in touch with the industry. We wanted to find new suitable suppliers and tool makers. In addition, we have a lot of contacts, for example to science institutions. It is really worth to come here. The next time in Düsseldorf we will bring more examples with us made of carbon fibre. In a few years we want to become an important European player in the manufacture of 3D-parts for many application industries, especially for the machinery industry.

Q: So how did you come to the COMPOSITES EUROPE show?

MS: We observed the development within the composites industry and the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade show. I asked myself where is this industry going? Looks like it is getting really important. I would have come as a visitor anyway. So why not taking a booth? The stand is also a meeting point. It can not be replaced by google or other social platforms. In the evening you also meet your visitors in the same hotel at the bar. This trade show is very well organized, not bureaucratic at all and our administration efforts to manage our participation were markable low compared to other major German exhibitions.

Moreover, it takes place in one of Germany’s most beautiful exhibition centres!

Q: Question
A: Answer

UHU Indutry adhesives - new exhibitor at COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011 in Stuttgart - http://uhu-profi.de/

Q: Please introduce yourself – who are you, what are your responsibilities at UHU?

A: The Company of UHU is divided into several business sectors. I am the divisional director, in charge of the division “Industry and Handcraft”. We are a young team of seven colleagues. Our ambition is to make UHU Industrieklebstoffe (UHU Industry adhesives) more known and famous and to offer the best solutions for our customers.

Q: Could you give us a quick overview of UHU GmbH & Co. KG?

A: UHU Industrieklebstoffe offers innovative glues for a wide variety of applications. We are a full-range supplier in the segment of technical glues and glue technologies. Alongside to epoxy- and acrylate adhesives, silane modified polymers and silicone-based products, our range also contains cyanoacrylate – and solvent adhesives. According to the customer’s preference, the application can be done manually, semi-automatically or automatically by using robots. During the COMPOSITES EUROPE this year we are looking forward to developing and working on individual complete solutions for the visitors. For that we are working together with selected machine experts like Hilger & Kern, Nordson EFD Deutschland, ViscoTec Pumpen- und Dosiertechnik and Vieweg GmbH. Our main focus is of course on glues but we also recommend machine experts for both small and large applications to our customers.

Q: Has your company always worked in the field of composites?

A: We have always worked in the sector of new materials because we see a huge potential in it. This year will be the first time for us as an exhibitor at COMPOSITES EUROPE after having visited it in the last few years. Through our presentation on COMPOSITES EUROPE, we want to enlarge the publicity of the business division for industry and handcraft solutions.

Q: To whic industries do you deliver your glues?

A: Our main target groups are electrical engineering, automotive industry, metal processing, woodworking, plastics engineering and building materials. We are intentionally serving niches in which customers are thankful for new solutions. Especially the fields of fibre composite and lightweight are interesting for us. Our goal is to bring innovations to the market.

Q: Looking to the future, where do you think the composites industry is headed?

A: My impression is very positive and full of expectations. The industry is greedy for fibre-reinforced plastics because it implicates massive economic advantages. We believe that the composites market is a future market. That is why we are continuously working on new product developments. The composites market is very attractive because of it’s big economical potential.

Q: Do you have current projects?

A: We are always working on projects and product developments and try to present them as fast as possible. I would like to point out our project with the university of applied sciences in Landshut and Prof. Reiling. If a constructing engineer, for example in the automotive industry is making a load test nowadays, he can use clear characteristic values for a steel bolt with metric head which are listed in a register for strength classes. Goal of our project and of the measurements carried out by the UAS Landshut was to identify characteristic values for our different adhesives, so that engineers have the necessary parameters for their numerical calculations. Our project is leading in this area worldwide. Moreover, it is independent and neutral because it has been carried out by a university.

Q: How did you get to COMPOSITES EUROPE?

A: My tasks are the market monitoring and research. It is important to discover new potential markets for us and to keep observing them. Through my research I have noticed the COMPOSITES EUROPE exhibition and I have already been there as a visitor. This year we finally decided on exhibiting at the fair.

Q: Finally, are you looking forward to the COMPOSITES EUROPE show?

A: The whole team is looking forward to it. I always look forward to trade fairs. You can meet outgoing people, take suggestions with you and learn a lot from the visitors. Furthermore, you always find out about new innovations on the market.

The energy policy of the German government includes giving greater support to offshore wind farms. The remuneration for this power is to be raised to 15 cents per kilowatt hour. Operators of onshore wind turbines will continue to receive up to 10.2 cents per kilowatt hour. 0.5 cents are paid for power from new wind parks if the old equipment went online before 2002. The new turbine should also deliver twice the amount of power than the old one.

Example of how the crystal structure could be used in the rotor blade of a wind turbine. (Photo: Wüstefeld)

These factors therefore represent healthy prospects for the future of the wind power sector. The manufacturers of fibre-reinforced composites are also expecting to benefit from this development – because modern wind turbines are inconceivable without glass and carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. The organisers of the international Composites Europe (CE) exhibition, to be held from 27 to 29 September 2011 in Stuttgart, recognised this early on and are giving the industry the platform it deserves. Well-known producers and processors of fibre composites for the wind energy sector and the relevant machine producers and suppliers get together each year at the event.

But it is not only the presence of the big names which makes a visit to the exhibition so worthwhile. Jens-Hagen Wüstefeld from Starnberg, for instance, has developed a crystalline structure as a lightweight construction element. It yields an 85 percent reduction in weight, lower manufacturing costs, outstanding rigidity and design flexibility in comparison to a solid material. Starting out with a geometric concept, he made a three dimensional lattice from triangles, similar to a crystal structure. Any forces applied to such a symmetrical grid are distributed optimally to adjacent surfaces and edges.

These lightweight elements can be manufactured to any scale, from any materials and in any form – including those appropriate for wind turbines. The resulting reduced weight of the tower would allow the foundation to be simplified. And the lower weight of the rotor would result in lower bearing loads and therefore reduced wear and greater efficiency in the entire turbine. The reduced amounts of materials required would also reduce production costs. Individual segments can easily be joined together, simplifying both transportation and erection.

In collaboration with the machinery manufacturer Voith, the Audi engineers are setting up the industrial-scale manufacture of fibre-reinforced materials for the series production of cars; their main goal is to develop a fully automatic process chain. With series production their ultimate target, both partners are devoting themselves not only to the creation of processing engineering and mass production methods for conventional fibre-reinforced plastics but also to the development of new and innovative high-tech materials.

The long flap of the folding top cover and the large rear side panels of the Audi R8 GT Spyder are made from CFRP. (Photo: Audi)

To date, Audi has only used CFRPs in its high-priced super sports cars such as the Audi R8 GT Spyder. The long flap of the folding top cover and the large rear side panels of the recently launched 560 PS version of the sports car are made from CFRP. The material is also used in the modified front spoiler, in the fixed rear spoiler and in the new rear bumper. These components account for total weight savings of 5.5 kilograms.

“Low-fat vehicles” featuring fibre composites will also be highlighted at the international Composites Europe (CE) trade fair, to be held from 27 to 29 September 2011 in Essen. The BMW partner SGL Carbon will be there to demonstrate its expertise. The company supplies the carbon fibres for the Megacity Vehicle. This is the first time in which CFRP parts have been used in large-scale series production. This takes the company a step closer to producing affordable lightweight vehicles suitable for mass production based on fibre composites – putting BMW a nose ahead in the technology race. This is shown by the efforts of the rivals who are doing all they can to catch up. Take Audi, for example: it has set up an interdisciplinary carbon fibre research unit at its Neckarsulm plant aimed at adapting the CFRP technology processes for use in series production. The sister marque Lamborghini has also set up a research unit for carbon fibre technologies at the new Advanced Composites Research Center (ACRC) in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

Q: Please introduce yourself – who are you, what are your responsibilities at Scheurer Design & Eng.?

A: I worked as F1-Composite Engineer during the past 10 years. My career started at Sauber. 2005 I moved to  Toyota F1 based in Cologne. 2009 I launched my own company Scheurer Design & Eng. My current role is CEO and CAD-Designer.

Q:  Could you give us a quick overview of Scheurer Design & Eng.?

A: We do mainly CAD-Service, Composite Design, Production Support. Our main business is motorsport. We’re currently involved in two F1 Teams and different LeMans Teams. Next to them we do interesting projects in the marine sector. We work very close with our production partner “Germa Composite”. In this way we’re able to deliver high quality composite products to our customer.

Q: What kind of projects have you undertaken for clients?

A: Mecca Clock Tower (Carbon Clock Hands & Crescent)
     Lotus F1 car design
     …the ongoing projects are confidential

 Q: How did you come to be involved in the Mecca clock project and what challenges have your experienced with this project?

A: The German CEO Hannes Waimer of Premier Composite Technologies based in   Dubai  contracted us. We started with designing the up to 23m long carbon fiber clock hands. This project included mould design, composite engineering, ply flattening and we provided ply books for the shop floor. 2010 Premier called us to support them doing the biggest Crescent ever been built. The size of the mould was similar to a big yacht mould. The most challenging thing on this project was simply the size of the parts. It was a great experience for us to see what’s possible with using composite materials.

Q: Looking to the future, where do you think the composites industry is headed? What are you looking forward to seeing?

A: It would be great to see more composite material in the architecture sector. Light and  strong is what we need if we like to  have buildings up to one  kilometer high in the future.

Q:  Please, name some of your favourite composite  components?

A: Oxeon’s TexTreme carbon fabric! Great material and it looks good.

Q: Finally, are you looking forward to the Composites  Show in Stuttgart?

A: It’s a great show. Good solution to meet interesting people.

The Airbus A320 NEO is to be launched in 2015 and consumes 15 percent less fuel than the current model (photo: Airbus/Fixion).

The undisputed top model was the Airbus A320 NEO. The medium-haul aircraft featuring a new type of engine (NEO = New Engine Option) is to be launched in 2015 and its fuel consumption will be roughly 15 percent lower than that of the current model. One order placed by the Malaysian budget airline Air Asia attracted a great deal of attention: the airline ordered 200 Airbus A320 NEOs to the value of EUR 12.8 billion – the largest single order in the history of the EADS subsidiary.

The fact that the low-consumption aircraft is in such demand is due in part to its consistent use of fibre-reinforced composites to reduce weight. Components made from aramid fibre-reinforced plastics are used, for example, for the lower fuselage panelling. In addition, the front edge of the tail fin and the panelling covering the transition from the fuselage to the tail fin are made of glass fibre-reinforced plastic. The rest of the tail unit and most of the flaps are constructed from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The A320 is therefore the first production civil aircraft in which this material is used for the entire tail unit.

Numerous Airbus suppliers will be coming together at the international Composites Europe (CE) trade fair in Stuttgart from 27 to 29 September 2011, underlining the significance of the event as a platform for fibre-reinforced composite solutions for the aerospace industry. Fibre placement systems and tape laying systems from MAG, for instance, are used for the production of fuselage parts, wing elements, turbine casings, stabilisers and other structural elements. The Preiss-Daimler group in partnership with Diehl Aircabin produces body shell parts for both Airbus and Boeing from glass fibre mesh and plastics using an innovative processing method.

SGL Carbon is also investing in this field. At the end of May the company opened an ultramodern pilot plant for researching into further potential applications for carbon fibres in the aerospace industry. The EUR 11 million facility is a central part of the “AirCarbon” project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology (BMWi) in which, for the first time in Europe, industrial partners headed by the SGL Group are working specifically to develop carbon fibre reinforced innovations for the aerospace industry.

The VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau) is the largest engineering industry network in Europe. It represents 3000 mainly small- to medium-sized member companies in the engineering industry.
Accounting for sales of roughly € 173 billion in 2010, mechanical engineering is one of the largest industrial sectors and employers in Germany. Roughly two thirds of German production is exported.
VDMA has recently formed a Composite Technology Forum, a new network for machinery manufacturers engaged in the development and production of technologies for the manufacture and quality control of composite materials.

What are your thoughts about Composites and Automation?

I just got information that in 2011 AVK-conference set up a new new concept.

Compressed into two lecture series high-level speakers inform about various applications of fiber reinforced plastics. Thematically, the two series be divided into decision-makers and technicians blocks. In this way the needs of stakeholders are met even more.

• Structural lightweight applications of thermoplastic composites by Joachim Graefe, Quadrant Plastic Composites AG
• Carbon-thermoplastic manufacturing for the A350 XWB – From Idea to Series Production by Dr. Klaus Edelmann, Airbus Operations Ltd.
• SMC tailgate, which are used in automotive premium segment by Dr. Walter Aichholzer, Mercedes-Benz.

These are just some Topics for 2011 convention. As I am a big supporter of panel discussions I am looking forward to this: “Future prospects of fiber reinforced plastics in the automotive”.
Stuttgart is well known for Automotive so I guess there will be some interesting heads discussing this.

See you there!

More Information:
International AVK-Conference
26. bis 27. September 2011
ICS Internationalen Congresscenter, Stuttgart
http://www.avk-tv.de/

A few weeks ago we met each other again and he told me that development went well but he had some challenges regarding german law for using rims on
german streets. Although there are no thermal problems by heating the discs i.e. government gave him note that these kind of rims are not desired.

However, he started a new project: Innovative Process for manufacturing Carbon Composites

In combination with research and development on carbon wheels an innovative process for resin infiltration was discovered. This RCI-process combines the
advantages of classical autoclave process (simple moulds) with the advantages of RTM-process (short time). Suitable applications for structural carbon parts manufactured by RCI-process are in aerospace, automotive, sports or medicine.

Therefore cooperation partners for development are welcome. Get more information on: http://www.at-carbon.de

Wish you a nice Wednesday,

Frank